Historical towns, chateaux, Roman churches, museums, gardens, sports...
As well as a lot of nice tracks for walking and cycling, and visits to old wine villages, the region also offers a lot of activities: visits to chateaux, churches, gardens and museums, sports and a lot of events. See below suggestions and map.
Visits to major historical towns
- In Côte d'Or :
Beaune including
Hôtel-Dieu (Hospices)***
(following from past donations, they own vineyards in Burgundy), Basilica*, and Wine Museum*. And
Dijon (Palais des Ducs**, Fine Arts Museum*, Magnin Museum*, Burgundy Life Museum*)
- In Saône-et-Loire:
Autun with splendid Cathedral** (romanesque cathedral dating from the early twelfth century, which was formerly the chapel of the Dukes of Burgundy. St. Lazare was originally built as a pilgrimage church for the veneration of the relics of Lazarus, whom Christ was thought to have raised from the dead. Autun's 12th-century bishop, Étienne de Bâgé, probably built the church in response to the construction of Ste. Madeleine at nearby Vézelay, home to the French cult of Mary Magdalene, Lazarus's sister. St. Lazare is most famous for its architectural sculpture, particularly the tympanum of the Last Judgment above the west portal, surviving fragments from the lost portal of the north transept, and the capitals in the nave and choir), and Rolin Museum*.
Visits to chateaux
In addition to La Rochepot Chateau (cf. Surroundings), we suggest to visit :
- In Saône-et-Loire :
Cormatin**, Couches*, and Sully*
Visits to old Roman churches
In addition to Beaune and Autun churches, we suggest to visit :
- In Yonne,
Vezelay Basilica***. Now known as Basilica of St. Mary Magdalene, it was a Benedictine and Cluniac monastery. The abbey, with its complicated program of imagery in sculpted capitals and portals, is one of the outstanding masterpieces of Burgundian Romanesque art and architecture, though much of its exterior sculpture was defaced during the French Revolution. The church and hill at Vézelay were added to the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites in 1979.
- In Côte d'Or,
Fontenay Abbey***
. The abbey is a former Cistercian abbey founded by Saint Bernard of Clairvaux in 1118, only a few years after he left Cîteaux Abbey to found Clairvaux Abbey. Located in a small forested valley 60 kilometres northwest of Dijon, it achieved great prosperity in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. Fontenay enjoyed the protection of the Kings of France but was plundered in the Hundred Year's War and the Wars of Religion. Later, its fortunes declined, and the refectory was demolished by the monks in 1745. The abbey was closed in the French Revolution, and became a paper mill until 1902. The abbey was bought in 1905 and restored. Apart from the demolished refectory, it retains almost all of its original buildings: church, dormitory, cloister, chapter house, caldarium or "heating room", dovecote and forge, all built in Romanesque style, with later abbot's lodgings and infirmary. It is one of the oldest and most complete Cistercian abbeys in Europe, and became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981.
- In Saône-et-Loire, Tournus Abbey** (the early 11th century church of St Philibert at Tournus once belonging to the Benedictine abbey of Tournus, suppressed in 1785, is in the Burgundian Romanesque style). Other churches in Saône-et-Loire: Cluny (former Abbey), Brancion*
, Chapaize*, and Paray-le-Monial Basilica*
Visits to Museums
In addition to Beaune, Dijon and Autun museums, we suggest to visit :
- In Saulieu,
Pompon Museum (French)* (François Pompon is a famous French sculptor (born in Saulieu and died in 1933, has a lot of works at Orsay Museum),
- In Arnay-le-Duc, Regional House of Food and Tableware.
Visits to gardens
Sports
- Swimming-pool and Tennis courts in Santenay
- Riding-schools in Autun, Beaune and Santenay
- Golf-courses in Autun and Beaune
- Fishing in close Canal du Centre, ...
Casino
If you are in the mood, you can also play at the
Santenay Casino (French) every day ! Be careful, remember that to play has to be a pleasure !
A lot of events