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Are you planning an extended weekend journey to France and on the lookout for concepts? On this weblog put up, I’ll share our itinerary for 3 days in Burgundy, visiting lovely villages and tasting wonderful wine.
In case you are new to this weblog, hello, my identify is Liza! I like planning advanced journey itineraries and escaping London at the least as soon as a month. When you’re additionally working full-time and don’t have an excessive amount of annual go away, yow will discover a whole lot of activity-packed itineraries on Tripsget!
Every time a financial institution vacation approaches, I panic. As somebody who runs a journey weblog, I really feel immense strain to journey at every alternative. Isn’t a financial institution vacation an ideal alternative for a weekend journey? Generally, I handle to grab actually well-priced tickets, and my associate simply flies off to a brand new vacation spot. Extra continuously, particularly in summer time, flights price like a brand new kidney, so we attempt to search for new locations round us. That’s precisely how the concept of spending 3 days in Burgundy was born!
Whereas Burgundy shouldn’t be across the nook from London, it’s undoubtedly reachable with an in a single day keep someplace on the way in which, for instance, on the outskirts of Paris.
Right here is the brief overview of our 3-day itinerary for Burgundy:
Day 0: Departing London after work at 4pm, taking Eurotunnel to Calais, night time in Greatest Western Paris Sud
Day 1: Driving to Dijon within the morning. Wine tasting close to Beaune at Santenay fort, night time in Beaune at La Maison de Maurice
Day 2: Chateauneuf-en-Auxois, Semur-en-Auxois, night time at Noyers-sur-Serein at Cote Serein
Day 3: Chablis + Wine tasting, a cease in Troyes (Champagne), drive again to London
Overview of hyperlinks for the journey to Burgundy
I’m typically requested to summarise all of the advisable lodging and excursions in a single place so it’s simpler to seek out them, so I began including them to the beginning of the article.
Accommodations for this journey: La Maison de Maurice, Cote Serein in Noyers-sur-Serein
Excursions: tour of Maison Champy cellar,
Wine tastings: Santenay Fortress Tasting close to Beaune, Maison Regnard in Chablis
Do you want a automotive for exploring Burgundy?
By the way in which, for those who’re questioning whether or not you want a automotive for exploring Burgundy, the reply is sure. Sadly, it’s very tough to get to most of those locations and not using a automotive. When you don’t have a automotive, I like to recommend both taking a Eurostar to Paris and hiring one there (we at all times use Rentalcars.com) or hiring a automotive in London and taking this route. Nonetheless, understand that not all automotive rental companies enable for automobiles to be taken exterior the UK.
Our excellent itinerary for 3 days in Burgundy
Day 0: Driving to France
As we didn’t take any day without work and simply departed London after work on Friday, I included this present day as a day 0. Visitors to the Folkestone Eurotunnel terminal was reasonable. Relying on the place you’re based mostly, it may take from 45 minutes to 2.5 hours to get to Folkestone from London, and also you additionally must arrive at the least 50 minutes earlier than the departure time indicated in your ticket.
It takes round 3 hours to drive to Paris from Calais within the night when the visitors isn’t too dangerous anymore. Since driving all the way in which to Dijon would have been too tiring and we’d have arrived too late at night time, we determined to cease in a single day simply exterior Paris. Some of the handy lodges can be Greatest Western Paris Sud.
Day 1: Dijon. Wine tasting at Santenay fort, Beaune
Dijon is situated greater than 3 hours away from Paris; nonetheless, staying exterior Paris reduces this time to 2.5-2.45 hours, which is significantly better. There are tolls on the way in which to Dijon, and I bear in mind paying one thing like 15 euros for them (this is perhaps a bit inaccurate, nevertheless it undoubtedly wasn’t low cost).
Dijon
Dijon provides an ideal mix of historical past, meals, and tradition – it’s the most important metropolis in Burgundy and possibly essentially the most touristy one. Dijon has an extended and storied historical past relationship again to Roman occasions when it was referred to as Divio. It later grew to become the capital of the Duchy of Burgundy within the Center Ages. Due to that, the town is fairly wealthy and has loads of spectacular architectural landmarks.
Even for those who’re not very accustomed to French cities, the identify “Dijon” at all times rings a bell due to the mustard. Dijon is known for its mustard, which is famend for its sharp and tangy taste, and you should purchase it just about all over the place world wide.
Additionally, Dijon is surrounded by vineyards! Nonetheless, Beaune is a greater metropolis to go to for wine tastings, and our subsequent vacation spot on this journey was Beaune, really!
