Burgundy

 BURGUNDY – BOURGOGNE

(comprising: Côte-d'Or 21; Nievre 58; Saône-et-Loire 71; Yonne 89)

French Property Shop - Property in Brittany

Home Buyers Guide to Property for Sale in Brittany

ACCESS IN BURGUNDY

Airports at Paris (Roissy Charles de Gaulle and Orly), Lyon (Saint-Exupéry), Geneva and Basle-Mulhouse are all close to Burgundy, with motorway and/or TGV rail links.

Dijon-Bourgogne airport is located 6 km south-east of Dijon and is currently proposing to re-establish the Dijon to London line which will take 1 hour and 10 minutes with Ryanair from the end of 2007.

Basle-Mulhouse from: Liverpool (EasyJet); London (American Airlines, British Airways, EasyJet, Swissair); Luton (EasyJet); Stansted (EasyJet)

Lyon from: London (American Airlines, British Airways, Qantas); Stansted (Easyjet). 

Paris from: Aberdeen (Air France, Air Europa, Alitalia); Amsterdam (Air France, KLM); Belfast (EasyJet); Birmingham (Air France, Alitalia, Flybe); Boston (Air France, Delta Airlines);  Bristol (Air France); Dublin (Aer Lingus, Air France, Air Europa, Alitalia); Edinburgh (Air France, Alitalia, Flybe); Exeter (Flybe); Liverpool (Easyjet); London (Air France, Air Moldova, British Airways, Easyjet, Qantas); Luton (Easyjet); Manchester (Air Europa, Air France, Alitalia, British Airways, Flybe); New York (Air France, Delta Airlines); Newcastle (Air France, Air Europa, Alitalia, EasyJet); Nottingham (BMIBABY); Southampton (Air France, Alitalia, Flybe, KLM); Stansted (Air Moldova).

Geneva from: Amsterdam (EasyJet, KLM); Bristol (EasyJet); Edinburgh (EasyJet); London (British Airways, EasyJet, European Airlines, Swissair); New York (United Airlines); Newark (Continental Airlines); Nottingham (EasyJet).

Good access via motorways from Calais. Calais to Chateau-Chinon: 5 hours 40 mins * Calais to Cluny: 6 hours 30 mins * Calais to Louhans: 6 hours.

                                           TGV from Paris to Dijon: 90 minutes

The TGV network covers Burgundy better than most regions of France. Le Creusot Montceau Montchanin TGV and Macon Loché TGV stations are on the main TGV Sud-Est line and TGVs do regular doglegs onto the mainline network serving Montbard, Dijon, Beaune and Chalon-sur-Saône. There is an excellent London-Burgundy connection on the Eurostar through Lille or Paris to Le Creusot Montceau Montchanin TGV which takes as little as 5 hours. The Lille route is especially comfortable since it avoids the need to change stations in Paris. Changing stations in Paris requires about 45 minutes. From Paris Gare du Nord take the RER line D to Gare de Lyon.

Some of the most picturesque views of Burgundy's hills and woods can be seen only through the window of a slow train like the one from Avallon to Autun. The regional (TER) rail network counts 150 stations and links in with the the TGVs and other national trains. The TER runs over 250 trains a day for 35 000 passengers and provides bus services such as the Autun - Le Creusot TGV and Saulieu - Montbard lines to complement the train network. The SNCF website gives full details of all TER-SNCF trains and allows you to buy tickets for most train journeys on line.

GEOGRAPHY in Burgundy

One of the largest regions in France, Burgundy extends down the centre-east of the country from south of Paris. It's split  into 4 administrative 'départements' - Yonne (north), Côte d'Or (east),  Nièvre (west) and Saône et Loire (south).

Burgundy is world-famous for its wine and fabulous restaurants, yet it is still not a top travel destination. This is partly due to the geography, Burgundy is slightly out on a limb and until recently was relatively difficult to get to, but with the advent of excellent highways and the high speed TGV trains, it has become more accessible than ever. While the rest of France bypass this green and mellow haven, heading for heaving Mediterranean beaches in July and August, Burgundy enjoys its idyllic season in pastoral tranquility, literally making hay. The roads are free of the tourist crush, and the charming secrets of Burgundy lie unperturbed, even by the French.

In the very heart of the region is the watershed between the basins of the three major rivers in France, the Seine, the Loire and the Rhône. There are 12 400 km of rivers , 1 200 km of canals and more than 20 000 hectares (50 000 acres) of natural and artificial lakes in this region of France, a fisherman's paradise.

The SaoneRiver, the Canal de Bourgogne, and a network of rivers provide a leisurely means of exploring the region. From behind the wheel of a rented boat you can glide along tree-lined canals and revel in the magic of this unspoilt land of rolling hills and wild forests punctuated with fairy-tale castles. Alternatively Burgundy offers leisure cycling enthusiasts the largest regional network of voies vertes in France. Cycle as you please and for as long as you like along 800 kilometres of converted railway lines and véloroutes in the four departments of the Burgundy region…or walking, sailing, and rafting.

