Burgundy
Beaune
Just mention the word Burgundy and red wine probably springs to mind. You are not far off. Burgundy (Bourgogne) is a peaceful rural region at the heart of France, which has a rich and unique history. The Dijon based duchy ran Burgundy for 600 years until 1477. Today much of Burgundy's prosperity is centered about the prestigious wine growing areas in the south and around Dijon. These small pockets have helped to uphold the region's reputation as land of great art and good living. Today people visit the area to try some of France's finest wines such as Nuits-Saint-Georges, Meursault and Beaune. Most of the vineyards are found in the attractive Côte d'Or area.
Aside from wines and earthy foods created from farm-fresh produce and livestock, Burgundy has marvelous biking and hiking paths that cris-cross the region, so you can walk or pedal off some of the rich fare!
If that’s not enough, most don’t realize that it is only 65 miles south of Paris, so day trips to the City of Light are a distinct possibility from your villa base in Beaune.
The center for wine making in Burgundy is the medieval jewel of Beaune with its distinctive Flemish polychrome roofs, checkerboard patterns of gold and colors woven into a terra cotta tapestry. The huge duchy of Burgundy once included most of Holland and Belgium, so the Flemish influence is striking in the architecture of the city, and even some of its foods. This is a great region for relaxation and especially for family reunions!
