Destination guides

Burgundy Towns Guide

Listed below are some of the towns of the region and what you can expect to find

Dijon The lively city of Dijon has many splendid historical buildings and monuments laying testimony to its long and glorious history. Chalon-sur-Saône is a charming market town with pretty old streets and a cathedral.

Auxerre The capital of Lower Burgundy built on charming terraces overlooking the River Yonne. The Gothic cathedral of St Etienne dates from the 13th century and other notable buildings including the former abbey church of St. Germain, the church of St. Eusebius, the Leblanc Duvernoy Museum housing magnificent 18th century Beauvais tapestries, and the National History Museum dedicated to Paul Bert which is set in a small botanical garden.

Nevers Famous for pottery since the 16th century, Nevers also has many interesting buildings – the cathedral, the Ducal Palace, ‘Porte du Croux gateway and the St. Etienne church. Another place of interest is the convent of St.Gildard.

Meursault Though only a small village, it is famous as a producer of one of the world’s finest white wines. Things to see include the medieval church of St. Nicholas and the ‘Hotel de Ville’, originally a fortified country chateau. The architecture and multi-coloured, tiled roofs are typical of buildings in Burgundy.  Beaune  Visit the ‘Musee du Vin’ and the former hotel of the Dukes of Burgundy to see history and work of the vineyards and wine. There are many fine buildings in the bustling, elegant old town, notably the ‘Hotel Dieu’ which is still in use as a hospital and the church of Notre Dame which houses a  beautiful collection of tapestries. South of Beaune is the ‘Archeodrome’, a museum devoted to the early history of Burgundy with life-size models of Neolithic dwellings. Typical dishes include Snails cooked with parsely and garlic butter, this is normal served as a first course, an alternative ‘jambo persille’, ham with parsely served up with the famous Dijon mustard and a selection of gerkins and pickles. Many dishes are cooked in the local wine, notably ‘boeuf bourguignon’. The vineyards of Burgundy stretching from Dijon south to Santenay are amongst the world’s finest wine producing regions. Meursault, in the heart of the vineyards, provides an ideal starting point for touring the region.

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