Places of Interest in Burgundy

Cluny is part of the Saône et Loire department in southern Burgundy. It abounds in vestiges from every period of its history, particularly from the Middle Ages, and the medieval features of the town are still in place from when it was a spiritual, political and artistic capital. Today Cluny offers both the outstanding heritage of its past and a densely packed calendar of high-quality cultural events. Surrounded by natural beauty, Cluny-like all Burgundy embodies the art of good living. To visit: The Benedictine abbey and the Art & Archaelogy museum; The National Stud Farm; The Old Hospice;  The Cheese Tower; Numerous castles, caves, Romanesque churches, wine routes, museums and leisure activities offer you the opportunity of a wonderful stay in this remarkable countryside.

Louhans, also in the Saône et Loire department, holds a unique market every Monday morning, featuring chickens, ducks, geese, rabbits, geese, goats, cows, pigs, sheep, goats, ferrets, small dogs and even the odd horse. A very good food market is held in place Général de Gaulle too. Under the Arcades in the Grande Rue in Louhans - the longest arcade in France - clothes stalls are lined up on market day and and visitors can find craft work in the Place Saint-Jean and pans and cooking wares behind the church. Not far from the market, the Hôtel-DieuMuseum with its apothecary is worth a visit.

The Morvan Regional Park consists of a protected area of beautiful hills, wild forests and lakes, a paradise of flowers and birds. In summer there is always a fête or similar event in one of the villages, ranging from the Charolais Show at Saulieu to the folk festival at Anost, and all are listed in the invaluable little book "Morvan en Fête", free from all the Tourist Offices.

History in Burgundy

Being on an ancient trade route, Burgundy has been exposed to culture and learning for millennia. This history has left its mark on the region, which prides itself on a heritage of art and architecture, as well as its famous wines.Majestic cities such as Dijon, and beautiful towns like Beaune rise above the rolling countryside, along with châteaux and Romanesque churches. The two largest monastic reforms originated in Burgundy, and many of the local architectural sights were inspired by the faith of monks, who created stunning buildings and monuments.

Cuisine in Burgundy

Burgundy market shopping is an interesting experience. Prices are usually a lot lower than in supermarkets and you can find anything from live chickens to good cold meats and sausage, pungent cheese and organic vegetables or nuts and dried fruit.

Charolles is renowned for its famous beef, local poultry dishes and the delicious goat cheeses which were granted their own ‘Charolles' AOC, the quality label which guarantees the origin of wine and food products. Bresse free-range chicken, best bought at Louhans market, is the only chicken to be awarded an AOC classification.

Morvan produce includes the jambon du Morvan very close in taste and texture to Parma ham and rosettes du Morvan, a dried sausage made of pork or of a mixture of pork and beef. Jambon persillé, a melt-in-the-mouth terrine of ham with parsley in jelly, is typical of this part of Burgundy and is delicious. In the autumn the trumpet-shaped chanterelles mushroom is collected in the Morvan hills and sold at Autun market. Cooked in butter and parsley, chanterelles go well with veal or lamb.

Regional cuisine includes the famous boeuf bourguignon, coq au vin, and garlicky snails. And who could forget that Dijon is synonymous with mustard.

Four grape varieties are found in Burgundy, producing the diverse appellations of red, white, rosé and Crémant (sparkling) wines, but the two main varieties are the Pinot Noir for the red wines and Chardonnay for the white. The Mâconnais wine-growing region covers the vineyards on the slopes on the western edge of the Saône valley. The Chardonnay grape accounts for about two-thirds of the Mâconnais wine produced and all of the Mâconnais wine that is worth drinking. Sporadic incidences of worthy Mâcon Rouge, made from the Gamay grape, have been sighted but it is the white wines which are of interest in the Mâconnais. Some of the most interesting and best value Burgundy whites come from this often under-estimated corner of Burgundy. Chardonnay is at home here in the somewhat warmer climate than the Côte d'Or to the north.

It's not just the wines of Burgundy that you'll be sampling if you live here but you'll also be able to enjoy some fine cooking with more Michelin starred restaurants than any other region.

Climate in Burgundy

The climate in the north of Burgundy is continental, but in the south-east the weather is occasionally influenced by nearby mountains, which bring cooler temperatures, longer winters and rain. July and August are dry and warm or hot with low humidity. Night-times and mornings during the rest of the summer can be cool.

Average temperatures for Lyon in April 2007 broke all recorded records with 16 °C, the same average as Bordeaux.

The great quantity of succesful vineyards (26,500 hectares of vineyards producing on average 200 million bottles per year) in Burgundy display the regions temperate climate.

 More Information on Property in Burgundy brought to you by FPS to help in your French Property  in Burgundy Sale and Purchase.

Mills For Sale in France    Lakes For Sale in France    Rivers For Sale in France