Burgundy or
Bourgogne as it is known in France, with a population of about a million and a half, is a quiet and rural region rich in history and situated in the core of France, part of the original area in today’s Switzerland. The mighty dukes who once ruled the duchy from
Dijon for 600 years until it was conquered by France in 1477, left their mark which can be seen in the lovely chateaux, picturesque villages and quaintly charming towns.
Burgundy can also boast of its important and powerful religious past. Fontenay and Vézelay have their famous abbeys and the Cluny monastic ruins where the authority of the chief abbot was only second to the Pope in Rome. It was the monasteries who were responsible for the winegrowing traditions that continue till today. The Industrial Revolution threw
Burgundy into focus in 1838 as an industrial giant with the Schneider iron and steel works at Le Creusot, where the first French locomotive was made, though today this industry no longer exists.
Burgundy’s prosperity today centers around the southern winegrowing region and of course
Dijon. The famous and finest French wines are produced around Côte d'Or including Nuits-Saint-Georges, Beaune and Meursault. In fact most of
Burgundy sounds like a Who’s Who wine list. These vineyards, previously cared for by the religious orders of the time, are now the businesses of very rich private owners and have been turned into lucrative businesses.
Burgundy's appeal exceeds even its namesake wine, and tourists and travelers looking for something new should certainly consider this picturesque and truly gastronomic region of France primarily visited by wine buffs. The great wine of the region is married to its gourmet cuisine in coq au vin which is chicken in a wine, mushroom and onion sauce, and bœuf à la bourguignonne which is the beef equivalent. Other regional dishes include marcassin farci au saucisson which is wild boar stuffed with sausage, and the famous escargots à la bourguignonne which are snails served with parsley and garlic butter. Even though Beaune is the wine capital of
Burgundy,
Dijon is the capital of
Burgundy, thus it brings to mind the famous Crème de Cassis and the even more famous
Dijon mustard.
Some of the great tourist attractions include the Cathedrals at Mâcon, Roman ruins in Autun, the prehistoric hunting grounds, Salutré rock museum and of course gourmet eating. The other great business center in
Burgundy is in Charolles, at the meeting place of the Semence and Arconce rivers, famous for its cattle breeding and meat from its famous white Charolais cattle. You will also find remnants of its artistic heritage of beautiful pottery.
One of the great attractions in
Burgundy is its hundreds of miles of waterways and rivers, with canal riverboat holidays and bicycling by the canals. The central Parc de Morvan region, though poor compared to the southern fertile region, has lovely wooded hills, animal reserves and natural walks for even the most exigent nature lover. The 226,000 hectare national park with lakes and waterways is beautiful. Craft and homemade fresh goat cheese are tourists’ delights.
Burgundy has become a popular second home option for Parisians looking for a de-stressing weekend retreat. The property prices are affordable, at least for now and it seems to have a lot to offer families, couples and singles. In addition
Burgundy has excellent road and TGV rail connections to the North and South.
