Fun things to do in Bourgogne

With sections dating from the 11th Century, a visit to this old castle makes a nice day trip. A guided tour is recommended so as to appreciate its medieval past. You can also enjoy a wine-tasting in the cellars!

In April, May and October, it's possible to arrange individual visits from 2.30pm to 6pm on Sundays and public holidays.

In June and September, it's open every day from 2.30pm to 6pm.

In July and August it's open every day from 10am - midday, and from 2pm to 6pm.

Groups can arrange a tour at any time during the year.

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Everyone goes to the Loire Valley to see chateaus and that's fine because there are so many spectacular chateaus there. However, many towns in France have a chateau and Burgundy is no exception. You can visit a chateau every day of your trip and not see them all.

We took one day out of Beaune last spring and searched chateaus listed in the local tourism office brochure. It was great fun and we visited about six chateaus that day, including one festival that occurred as we wandered in. Many chateaus are open to visitors and many have costumed docents. This is particularly fun if you have children with you.

Stop in any tourist office and ask about nearby chateaus. They will give you information and if necessary, they will book a tour for you. It's a fun way to spend an hour or a day.

Type the name of any town into the Virtual Tourist Search Window and check Tips to see if a chateau visit is available.

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Beaune is a beautiful town. A lot of interesting history. May be called the Wine Capital of Burgundy.
There is a lot to do and to see, so spend at least 1-2 days here.
You can do guided wine tours from here which is a very insightful and enjoyable half-day trip.
I have built a page on Beaune, as it deserves its own.

For more details, you can visit my page on Beaune

A trip to Burgundy would not be thorough if Auxerre were not included. There are interesting churches and a pleasant town to experience. The cathedral shows a definite audacity in its lightness of texture and internal soaring space and there is plenty of very old and 16C stained glass.

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After Dijon and Beaune (or maybe sooner) Vezelay is a top destination in Burgundy.It has a church situated on the crown of a hill above a quaint village and am attractive view for miles around, with the Morban to the south. The church houses the finest Romanesque sculpture in the forms of 148 capitals and 4 tympani. Be sure to have a guide in hand to locate and “read” the works of art and to refer back to if you take pictures. Binoculars or some other “close-up” device are helpful. Plan to spend at least one or two hours at the church alone.

Cluny is a town (pop. 4.7K) that has lived in the shadow of its famous monastery since 910 when it was founded. An extremely tall church tower stretches up from the center of the town. It is a surviving fragment of the church (Cluny III) of the once dominant monastery of Cluny and in 100 when it was built, it was the largest church in Europe (eventually eclipsed by St. Peter in the Vatican). Nearby there is a museum with some of the earliest Romanesque sculpture (capitals, etc.) from that time.

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Some of the finest Romanesque sculpture extant is present in the Cathedral of Autun and the Musee Rolin across the square. It is the work of a Master who worked there between 1125-45 and was brazen enough to carve his name in the tympanum of the church. There is no doubt about his predominating hand on the works, To top itoff , a bewitching view of Eve reclining and offering the apple to Adam, has been unearthed among reused materials. Do not miss this adventure.

The Chateau lies north of the town of Sull which is north of the D973 which runs between Beaune and Autun. There are many imposing chateaux in France that are not in the Loire region. Many rich and powerful landowners chose not to tag along with the King and lived their opulent lives on their lands, building and decorating as they saw fit and free of social obligations. They visited among themselves and some like Mme. Sevigny left vivid descriptions of their lives and thoughts. She felt this was the finest chateau in Burgundy, much better than those on the Loire. Think about stopping for a visit.