Burgundy

Burgundy was the birthplace of the French poet Lamartine. It features a variety of attractions that will appeal to all tourists: rolling hillsides planted with vines, quaint old villages, where stone walls contrast with the warm hues of the architecture, medieval castles, forests and their russet leaves in autumn, not to mention the remains of the famous Cluny Abbey, the seat of the Benedictine order, a stone's throw from pastures where Charolais cows can be seen silently grazing.
The Côte d'Or, made up of the Côtes de Beaune and the Côtes de Nuits, is an exclusive wine-growing region that has produced twenty-nine world-famous appellations including those of Gevrey-Chambertin, Vosne-Romanée, Clos de Vougeot, Nuits-Saint-Georges and Corton. Their name is closely associated with the religious communities that thrived during the Romanesque period not only at Cluny but also at Vézelay, Autun, Tournus and in many small country churches built in the Brionnais and Mâconnais area.
An unusual way to discover Burgundy is to go on a boat trip along the local rivers (Saône, Yonne) and canals (Briare, Nivernais, Bourgogne, Centre), which have been designed to naturally blend in with the landscape. While you are gliding along the peaceful waters, you may admire granite façades in the Morvan, clay or wooden structures in Bresse, square dovecotes in Auxois, barns in Châtillonnais, as well as the golden or pale stones of the villages where locals still make a point of serving delicious traditional cuisine.