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The most beautiful vineyards of Burgundy
3 stops
3 nights
114 miles
A drive across Burgundy will take you through splendid hilly landscapes covered with vineyards. These "climates" are all winegrowing terroirs that bring the plots, grape varieties and know-how together. They all give rise to great vintages renowned throughout the world. Their discovery goes hand in hand with equally exceptional visits to museums featuring outsider art and modern art, a Cistercian monastery classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the house of the poet and novelist Alphonse de Lamartine.
01
Departure
Recommended duration : 1 night
Joigny
Things to do, see, and discover
During your stay
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La Fabuloserie
This outsider art museum is rather unknown, created by the architect and painter-sculptor Alain Bourbonnais in the sheds of his house in the countryside of Dicy. The museum houses wonderful pieces of atypical art imagined by eccentric fantasist and inspired artists who were farmers, miners or just young herdsmen. In the garden, don't miss the Petit Pierre's ride, a thoroughly poetic work.
On the road
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Noyers-sur-Serein
With its many houses, partly made from wood and its historic fortifications, Noyers-sur-Serein is listed among the most beautiful villages in France. Many artists have lived in the village for decades. It is at number 53, place du Grenier à Sel, where one finds the famous Burgundian ceramist François Gueneau's gallery.
On the road
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Fontenay abbey
Secluded and sheltered by vegetation, Fontenay abbey remains an amazing sight. This Cistercian 12th century monastery, with its magnificent Roman architecture, has been listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage site since 1981. As soon as you open its doors, you find such intimacy and grandness. We walk through the abbey-church, the cloister, the chapter hall or the dormitory, good places for meditation and work. The site served as the backdrop for the movie “Cyrano de Bergerac”.
02
71 milesCar
Recommended duration : 1 night
Saulieu
Things to do, see, and discover
During your stay
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Die Côte
The name ‘La Côte' brings to mind great Burgundy wines. Sixty-five kilometres of vines to each side of the road between the city of Dijon and the village of Santenay. Each hamlet or slope here is an international wine landmark. Along the Côte de Nuits, stop at Gevrey-Chambertin, Vougeot, Chambolle-Musigny, Vosne-Romanée or Nuits-Saint-Georges. On the Côte de Beaune, to the south, there is Aloxe-Corton, Pommard, Volnay, Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet, and more. The list alone is enough to intoxicate!
During your stay
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A drink at Chez Bruno, wine bar
Located in the antiques quarter, in Dijon, this little bar is a meeting place for wine-lovers, viticulturists, and other oenologists. Well known in the world of gastronomy, its owner, Bruno Crouzat, has an excellent palate and a sensible motto: ‘My tastes are simple: I am happy with the best'. Over glasses of wine, the ambiance is both lively and friendly.
During your stay
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The Polar Bear at the François Pompon Museum (Saulieu)
His name is not well known, but his work has been exhibited all over the world. François Pompon (1855-1933) is exhibited at the Musée d'Orsay, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. A native of Saulieu, this animal sculptor is famous for his majestic Polar Bear, which has been copied many times, but never equaled. The Saulieu museum evokes his life, his work, and diverse folk art from the region (including gastronomy).
On the road
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Burgundy seen from the sky
Just over a mile northwest of the historic town of Autun, you'll find the Morvan Aero Club at Autun-Bellevue airfield, which offers flights over the region in small aircraft (like the Aquila 210, Robin DR420 or Piper PA28). This is a highly original way to encounter the chateaux, lakes, abbeys and vineyards of Burgundy, and to better understand the uniqueness of its terroir.
03
44 milesCar
Recommended duration : 1 night
Beaune
Several properties available for this stop
Things to do, see, and discover
During your stay
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A visit to David Duband's Domaine
Fostering organic farming since 2004, this beautiful area of Chevannes in The Côte de Nuits vinifies over 17 hectares, of which six are on the estate. Chambolle, Nuits Saint-Georges, Gevrey-Chambertin and Morey Saint-Denis… These fruity and young wines are ideal to be served in restaurants and home dining.
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