Full-bodied red and supple white wines, endless vineyards, green rolling hills, wooded slopes, grazing Charolais cattle on a bountiful and generous land––such might be the images evoked when one thinks of Burgundy. This is also where a unique culture of food and wine has evolved over 2000 years. Here the Celtic peoples first learned to make wine barrels from the oak which grew in abundance in their forests; here Cistercian monks of the Middle Ages first suspected the possibilities hidden in the soil and began the work of clearing slopes to plant the first legendary vineyards; and here today the descendants of those early Burgundians are faithful to the traditions of earlier generations with a warm and generous hospitality for the visitor––as a guest here in Burgundy one is expected to eat and drink well, and bring honor to the host’s table.
There is history too. Today served by modern autoroutes and high-speed trains, Burgundy has long been a crossroads of northern Europe and has benefited from the best of many cultures. The Romans brought roads and law; the German Burgundii gave their name and a blond blue-eyed population; the Christian Dukes of Burgundy of the 14th and 15th centuries left as a heritage the beautiful, flamboyant Flemish-Burgundian architecture. Cycling or walking through this region we will see evidence of all these cultures.
Indeed, with small villages and majestic cathedrals, simple, hearty café lunches and evening meals in Michelin-starred restaurants, refreshing Aligotés and robust Chambertin Grand Crus, there is something here for everyone. During our week together, in the spirit of the local traditions of hospitality, we will try to bring you the best of Burgundy. We stay in small friendly hotels and dine at some of the best tables the region has to offer. Our routes are quiet and scenic. Our destinations include the unexpected, like visiting the source of the Seine river, as well as the hoped-for, like wine cellar tours or visits led by local guides. And whatever your pace, whatever your interest, know that a support vehicle and your Sundial guide are always close by.
Your Itinerary
Day 1:
Arrival at Montbard with transfer to Chablis
Afternoon ride 30 km / Mostly flat
Any complete tour of Burgundy must include the Chablis area and we will be spending our first two days here. After a two-hour train ride from Paris on the TGV, you will be met at the Montbard train station by your guides and transferred to the hotel, 45 kilometers away. On our it is not long before we are surrounded by vineyards––the popular dry white wine of the area has been produced here since the 12th century, and we will lose no time in getting acquainted with the latest edition. Arriving at the Hostellerie des Clos in the center of town, we will transfer your luggage to your rooms and give you a few minutes to settle in and change into your cycling clothes. Then we will fit the bikes, have a short orientation session, and set off. This first ride will give us a chance to get adjusted to our new two-wheeled friends, and along the way we will manage a sampling of the local product. For many of us this will be the first taste of the real Chablis.
The Hostellerie des Clos was established in the cloisters of the old charity hospital a few years ago by the wine makers of the region, who needed a place to have a good meal and talk business with their clients. The clientele may now include people from all walks of life but the hotel is still a place to have a good meal. Here we can order the perfect dish to complement a good Chablis, say a nice crayfish or perch. And if anyone is a bit shy about choosing the wine, Chef Michel Vignaud’s staff can recommend the perfect match from the restaurant’s exhaustive wine list.
(D)
Day 2:
Loop ride to Auxerre
60 km - moderately hilly
After a buffet breakfast which will include fresh coffee, flaky croissants, confiture, yoghurt and juice we leave for a ride west of Chablis, to the nearby town of Auxerre. Auxerre was founded by the Romans on the Yonne River along the main road between Lyon and Paris and throughout its history has been an important town. Still a major market town thanks to its proximity to the Chablis wine region, during most of the Middle Ages it was an intellectual and spiritual center. Auxerre was declared a holy city in the 12th century, and the evidence of its past religious importance are the impressive St Etienne cathedral and the Benedictine St Germain abbey. For the visitor Auxerre offers an old medieval center characterised by 16th-century half-timbered houses, narrow winding streets and old fortifications, as well as shady boulevards and sidewalk cafés.
