In the heart of Burgundy, between Paris and Lyon, the Côte-d'Or is the first destination for nature and heritage, thanks to its bucolic landscapes and a real concentrate of French history. In particular with its castles and medieval cities.
The route des grands crus
The route des Grands Crus begins in Dijon, capital of the Dukes of Burgundy who left the architectural jewel of the Côte-d'Or here: the Palace of the Dukes and the States. As soon as you leave the city, the hillsides that make the Burgundy vineyards famous appear: the Côte de Nuits, followed by the Côte de Beaune. Gevrey-Chambertin is not to be missed, where the "Champs-Élysées of Burgundy" begin: twenty-six Premiers Crus and nine Grands Crus that impose an admiring silence as far as Vougeot. The village is flattered by the prestigious château of the region: the Clos de Vougeot. One continues until Vosne-Romanée, as much to say in holy ground where reigns the mythical Romanée-Conti! As the production does not exceed 5,000 bottles per year, we have little chance of tasting it, so we can console ourselves with a small glass of échezeaux. We take the road again in the direction of Beaune, "capital of Burgundy", which has some very good restaurants and the famous Hospices de Beaune. The devotees of local wines will not miss the Burgundy Wine Museum, installed in the former palace of the Dukes of Burgundy. Pommard is located 3 kilometres from Beaune. You must enter the vaulted cellars of its 18th century château to marvel at the 400,000 bottles of great wines. After Volnay and Monthelie, the route des Grands Crus splits into two parts: let's take the southern section which passes by Meursault, well known by white wine lovers, but also by film buffs, its château having been used as a set in La Grande Vadrouille! Finally, Santenay bows out of the Beaune hillsides and already, in the distance, the attractive Côtes Chalonnaises can be seen.
The Burgundy Canal, heritage and discoveries from Pouilly-en-Auxois to Saint-Jean-de-Losne
In the Côte d'Or, you can also embark on a delightful river cruise on the Canal de Bourgogne. You can first stop off at Semur-en-Auxois, for its beautiful private mansions, its old winegrowers' houses and its superb collegiate church, and at Pouilly-en-Auxois, which has more than one tourist attraction: a rich heritage (dovecotes, castles, fortified villages in the vicinity, etc.), walks in the countryside or on the towpaths, by boat or by bike, gastronomic discoveries, etc. Tourists are not mistaken; they come here in large numbers when the weather is fine. The river activity is coupled with a nautical capital with the presence of the reservoir lakes of Cercey, Panthiers (sailing club), Grobois, Le Tillot and Chazilly.
After another stopover in Châteauneuf-en-Auxois, classified as one of the most beautiful villages in France, we cross the delightful Ouche valley to arrive in Dijon, the capital of the Burgundy-Franche-Comté region and of the Côte-d'Or department. Dijon is a tourist and historical city with a remarkable heritage. Part of the city is classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as are the famous "climats" of Burgundy. Dijon the gourmet is, of course, known for its mustard, but also its gingerbread or its blackcurrant cream. Dijon is also a university, sports, industrial and business town with numerous infrastructures and of course a river town bathed by the Ouche, the canal, and bodies of water, which has the particularity of housing a lock in the town centre.
Finally, a journey on the Burgundy Canal ends atSaint-Jean-de-Losne, a major centre of inland waterway transport until the early 20th century. Today, the city of bargemen is thriving with the dynamism of river tourism. Its port is frequented by more than 5,000 boats each year and the town is seeing more and more cyclists, who can cross the area thanks to the Moselle-Saône Blue Route by bike. Notice to cycling enthusiasts!
The Morvan Regional Natural Park, the green lung
Between the parks, the ancient marshes, the numerous bodies of water, the meadows or the vineyards, the Côte-d'Or offers exceptional natural riches, both wild and contrasting.
The Morvan Regional Nature Park is Burgundy's green lung. It is one of the 53 regional nature parks in France. Nature reigns supreme here, and its hilly landscape is covered in forests, with hedgerows, rivers, lakes and picturesque villages in between. Since its creation, it goes beyond the administrative borders of the department. The Morvan Regional Nature Park covers an area of 240,000 ha, of which 105,000 ha is agricultural land, 129,000 ha is forest, 1,600 ha is water and 7,000 ha is wetlands. More than 36,000 inhabitants live in the member municipalities and more than 32,000 people live in the heart of the park, including many local producers. If we count the number of marked paths in the network, we arrive at nearly 3,600 accessible paths of all types: pedestrian, equestrian, mountain bike. A little less than 250 protected species represent the fauna and about sixty for the flora. Another asset to be highlighted: the regional nature park brand. This is a collective brand registered at the National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI) by the Ministry of Regional Planning and the Environment, which owns it. In 2020, the park celebrated its 50th anniversary!
The National Forest Park, a new nature destination
That's it, the National Forest Park, in Champagne and Burgundy, is born, it was inaugurated on November 8, 2019 after ten years of preparation and consultations. It becomes the eleventh national park to be created in France. A recognition for the quality of a territory that is the first located north of the Loire and the first national park dedicated to the forest. It also becomes the largest in Europe with an ecological and economic vocation, open to leisure activities, discovery and knowledge. While this nature is so close to us, we could have forgotten that it is a place of resourcing and well-being. It is also a place of memory of tales and legends that will come alive in these forests, 80% of which already existed at the time of the French Revolution. In ancient times, the Gauls venerated the sacred springs called "douix". The Lady of Vix, a great princess, was also buried there with her treasure: the largest bronze vase in the ancient world. To admire it, go to the very beautiful Museum of the châtillonnais country - Treasure of Vix located in the former abbey Notre-Dame in Châtillon-Sur-Seine. Beautiful for its location, but also and especially for its collection representative of the Celtic and Gallo-Roman periods in France. Discovered in 1953, at the foot of Mount Lassois, this treasure is composed of two Attic ceramic cups, a gold torque, a silver phial with a gold umbilicus, a wine jug... and the largest vase known to date. Its measurements are impressive: 208 kg, 1.64 m high, 1.27 m in diameter and a thickness of 1.2 mm. All this makes up a magnificent vase that can hold up to 1,100 litres! If these objects discovered in the burial chamber of the Celtic princess are to be seen for the pleasure of the eyes, they also teach us many things about the exchanges between the Vix region and the Mediterranean, even though this burial site dates from the beginning of the5th century... A must-see for anyone coming to Burgundy!
Useful information
Where? In the Côte-d'Or you will always find very good restaurants, open museums and wine producers' cellars. At harvest time (September-October), when the Côte-d'Or is at its best: the climate is mild, the sky bright and the vegetation resplendent.
How to get there. By car, from Paris: A5 towards Troyes, then Dijon, or A6 towards Lyon. Otherwise, the TGV serves Dijon or Beaune
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