In Dijon, we walked across the metropolis centre, purchased a set of miniature mustard jars with completely different flavours and took a whole lot of photographs. We additionally had late breakfast in Dijon – a typical French breakfast is a pastry (croissant or pan au chocolat); nonetheless, in Burgundy, it’s also possible to attempt a well-known native savoury bun referred to as gougers. It has a pleasant tacky flavour, and it’s really empty inside! Its texture jogged my memory of profiteroles.
Wine tasting on the Santenay fort close to Beaune
Our subsequent vacation spot was simply exterior Beaune – it took us round 1 hour to drive there from Dijon. We determined to have a wine tasting in a surprising Santenay Fortress that belongs to the Philippe Le Hardi group. You may discover extra particulars concerning the fort & the tasting right here – whereas it was completely empty once we visited, I nonetheless suggest reserving it prematurely as there is perhaps massive teams arriving.
In complete, we tried 3 completely different wines, 2 pink wines and one white wine and all of them had been beautiful! The tasting was additionally very reasonably priced – simply 10 EUR per individual! There may be additionally a bit of store on the fort the place you should purchase the wines you tried (in addition to another wines they produce) and we really purchased a bottle there.
Beaune
After tasting wonderful wine, it was lastly time to go to Beaune. Beaune might be the second hottest metropolis in Burgundy and the primary vacation spot for winery excursions and tastings of pink wine. Beaune is specialising in producing famend wines comparable to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
Town itself can be very fairly. Its most important landmark and essentially the most well-known and iconic constructing is the Hôtel-Dieu Museum – Hospices de Beaune. It was based in 1443 as a hospital for the poor and it seems to be completely beautiful – the tile-glazed roofs are distinctive to this area of Burgundy and are prominently featured on Resort Dieu. Once we visited Beaune, the doorway payment there was 12 EUR, nevertheless it might need modified since then.
Beaune provides quite a few alternatives for wine tasting and cellar excursions. Many wineries and wine retailers have cellars on the town the place you’ll be able to pattern and buy Burgundy wines.
Some wine cellars are situated within the coronary heart of Beaune. In case you are eager to attempt extra wines and be taught extra about wine manufacturing in Burgundy, I like to recommend this tour of Maison Champy cellar.
Beaune can be the place I like to recommend staying in a single day – these two lodges are the very best choices: La Maison de Maurice or Resort Belle Epoque.
Day 2: Chateauneuf-en-Auxois, Semur-en-Auxois, Noyers-sur-Serein
Our second day of this 3-day journey round Burgundy was jam-packed with lovely cities. Our first cease was only a brief, 40-minute drive away from Beaune.
Chateauneuf-en-Auxois
Chateauneuf-en-Auxois is a really small superbly preserved medieval village situated on prime of a hill surrounded by lovely surroundings. It’s recognized for its Twelfth-century hilltop château providing beautiful views. It’s open to guests as a museum. In addition to the château, there are many lovely cobblestone streets, photogenic homes and good boutiques.
Chateauneuf, surprisingly, had a pretty big car parking zone simply exterior the village centre, and we didn’t have any difficulties discovering a spot. Nonetheless, it’s at all times higher to reach early because the probabilities of discovering a parking spot are larger!
Semur-en-Auxois
Our subsequent cease, lovely Semur-en-Auxois, was situated one other 40-minute drive away. Semur-en-Auxois seems to be very spectacular from far-off if you end up approaching the city. Much like Châteauneuf-en-Auxois, it’s famend for its well-preserved historic structure. Nonetheless, the principle distinction between these two cities is that Semur is way bigger, and there’s additionally a wonderful river, Armançon, that flows by the town. Semur can be very hilly – the picture-perfect views of the city will be seen from the bottom level of Semur, simply subsequent to the river.
Semur additionally has an fascinating historical past. Like many medieval cities in France, Semur-en-Auxois noticed its fair proportion of battle in the course of the Hundred Years’ Battle between England and France. The village confronted a number of sieges and battles throughout this time, with the fortress (Thirteenth-century Château de Semur-en-Auxois) enjoying a crucial function within the city’s defence.
General, we felt like each nook in Semur was completely beautiful, and it was undoubtedly certainly one of our favorite locations on this journey.
When you’re hungry and eager on grabbing one thing for lunch, take into account visiting the restaurant referred to as La Parenthese within the coronary heart of Semur. That’s the place we ate and liked the expertise! Every thing was very reasonably priced and it was additionally the friendliest service we had on this journey!
Noyers-sur-Serein
Our closing cease for immediately was in one other charming city, Noyers-sur-Serein. Noyers is completely different from Chateauneuf-en-Auxois and Semur-en-Auxois, because it seems to be like a film set of The Magnificence and the Beast. Once we arrived in Noyers-sur-Serein, we couldn’t consider how fairly the city was!
