Burgundy is one of
the great historic regions of France; indeed, in the Middle Ages,
Burgundy was the great dukedom which rivalled in power and prestige
with the kingdom of France; in those days it covered a large part of
central eastern France, including half of modern-day Switzerland.
Today, Burgundy is one of the
administrative regions of France, lying astride the main lines of
communication between Paris and Lyon; anyone travelling by train or on
the French motorway network between Paris or north-east France, and
Lyon and the south of France, must pass through Burgundy. The region is
bordered by the river Loire, in the west, and by the
Franche-Comté and
Champagne regions in the east. To the south it is bordered by the
Rhone Alpes region.
The Burgundy region is made
up of four French departments. Northern Burgundy comprises the
department of the
Yonne
(89), capital
Auxerre,
a rolling agricultural area bordering on the outer fringes of the Paris
region. In the west, the
Nièvre
(58), capital Nevers, is a hilly department that includes the highest
peak of the
Morvan
hills (Le Haut Folin, 903 m), and a large part of the Morvan
regional nature park. The
Côte-d'Or
department (21), around Dijon, is hilly in the north west, and flat in
the south east; finally the department of
Saône & Loire
(71) in the south of the region stretches from the banks of the Loire
in the west to the foothills of the Jura in the east, and includes
large flat expanses of the Saône valley.
The historic and modern capital of the
Burgundy region is
Dijon
(population 150,000), a thriving administrative and cultural centre,
which is also a major communications and freight-distribution hub. The
city is just 1hr. 40 mins. from Paris by direct TGV high-speed train
service. Dijon has a historic city centre, with old narrow
streets, and houses built in the local pale honey-coloured stone; of
particular interest to visitors are the Palace of the Dukes of
Burgundy, and the gothic Cathedral of Saint Bénigne.
The world-famous
Burgundy vineyards mostly
cover a narrow strip of land running south from Dijon, on the western
fringe of the Saône plain.
Access:
by TGV from Paris
Gare de Lyon, or from Lille; train from many cities, motorway
from Paris, Lille, Strasbourg, Nancy, Lyon, Geneva.
By air: There is currently no commercial airport in Burgundy
operating regular international flights. the north of the
region is accessible from the Paris
airports, the south of the region is closer to Lyon St Euxpéry
airport
Main
tourist attractions in
Burgundy
Hospices de Beaune - photo Soyignatius |
- Les Hospices de Beaune -
the mediaeval hospital at Beaune, one of the most unusual ancient
monuments in France.
- Beaune
area: the vineyardsof
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.
- The cathedral at Autun -
one of the finest romanesque cathedrals in France, with
remarkable sculptures, in the heart of the Morvan hills.
- The site of Cluny, the old town
and the remains of the Benedictine abbey, once the largest
chuch in Chrisendom.
- The church of St Philibert, Tournus;
one of the oldest churches in France (early 11th century).
- 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..
- The Cistercian abbey at Fontenay (UNESCO
World Heritage Site), near Montbard.
- The Morvan regional
natural park. Area of outstanding natural beauty.
- Auxerre
and Chablis - the northern part of the Burgundy vineyards,
old towns, wine museums and cellar visits.
- Dijon:
historic city, palace of the dukes of Burgundy, Cathedral.
- The Burgundy canal (Canal
de Bourgogne) and river
Saône waterways.
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