We enter the town along the Yonne River, affording us what is doubtless the most dramatic perspective of the town, with the St Etienne cathedral directly above us on the left and the canal barges plying the river to our right. We lock up the bikes and gather for a guided visit of the old town, giving us a closer look at the cathedral and medieval quarter. Then it will be time for lunch, perhaps at a café or a picnic along the river. After free time to explore a little further, we start our ride back to the hotel, perhaps wondering if it will be at all possible to have a second dessert tonight.
(B) (D)
Day 3:
Coach transfer to St Seine l’Abbaye and the source of the Seine
40 km - Moderately hilly
This is a transfer day, meaning that your bags must be packed and ready to go before we leave. But not to worry, just set your bigger bags in the hallway before breakfast and our baggage elves will do the work for you as you relax with coffee and croissants. Before getting on our bikes though we must board a bus for a coach transfer to the village of St Seine l’Abbaye. Then while your guides set up your bikes, take a few minutes to visit the 13th-century abbey church in town. This church was built as part of an abbey founded in the 6th century. When the bikes are set we ride six kilometers to Paris––well, a small part of Paris anyway. Here the river Seine has its source, and the small plot of land surrounding the source of the world-famous river is owned by the city of Paris.
Leaving the source we will head southeast through moderately hilly terrain to our destination for the day, Gevrey Chambertin. Anyone who has perused the French wine section of their neighborhood wine shop will have seen more than a few Gevrey-Chambertins on the shelves. For we are now in a part of Burgundy called the Côte de Nuits, where a list of the names of some of the villages reads like a who’s who of wine––Gevrey-Chambertin, Morey-St Denis, Chambolle-Musigny, Vougeot and Vosne-Romanée. As we approach Gevrey-Chambertin we will have time to stop for a tasting, in anticipation of choosing a wine for dinner tonight.
Our hotel is the small Hôtel des Grands Crus just on the outskirts of the village, and Mme Farnier will make sure everything is just right when we arrive. After some time to relax we can meet for an apéritif, then walk to dinner. Tonight we will be dining at the nearby Rôtisserie du Chambertin, one of the exceptional restaurants of the area. As we enter we will pass through a gallery peopled by whimsical figures in traditional dress posing in different phases of wine-making. The meal here will be no less entertaining and will be a showcase for the many local wines found in the winelist.
(B) (L) (D)
Day 4:
Loop ride west into the Haute Côte de Nuits and the plain to the east
42 km Hilly in the morning, flat in the afternoon
The rural setting of the Hautes Côtes de Nuits (the term hautes côtes means upper slopes), has been left virtually unchanged for generations. The views and landscape will be well worth the effort to get there, and we will be challenged early as we climb the Combe de Lavaux leaving Gevrey. A combe is a narrow deep valley, and the eastern edge of the plateau ahead of us is typified by these combes. As we reach the end of the climb we emerge into a terrain much different from that of the vineyards we left behind. Here are vast fields planted with grains and oil-producing seed plants such as sunflower or colza. Among the fields are the wooded crests of hills and far-off villages and further to the west is Burgundy’s largest forest, which can be seen from time to time during our ride.
Each village here has its secret. Above Reulle-Vergy, past the tea room which makes its own cookies and biscuits, woods hide the ruins of a once towering castle whose lords challenged the Dukes of Burgundy in the 14th century. In Ternant there is an antique shop and in Semezanges a creative farmer has attached his hoof collection to the outside of a barn door. And we will surely be able to find a cellar where some winemaker is willing to sell us a bottle for our lunch later on.
After a long exhilarating descent we find ourselves in Chambolle-Musigny in time for lunch. Here we can either have a picnic lunch in the shade of the sycamore trees near the church or have a more serious lunch in the village restaurant. From here in Chambolle it is possible to go straight back to the hotel for a shorter day. Or we can continue into the plains and cycle through neat villages along quiet back roads. Part of our road is laid on the foundation of an old Roman road. The Roman heritage of this road is betrayed when seen on a map, as it is clearly the straightest road around. Passing through the village of St Bernard we will be within 14 kilometers of the Cîteaux Abbey, mother church of the Cistercian order. A detour is possible for anyone curious to see a working abbey, especially one as historically significant as this one. The monks who live here make a rich, creamy cheese named after the monastery, a cheese certain to be on our menu this evening.