Noyers is thought for its half-timbered homes with vibrant facades. The city’s historical past dates again to the eleventh century, and there’s additionally an outdated chateau that, sadly, didn’t survive till our days, and all you’ll be able to see as a substitute are the ruins of the outdated fort. The fort stands on a hill above Noyers, and as a way to get to the ruins, you might want to exit the village, stroll for a couple of minutes and climb a small hill. There are many indicators indicating the place you might want to flip and begin mountaineering, and there’s additionally loads of details about the historical past of Château and the city on the highest of the hill.
Despite the fact that Noyers-sur-Serein is tiny, you’ll be able to simply spend a number of hours within the city, particularly for those who determine to hike as much as the chateau as nicely! I like to recommend staying in Noyers in a single day at a surprising resort referred to as Cote Serein – it actually seems to be like a fort!
For dinner, there aren’t that many choices, so your finest wager might be – Restaurant de la Vieille Tour. As with most eating places in France, I like to recommend reserving it prematurely!
Day 3: Chablis + Wine tasting, a cease in Troyes (Champagne), drive again to London
Our closing day in Burgundy began with a brief, 30-minute drive to Chablis.
Chablis
Chablis is an enthralling city situated within the Northern a part of Burgundy, surrounded by a number of vineyards. It serves as the center of the famend Chablis wine-producing area. The city itself can be very fairly – it has a country allure, completely different from all the opposite cities and locations on this journey. Chablis has wine estates and wine cellars round each nook – and it’s in all probability among the finest locations on the earth to attempt white wine.
In fact, everybody has completely different tastes in white wines, however to me, wines from Chablis are superior. Chablis has fairly distinctive soil – Kimmeridgian limestone, wealthy in marine fossils and minerals. It supplies glorious drainage, imparts minerality to the grapes, and contributes to the wines’ distinctive flavours of flint and moist stones.
After I attempted a tremendous wine from Chablis in a wine bar in London, I needed to come back to Chablis ever since and check out different wines. Truthfully, I ended up liking just about each white wine from Chablis that I attempted!
Sadly, on Sunday, a number of wine estates had been closed, however we managed to seek out a number of that had been open and picked Maison Regnard for our wine tasting. The tasting was fairly reasonably priced, we paid 15 EUR per individual to attempt 5 completely different wines, together with a Gran Cru, which was wonderful!
Troyes
Our subsequent and closing cease for the final day of this 3-day Burgundy highway journey was Troyes. Troyes shouldn’t be a part of Burgundy anymore; it’s really situated in Champagne, however we needed to cease elsewhere on the way in which to London, which appeared like a really lovely metropolis. Troyes is situated 1 hour away from Chablis and on the way in which again to the UK.
Troyes is a historic metropolis recognized for its well-preserved medieval structure and wealthy cultural heritage. Troyes seems to be like outsized Noyers! I’ve by no means seen as many half-timbered homes in my life as I’ve seen in Troyes (not even in Colmar and Strasbourg)!
Troyes is usually referred to as the “Metropolis of Artwork and Historical past” on account of its quite a few medieval buildings and Gothic church buildings. Troyes performed a big function within the Center Ages as a buying and selling hub, and its charming outdated city displays this historical past. Moreover, Troyes is known for its manufacturing facility outlet shops (there are a few huge retailers), making it a well-liked buying vacation spot.
Driving again to London
The drive from Troyes to Calais takes round 4 hours if there’s not a lot visitors on the way in which, and it passes by Reims, the capital of Champagne. If you wish to break up the drive in two and you continue to have a little bit of time, it’s also possible to cease in Reims! Reims is known for its beautiful cathedral, which was the place of coronation for nearly all of the French monarchs for the reason that 14th century!
Town itself shouldn’t be as spectacular as different locations on this itinerary, nonetheless, Reims is surrounded by vineyards and it’s also possible to attempt some nice champagne there for those who nonetheless have time left!
The place I’d suggest for attempting champagne is Mailly! We had a beautiful expertise there.
Abstract of the 3-day itinerary for Burgundy
I hope you discovered this 3-day itinerary for Burgundy helpful and located some inspiration in your potential journey to France. In fact, for those who can keep in Burgundy for longer than 3 days, I’d completely suggest it, as there are extra wonderful locations which you can go to. Nonetheless, for those who’re seeking to spend an extended weekend in Burgundy, this might be simply the itinerary!
As I discussed earlier than, for those who don’t have a automotive or wouldn’t take pleasure in driving that a lot, you’ll be able to both take a Eurostar to Paris and rent a automotive there or, alternatively, you’ll be able to fly to Besancon and rent a automotive there!
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