Burgundy is la belle France in a nutshell. Known as Bourgogne in French, this quintessentially rural region stitched from pea-green fields, canals, and vineyards in eastern France really does have it all: sensational food and wine, a million and one chateaux, handsome hilltop villages at every turn, and enough UNESCO World Heritage sights to keep culture vultures busy for days.
While urbanites get their kicks in dashing Dijon, Beaune, and other thriving small towns, cycling, canal boating, ballooning, and sauntering on foot along enchanting riverside trails peppered with wildflowers in spring are exhilarating outdoor pursuits. Burgundy is the address if it is authentic French joie de vivre you’re after.
Play the French flâneur in Dijon
With magnificent medieval and Renaissance architecture at every turn, regional capital Dijon is cut out for slow and indulgent flânerie on foot. Its compact, pedestrian-friendly center, lively street scene, and rich architectural tapestry make it one of France’s most appealing cities to mooch: the gorgeous polychrome tile roofs in glazed ceramic hark back to Dijon’s 14th- and 15th-century heyday as capital of the Duchy of Burgundy when it was richer and more powerful than the kingdom of France itself. All municipal museums, including the superb Musée des Beaux Arts, offer free admission. The self-guided Owl Trail walking tour is great fun for families.
Live like a local in Beaune
From its architectural jewel of a Gothic charity hospital to the centuries-old labyrinth of wine cellars hidden beneath its streets, the small town of Beaune is as beau as its name suggests. As the unofficial capital of the world-class Côte d’Or region, wine is the town’s raison d’être and natural source of its deliciously contagious joie de vivre. Tasting opportunities are rife above and below ground, with guided vineyard tours by car or bicycle abounding. Dining is notably grassroots and farm-fresh, making Caves Madeleine a favorite. Don’t miss hobnobbing with locals at the sprawling, Saturday-morning farmers’ market on cobblestoned Place de la Halle.
Cut the mustard as a French gourmand
Burgundy’s feisty cuisine is a gastronomic romp through history, and indulging, no holds barred, is key to cutting the mustard as a French gourmand. Pain d’épices (gingerbread) was brought to Burgundy from the Holy Land by the Crusaders, while vines were planted here by the Romans. Apart from wine-tasting, there’s tender Charolais rib-eye beef and tangy Dijon mustard to sample: experience black truffle, blackcurrant, honey, white wine, and dozens of other gourmet flavors at Moutarderie Maille in Dijon, and traditionally stone-ground moutarde at Moutarderie Fallot in Beaune.
Mop after up garlicky snails
France’s finest snails hail from Burgundy. Escargots de Bourgogne are fed on juicy grape leaves and are traditionally served still in their distinctive black shells, stuffed with tangy garlic-and-parsley butter. Mopping up the sublime puddle of garlicky oil left on your plate with bread is as much a highlight as each chewy plump snail.
You can master the art of manipulating snail tongs and two-pronged snail forks at any restaurant specializing in regional cuisine. Family-run La Table d’Héloïse in Cluny never disappoints. Alternatively, join locals celebrating their favorite gastropod at a traditional Fête des Escargots (Snail Festival), held each year in Chevigny-St-Saveur and Digoin.
Follow pilgrims to a UNESCO-treasured abbey
Visiting Burgundy’s trio of superstar abbeys is as much about the journey—a meditative ramble through peaceful green fields and wooded valleys—as the awe-inspiring history and architecture you encounter on arrival.
Tiny but spectacular Abbaye de Vézelay squats in splendid isolation on a hilltop, while its exquisite, 11th- to 12th-century basilica is enshrined on UNESCO’s World Heritage list as one of the world’s great treasures. The same can be said for Abbaye de Fontenay, founded in 1118, which evokes medieval monastic life. In southern Burgundy, ruined Cluny was once Christendom’s largest church until the construction of St Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican.
Curiously, the stinky orange-skinned cheese Époisses adds a unique dimension to the restored Abbaye de Cîteaux, where it has been monk-made since the 11th century.
Savor viticulture flavor in Mâconnais
With its attractive old town and riverside location on the west bank of the Saône, the small winemaking town of Mâcon in southern Burgundy is a delight to explore. Its greatest appeal lies in the surrounding Mâconnais countryside, peppered with cute winemaking villages that read like a ‘Who’s Who’ of best French whites: Fuissé, Vinzelles, Pouilly…
For a bird’s eye perspective of the entire vineyard-spangled Mâconnais, motor 10km (6 miles) west of Mâcon where the rocky outcrop of Roche de Solutré commands awe-inspiring views and a tip-top prehistory museum. Lunch with a modern creative twist afterward at La Courtille de Solutré is always a good idea, as is gastronomic dining overlooking vines at L’O des Vignes, 10 minutes’ drive south in Fuissé.