Dinner will be at the Millésimes restaurant in Gevrey, only a five-minute walk away. With a name like Millésimes one can count on the wine list being extraordinary, and the food and atmosphere of this friendly family-run restaurant along with the fine wines will be a highlight of the week.
(B) (D)
Day 5:
Transfer ride from Gevrey-Chambertin to Beaune, via Nuits St Georges
35 km - Mostly flat
This day of riding takes us south through the Côte de Nuits, through the small town of Nuits St Georges and on into Beaune. This is a transfer ride, so the suitcases need to be packed and loaded this morning. But no matter, the baggage elves have everything under control.
Our first stop today will be for a visit of the 12th-century Château du Clos de Vougeot. Beginning in the 12th century the Cistercian monks from the nearby Abbey of Cîteaux cleared the surrounding oak forest, planted vineyards and began to make wine. The grapes were crushed in the huge oaken presses still in place today, and the wine was stored in barrels in the great cellar which we will visit. The château and the adjoining clos (a vineyard surrounded by walls) are part of the beginnings of the wine heritage in Burgundy and for any student or lover of wine a visit here is a must.
The next village on the way is Vosne-Romanée, the village where some of the world’s most exclusive wine is produced. We will naturally pause before two vineyards of the more renowned wine domains, Clos de la Tache and Romanée-Conti. How the wines made from grapes grown here can so far surpass wines made from grapes grown only yards away is one of the things which makes Burgundy so special.
In Nuits St Georges we will stop for a guided visit to an extensive wine cellar and taste five or six wines before retiring to a local café for lunch. From Nuits St Georges we will climb up into the Haute Côte and ride through the vineyards of the upper slopes. One aspect of these vineyards which is different from most of the vineyards we have been seeing is that these are planted further apart. In most cases this is because rather than buy the expensive tractors designed to straddle the rows of vines, these farmers have equipment which just bolts onto the back of the regular tractors, which must pass between the vines.
Our hotel la Bleu Marine will be a welcome sight as this will have been a long day. There is no special hurry for dinner tonight either, since it is a free night. You will be on your own tonight, though we will of course be able to help you out with plenty of recommendations to help choose from Beaune’s many fine restaurants.
(B)
Day 6:
Free day/optional loop rides
30 to 40 km - Mostly flat with hillier options
Today will be a day you can design for yourself. Beaune is a colorful, bustling town whose lifeblood is the buying and selling of wine. Today will be especially active though since Saturday mornings are market days. Take time to stroll through the two main plazas of Beaune, with vendor after vendor selling everything from fresh bread, fruits and vegetables to housewares and clothing. These itinerant merchants have been a part of European life since the Middle Ages. Only the motorized trucks and cars they use today make them any different from their ancestors.
Before the market though we will want to invite you to take a guided tour of Beaune led by a local guide. First Celtic, then Roman, and still with a medieval character, Beaune has a rich past to share. Part of this tour will be the Hospice, a 15th-century charity hospital which was closed only in 1971. Remarkably, the trust fund set up in 1443 to provide operating funds for the hospital is what paid for the new hospital. Architecturally, the building is considered a masterpiece of the colorful Flemish-Burgundian style, noted in part because of the liberal usage of colorful enameled roof tiles, which gives Burgundy a unique appearance.
After lunch we can propose a couple of biking itineraries or even a walk if you really want a change of pace.
Dinner tonight will be at our hotel, and we will meet a little early for a celebration aperitif to mark the end of our week together in Burgundy.
(B) (D)
Day 7:
Transfer to train station in Dijon, train at 9:51am arrives Paris at 11:27am.
(B)
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
One of the few Burgundy bike tours to take in both Chablis and the Cote d'Or. With our smaller groups we can tailor our trips to put the accent on the interests of the individual departures: antiques, history (Celtic and Roman), wine tastings, more or fewer miles, optional loops, etc. Operated by an American living in Burgundy living here for 10 years. Family-in-law contacts in the wine business, friends who operate a thriving antiques shop, etc. 10 years experience operating trips in Burgundy and elsewhere in France. Custom groups or itineraries welcome, any budget.
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Outdoor: Land Rambler
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