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Are you planning an extended weekend journey to France and searching for concepts? On this weblog submit, I’ll share our itinerary for 3 days in Burgundy, visiting stunning villages and tasting superb wine.
If you’re new to this weblog, hello, my identify is Liza! I like planning complicated journey itineraries and escaping London not less than as soon as a month. In the event you’re additionally working full-time and don’t have an excessive amount of annual depart, you’ll find lots 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 stress to journey at every alternative. Isn’t a financial institution vacation an ideal alternative for a weekend journey? Typically, I handle to grab actually well-priced tickets, and my accomplice simply flies off to a brand new vacation spot. Extra incessantly, particularly in summer season, flights price like a brand new kidney, so we attempt to search for new locations round us. That’s precisely how the thought of spending 3 days in Burgundy was born!
Whereas Burgundy isn’t across the nook from London, it’s undoubtedly reachable with an in a single day keep someplace on the best way, for instance, on the outskirts of Paris.
Right here is the quick overview of our 3-day itinerary for Burgundy:
Day 0: Departing London after work at 4pm, taking Eurotunnel to Calais, evening in Greatest Western Paris Sud
Day 1: Driving to Dijon within the morning. Wine tasting close to Beaune at Santenay citadel, evening in Beaune at La Maison de Maurice
Day 2: Chateauneuf-en-Auxois, Semur-en-Auxois, evening 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 really helpful lodging and excursions in a single place so it’s simpler to search out them, so I began including them to the beginning of the article.
Resorts for this journey: La Maison de Maurice, Cote Serein in Noyers-sur-Serein
Excursions: tour of Maison Champy cellar,
Wine tastings: Santenay Citadel Tasting close to Beaune, Maison Regnard in Chablis
Do you want a automobile for exploring Burgundy?
By the best way, when you’re questioning whether or not you want a automobile for exploring Burgundy, the reply is sure. Sadly, it’s very troublesome to get to most of those locations with no automobile. In the event you don’t have a automobile, I like to recommend both taking a Eurostar to Paris and hiring one there (we all the time use Rentalcars.com) or hiring a automobile in London and taking this route. Nevertheless, remember the fact that not all automobile rental businesses permit for vehicles 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 off and simply departed London after work on Friday, I included today as a day 0. Site visitors to the Folkestone Eurotunnel terminal was average. Relying on the place you might be based mostly, it may well take from 45 minutes to 2.5 hours to get to Folkestone from London, and also you additionally have to arrive not less than 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 site visitors isn’t too unhealthy anymore. Since driving all the best way to Dijon would have been too tiring and we’d have arrived too late at evening, we determined to cease in a single day simply exterior Paris. One of the vital handy lodges could be Greatest Western Paris Sud.
Day 1: Dijon. Wine tasting at Santenay citadel, Beaune
Dijon is positioned greater than 3 hours away from Paris; nevertheless, staying exterior Paris reduces this time to 2.5-2.45 hours, which is a lot better. There are tolls on the best way to Dijon, and I bear in mind paying one thing like 15 euros for them (this could be a bit inaccurate, nevertheless it undoubtedly wasn’t low cost).
Dijon
Dijon gives an ideal mix of historical past, meals, and tradition – it’s the largest metropolis in Burgundy and doubtless essentially the most touristy one. Dijon has an extended and storied historical past courting again to Roman occasions when it was often called 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 when you’re not very aware of French cities, the identify “Dijon” all the time rings a bell due to the mustard. Dijon is legendary for its mustard, which is famend for its sharp and tangy taste, and you should purchase it just about in all places world wide.
Additionally, Dijon is surrounded by vineyards! Nevertheless, Beaune is a greater metropolis to go to for wine tastings, and our subsequent vacation spot on this journey was Beaune, truly!
In Dijon, we walked across the metropolis centre, purchased a set of miniature mustard jars with totally different flavours and took lots of images. We additionally had late breakfast in Dijon – a typical French breakfast is a pastry (croissant or pan au chocolat); nevertheless, in Burgundy, you may as well strive a well-known native savoury bun known as gougers. It has a pleasant tacky flavour, and it’s truly empty inside! Its texture jogged my memory of profiteroles.
Wine tasting on the Santenay citadel 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 shocking Santenay Citadel that belongs to the Philippe Le Hardi group. You’ll be able to discover extra particulars in regards to the citadel & the tasting right here – whereas it was completely empty once we visited, I nonetheless advocate reserving it prematurely as there could be giant teams arriving.
In complete, we tried 3 totally different wines, 2 crimson wines and one white wine and all of them had been pretty! The tasting was additionally very inexpensive – simply 10 EUR per individual! There may be additionally a bit store on the citadel the place you should purchase the wines you tried (in addition to another wines they produce) and we truly purchased a bottle there.
Beaune
After tasting superb wine, it was lastly time to move to Beaune. Beaune might be the second hottest metropolis in Burgundy and the primary vacation spot for winery excursions and tastings of crimson wine. Beaune is specialising in producing famend wines resembling Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
Town itself can also be very fairly. Its major 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 appears completely gorgeous – the tile-glazed roofs are distinctive to this area of Burgundy and are prominently featured on Resort Dieu. Once we visited Beaune, the doorway charge there was 12 EUR, nevertheless it may need modified since then.
Beaune gives quite a few alternatives for wine tasting and cellar excursions. Many wineries and wine retailers have cellars on the town the place you possibly can pattern and buy Burgundy wines.
