Burgundy - an area guide

Routes and areas:

• The Burgundy canal (Canal de Bourgogne) and rivers Saône and Yonne waterways.
• The Morvan mountains - forested uplands

Côte d'Or department (21)

• Alésia - near Montbard. Muséoparc Living history museum on the site of the Battle of Alesia, where Julius Caesar defeated the Gauls, led by Vercingetorix in 52 BC.  Interpretive center and archaeological museum. Part reconstitution of the Roman defences. Historic reenactments.
• Les Hospices de Beaune - the medieval hospice at Beaune is one of the most unusual ancient monuments in France, a medieval hospital that opened in 1483 and remained in use for five centuries – until the late 20th century. Today the hospice is a museum and art gallery, and contains one of the most famous works of medieval Flemish art, the Beaune altarpiece by Rogier van der Weyden, painted for the hospice, and still in situ. The hospices, with their sixty hectares of prime Burgundy vineyards, are still owned by the Beaune Hospital; the annual Beaune wine auction - now run by Christie's – is the world's most prestigious wine auction, with profits going to the hospital and to medical research.
• Beaune area: the vineyards of Burgundy, cellars and estate visits. Visit the Chateau du Clos Vougeot or the château de Pommard, near Beaune, or the Burgundy wine museum in Beaune. Route des vins des Grands Crus - the Grand vintage wine trail. See Burgundy wines
• Dijon: the capital city of Burgundy;  historic city, palace of the dukes of Burgundy, gothic Cathedral, Museum, shops 
• Fontenay great Cistercian abbey   (UNESCO World Heritage Site), near Montbard.
  

Saone & Loire department 71

• Autun - the small town on the edge of the Morvan hills boasts one of the finest  romanesque cathedrals in France, with remarkable sculptures, as well as a number of Roman remains, including city walls, and two city gates. 
• Digoin, in the extreme west of Burgundy, is a popular pleasure boating centre, at the junction of the Loire valley canal and the Canal du Centre, and has a fine canal aqueduct over the Loire
• The site of Cluny, the old town and the remains of the Benedictine abbey, once the largest chuch in Chrisendom.
• Cormatin, between Chalon s/ Saône and Cluny. Fine 17th century château surrounded by a moat, and recently renovated gardens. Richly decorated interiors, including the golden rooms.  Open daily April to mid-November.
• Le Creusot - former mining and steel town, le Creusot has one of the world's largest preserved steam hammers, built in 1876. For those with an interest in industrial archaeology...
• Le Maconnais - the southern part of the Burgundy vineyards, around the city of Macon.
• Tournus; The church of St Philibert is one of the oldest churches in France (early 11th century).
• Semur en Brionnais. Listed among the "plus beaux villages de France" Semur is a bit off the beaten  trail so is rarely swamped by tourists. Fine medieval chateau and Burgundian romanesque church
  
  

Yonne department (89)

• The romanesque churches of Burgundy, including the remarkable Abbaye de Vézelay (UNESCO World Heritage Site), starting point of one of the main pilgrimage routes to Santiago de Compostella. There are many delightful historic churches in the Saone et Loire area
• Auxerre and Chablis - the northern part of the Burgundy vineyards, old towns, wine museums and cellar visits. Auxerre is a popular centre for boating on the Yonne and Burgundy canal.
• Avallon - attractive old walled town
• Guédelon - the castle featured on BBC television's "Secrets of the Castle" series.  Treigny. amazing living history attraction; since 1997, a team of craftsmen have been building a medieval castle, using historic methods and tools.
• Montreal - famous fortified hilltop village
  
  

Nièvre department (58)

• La Charité sur Loire Historic small town with several monuments. The large Romanesque Notre Dame basilica, with fine sculpted tympana, is a UNESCO heritage site on the Pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostella. Sixteenth centry stone bridge over the Loire.  Sections of medieval ramparts.
• The Morvan regional natural park. Area of outstanding natural beauty (mostly in the Nièvre), popular with hikers and nature-lovers. Though peaking at only just over 900m, this is seen as the closest area of mountain to Paris.
• Nevers; historic town on the banks of the river Loire, at the confluence of the Allier. The Palace of the Dukes of Nevers is a fine Renaissance château. St Cyr & Ste. Juliette's Cathedral is a fine small gothic cathedral in the Burgundian style.
• The vineyards of Pouilly sur Loire