Visiting the area
                                                                          Visiting the area


Visiting Burgundy can be great fun for everyone, there's lots to see and do all year round, for children, adolescents and adults.

There are 3 UNESCO world heritage sites on our doorstep, the Abbaye of Fontenay, 25 minutes away, the amazing basilica of Vezelay and the Burgundy wine region around Beaune.

Beaune is the wine capital of Burgundy and as such it is definately worth a visit. The town itself has numerous bars, cafés and restaurants including several Michelin starred restaurants which are a treat to try. The well known Hospice de Beaune is a must, the beautiful tiled roof and the history dating back to 1443 and today it hosts the famous sale of barrels of wine from the villages of Beaune, sold to the highest bidder and all the funds are donated to charity.

Dijon is the capital of Burgundy, it's rich architecture, museums and gardens are worth a days visit. The town is just 45 minutes away, driving is easy but parking can be difficult especially in the summer so consider taking the train from Venarey les Laumes.
There are several villages classed as « one of the prettiest villages of France » nearby, Vezelay and at the bottom of the hill St Père, Montréal, Noyers sur Serein and of course Flavigny sur Ozerain where the film « Chocolat » was filmed with Johnny Depp, Judi Dench and Juliette Binoche in 2000.

Flavigny sur Ozerain is a quant medieval village perched on a hill, picturesque and lively in summer. There are often art exhibitions, music festivals, the display of christmas creches, a large boot fair and artisanal market on the third weekend of October celebrating the festival of Saint Simon and many more. There are 2 restaurants and a small basic food shop. The aniseed sweet factory offer tours and tastings of sweets are offered in their small boutique shop.

                                                           Activities for children :

Being far from the sea, Burgundy has many lakes where secure swimming on man made sand beaches is a great opportunity to cool off for all. Often there are canoes and other water sports, a snack bar and restaurants close by. You could try Lac de Pont, close to Semur en Auxois, Grosbois on the road out to Dijon, there are several lakes in the Morvan forest which is also great for dog walking and the small lake at Venarey les Laumes.

There is a good sports complex at Montbard, the swimming pool is partly undercover and partly surrounded by grassy banks where you can sunbath and watch the children having fun, it is also equipped with a large slide and paddling pool for toddlers.
The complex also offers various lessons in aqua biking, swimming lessons, massages and the bathing is watched over by several life guards.

For smaller children there is an excellent zoo, Parc de l'Auxois, just a few kilometers from the houses, it also has a pool, poney rides and feeding the animals activites.

Alesia is a relatively new site in Venarey les Laumes. It explains the history of Caesar and Vercingétorix and shows how and where the battle took place in 52bc. During the summer they organise childrens workshops, making leather money pouches, making pottery pots and chainmail armor, they also have audio guides in different languages. There is a restaurant, plenty of parking with picnic tables and a small souvenir shop.

For adolescents there is a tree climbing, zip wire activity just outside Semur en Auxois, all levels are accepted from complete beginners to yougsters who have experienced the activity several times.

Guedelon, close to Saint Fargeau, is about 1 ½ hours from the house, they are building a full sized castle in a traditional way using quarried stone from the site. Workshops include rope making, roof tiles, small pottery objects, stone cutting, forged metal....the list goes on. Be prepared to spend most of a day at the site.
Bikes can be hired from Rando Fitness Venarey Cycles, thay can be found at the canal port, excellent place to hire for a day or week and they also do a good repair service if you have brought your own bike.
Cycling along the canal de bourgogne can be a fun day out, prepare a picnic lunch or stop off at a restaurant along the way, ask me for itineraries which would be suitable.

Rock climbing in Burgundy offers faces of different difficulties but all with marvelous views of the Burgundian countryside. Our nearest rock face is in Saffres but there are plenty more including Hauteroche and Ahuy.

There are lots of lovely walks for dogs in the area, small country paths lead to nowhere in particular and you'll find that you don't meet many people on the way. The Morvan forest is ideal for hiking and dog walking combined and you'll find that most restaurants accept dogs as well.

A french market is a lovely way to spend a morning in the hustle and bustle,choosing fresh local produce, fruit juices and local wines to accompagny a meal so here is a list of villages and towns who have markets worth going to :
Semur en Auxois – Sunday  
Chablis - Sunday
Saulieu – Saturday 
Montbard covered market – Friday
Dijon covered market – Tuesday, Friday and Saturday and the days running up to Christmas are a real spectacle and a must see !

We have a list of local restaurants in each of our properties, with details of prices and where to find them, if you would like a reservation just let me know and I'll be happy to book a table for you.
There are several Michelin starred restaurants in Burgundy, the closest is Bernard Loiseau in Saulieu who has 2 stars and if you have something to celebrate this is a great place to do it!

It wouldn't be worth while coming to Burgundy if you didn't taste some of the fine wines produced here. There are 2 main areas, going north to Chablis, Irancy and St Bris or going south to the wines of Beaune.
In Burgundy the wine names are not the names of the cepage used but the name of the village where the grapes were grown. If you would like to have a tasting let me know and I will organise it for you...
Closer to home we have 2 vinyards who offer tastings. Flavigny sur Ozerain who produce red, white, rosé and a Ratafia and Aurélien Febvre at Thorey-sous-Charny who produces red and white wines.
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