Some wine cellars are positioned within the coronary heart of Beaune. If you’re eager to strive extra wines and be taught extra about wine manufacturing in Burgundy, I like to recommend this tour of Maison Champy cellar.
Beaune can also be the place I like to recommend staying in a single day – these two lodges are one of the 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 stunning cities. Our first cease was only a quick, 40-minute drive away from Beaune.
Chateauneuf-en-Auxois
Chateauneuf-en-Auxois is a really small fantastically preserved medieval village positioned on prime of a hill surrounded by stunning surroundings. It’s identified for its Twelfth-century hilltop château providing gorgeous views. It’s open to guests as a museum. Apart from the château, there are many stunning 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. Nevertheless, it’s all the time higher to reach early because the probabilities of discovering a parking spot are greater!
Semur-en-Auxois
Our subsequent cease, stunning Semur-en-Auxois, was positioned one other 40-minute drive away. Semur-en-Auxois appears very spectacular from distant when you find yourself approaching the city. Just like Châteauneuf-en-Auxois, it’s famend for its well-preserved historic structure. Nevertheless, the principle distinction between these two cities is that Semur is far bigger, and there’s additionally a phenomenal river, Armançon, that flows by way of the town. Semur can also be very hilly – the picture-perfect views of the city could be seen from the bottom level of Semur, simply subsequent to the river.
Semur additionally has an attention-grabbing historical past. Like many medieval cities in France, Semur-en-Auxois noticed its fair proportion of battle throughout the Hundred Years’ Struggle 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 essential function within the city’s defence.
General, we felt like each nook in Semur was completely gorgeous, and it was undoubtedly one in every of our favorite locations on this journey.
In the event you’re hungry and eager on grabbing one thing for lunch, think about visiting the restaurant known as La Parenthese within the coronary heart of Semur. That’s the place we ate and beloved the expertise! Every little thing was very inexpensive and it was additionally the friendliest service we had on this journey!
Noyers-sur-Serein
Our last cease for at the moment was in one other charming city, Noyers-sur-Serein. Noyers is totally different from Chateauneuf-en-Auxois and Semur-en-Auxois, because it appears 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 previous chateau that, sadly, didn’t survive till our days, and all you possibly can see as a replacement are the ruins of the previous citadel. The citadel stands on a hill above Noyers, and as a way to get to the ruins, it is advisable exit the village, stroll for a couple of minutes and climb a small hill. There are many indicators indicating the place it is advisable flip and begin climbing, and there’s additionally loads of details about the historical past of Château and the city on the highest of the hill.
Though Noyers-sur-Serein is tiny, you possibly can simply spend just a few hours within the city, particularly when you determine to hike as much as the chateau as nicely! I like to recommend staying in Noyers in a single day at a shocking lodge known as Cote Serein – it actually appears like a citadel!
For dinner, there are usually not that many choices, so your greatest guess 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 last day in Burgundy began with a brief, 30-minute drive to Chablis.
Chablis
Chablis is a captivating city positioned within the Northern a part of Burgundy, surrounded by a number of vineyards. It serves as the guts of the famend Chablis wine-producing area. The city itself can also be very fairly – it has a country allure, totally 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 top-of-the-line locations on the earth to strive white wine.
In fact, everybody has totally 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 gives wonderful 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 wished to come back to Chablis ever since and check out different wines. Actually, 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 search out just a few that had been open and picked Maison Regnard for our wine tasting. The tasting was fairly inexpensive, we paid 15 EUR per individual to strive 5 totally different wines, together with a Gran Cru, which was superb!
Troyes
Our subsequent and last cease for the final day of this 3-day Burgundy street journey was Troyes. Troyes isn’t a part of Burgundy anymore; it’s truly positioned in Champagne, however we wished to cease some other place on the best way to London, which appeared like a really stunning metropolis. Troyes is positioned 1 hour away from Chablis and on the best way again to the UK.
Troyes is a historic metropolis identified for its well-preserved medieval structure and wealthy cultural heritage. Troyes appears 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 commonly known as the “Metropolis of Artwork and Historical past” as a consequence of its quite a few medieval buildings and Gothic church buildings. Troyes performed a major function within the Center Ages as a buying and selling hub, and its charming previous city displays this historical past. Moreover, Troyes is legendary for its manufacturing facility outlet shops (there are a few massive retailers), making it a well-liked purchasing vacation spot.
Driving again to London
The drive from Troyes to Calais takes round 4 hours if there’s not a lot site visitors on the best way, and it passes by way of Reims, the capital of Champagne. If you wish to cut up the drive in two and you continue to have a little bit of time, you may as well cease in Reims! Reims is legendary for its gorgeous cathedral, which was the place of coronation for nearly all of the French monarchs for the reason that 14th century!
Town itself isn’t as spectacular as different locations on this itinerary, nevertheless, Reims is surrounded by vineyards and you may as well strive some nice champagne there when you nonetheless have time left!
The place I’d advocate for attempting champagne is Mailly! We had an exquisite 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, when you can keep in Burgundy for longer than 3 days, I’d completely advocate it, as there are extra superb locations that you may go to. Nevertheless, when you’re seeking to spend an extended weekend in Burgundy, this could possibly be simply the itinerary!
As I discussed earlier than, when you don’t have a automobile or wouldn’t get pleasure from driving that a lot, you possibly can both take a Eurostar to Paris and rent a automobile there or, alternatively, you possibly can fly to Besancon and rent a automobile there!
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