Celebrate gastronomy and wine at La Cité
Excitement for summer 2022 is mounting for not one, but two, groundbreaking cités (cities) aimed squarely at seducing French food and wine lovers. West of regional capital Dijon, slap-bang on the sweet spot where the iconic Route des Grands Crus hits the road, La Cité Internationale de la Gastronomie et du Vin (CIGV) is taking shape in an upcycled 13th-century orphanage-turned-hospital. This €250 million complex guarantees full immersion in Burgundy’s grassroots gastronomy scene.
If it’s a pure, unadulterated vin experience you’re craving, don your tasting hat for a road trip around La Cité des Vins et de Climats de Bourgogne—a three-pronged attraction with sites in Beaune, Chablis, and Mâcon, and a strong focus on sustainable viticulture.
On the hop: craft beer
Swap wine for craft beer. Artisan microbreweries have mushroomed in Burgundy in recent years, with experimental brewers cleverly drawing on their region’s rich viticulture heritage to age beer in oak wine barrels, create sought-after millésimées (vintage ales), and blend traditional local flavors such as blackcurrant, gingerbread, and Marc de Bourgogne (a local grappa) to create unusual aromatic beers.
Highlights on the craft-beer trail include an organic lager or IPA at Brasserie de Vézelay or beer crafted from grape must at Maddam in Chablis. Alternatively, enjoy exceptional home cooking and beer pairings at Two Dudes in Tournus.
Relive high drama in Roman Gaul
Admiring Gallo-Roman artifacts and the unusually sensual Temptation of Eve, a masterpiece of stone carving by 12th-century sculptor Gislebertus, in the largely unsung art museum Muséé Rolin easily justifies a trip to Autun. This low-key town, on the doorstep of the nature-rich Parc Naturel Régional du Morvan, was one of the most significant cities in Roman Gaul. Sacked by barbarian tribes from 269 CE, evocative ruins are all that remain of its original ramparts, monumental gates, theatres, amphitheater, and sophisticated aqueduct system.
Hardcore Celt fans can continue 25km (15 miles) to the Gallic oppidum of Bibracte, capital of the Aedui Celts, and nearby MuséoParc Alésia to relive the famous 52 BCE battle between Gallic chief Vercingétorix and Julius Caesar’s legionaries.
Revel in boat life afloat
Exploring the region’s tranquil waterways is a golden ticket to encountering flora, birdlife, and other fauna at close quarters along the peaceful Yonne, Saône, and Seille rivers. March to October is the season for water explorers. Boats of all shapes and sizes, from single canoe to houseboat, can be rented in the ancient river port of Auxerre, on the western bank of the Yonne.
Cruise the countryside by vintage Mobylette
In a region built from rural back lanes, bucolic countryside, farming hamlets, and wine-making villages, memorable road trips are a given. Cruising the countryside by e-scooter or an original, 1950s vintage Mobylette offers unforgettable road trip experiences while discovering gourmet food, historic churches, and stunning panoramic views atop hilltop villages easily accessed by foot.
Wine and dine in a Renaissance chateau
In the Côte d’Or (literally ‘Golden Hillside’), Burgundy’s most prestigious wine region, tasting opportunities naturally abound. To delve backstage from the Middle Ages to the magnificent present day, visit Château du Clos de Vougeot. Touring the medieval vat house and presses, Cistercian cellar, and original kitchens at this 16th-century chateau is an immersive eye-opener. The sensational table d’hôte tasting lunch enjoyed with six different wines around a shared table in a private wing of the Renaissance chateau is not to be missed.
Try your hand at blackcurrant mixology
No French aperitif is quite so classic as kir, mixing three parts white wine with one part crème de cassis (blackcurrant liqueur) to create a sweet yet crisp pre-meal drink. The French icon, named after Dijon mayor Félix Kir, is a born-and-bred Burgundy staple. Learn about its history, production, and taste at the family-friendly factory-museum Cassissium in Nuits St-George, and discover your inner cocktail artist with a hands-on mixology workshop.
Slow right down in a balloon
For an alternative perspective of the region’s insatiably green landscapes, enjoy a ride in a colorful hot-air balloon over Burgundian vineyards, hills, and rivers. Balloons generally take off on blue-sky days between April and October, with about a dozen companies operating in the region. Beaune and Dijon tourist offices can help with bookings.
Taste wine in a Dijon ‘speakeasy’
Burgundy flips the conventional meaning of ‘speakeasy’ on its head with clandestine, sometimes illicit-feeling, ‘Wine Thursday’ tastings organized by the Dijon tourist office. Guided by a professional sommelier, visitors learn about both the cultural location and the various regional vintages they sip.
In Dijon, opportunities such as sampling vintages from the year of your birth with owner Olivier at the old-vintage specialist wine bar Caveau de Saulx (advance reservation necessary) and enjoying wine paired with organic produce at L’Age de Raisin are also worth exploring.
Safety recommendations and restrictions during a pandemic can change rapidly. For up-to-date guidance, it’s always best to check with local authorities before traveling.
