3 Day 2 Night

Included :

Arrival at Beaune in the beginning of the afternoon

Free visit of the “Hopices Civils de Beaune” and the “Hotel-Dieu”: the multicoloured roofs of the Hotel-Dieu have become one of the symbols of Burgundy.

 

From the date of its foundation, Nicolas Rolin had planned the donation to the institution of furniture, tapestries and other items, of which a detailed inventory dating from 1501 gives us a precise idea.

The beauty of the interiors rivals that of the exterior. In the great “Salle des Pauvres” ("hall of the poor"), decorated with multicoloured beams which are unique in the world, reigns a serenity which will leave no one unmoved. The halls of Sainte-Anne, Saint-Nicolas, Saint-Hugues and Saint-Louis are overflowing with treasures: statues, furniture, pottery, paintings, tapestries…and the kitchen has been restored exactly as it was in the 19th century.

The Polyptych of The Last Judgement, a master work by the Flemish painter Rogier Van Der Weyden has been particularly well presented in an air-conditioned room.

Discovery of the “Hautes Côtes de Beaune” route and its castles: Located in the southern part of the Côte d'Or, the vineyards of Côte de Beaune begins to Ladoix Serrigny and finishes in the Maranges.
25 km of an inexhaustible talent where, on 3000 ha, the greatest dry wines are next to red “Grands Crus” of great rename, such as Pommard, Santenay, Corton (the only red Grand Cru of the Côte de Beaune). Pinot Noir and Gamay are exclusive varieties of red wines. The Chardonnay gives us here all the richness and the complexity of its flavours.

Dinner in Autun:

Hostellerie du Vieux Moulin

In the heart of Burgundy, the city of Autun is over 2000 years old. When the “old mill” stopped operating in 1958 it was turned in a beautiful hotel restaurant. Its sluice gates are still on the Arroux River. Lunches are served in the shady garden in the summer time.

Night: Hotel des Ursulines

 

Breakfast at the hotel.

Guided tour of Autun: "City of Art and History" with Gallo-Roman monuments like the Saint-André Gate, the Arroux Gate, the Janus temple, the Roman theatre, the Couhard stone, the city's ramparts.

 

Saint-Lazare Romanesque cathedral: the tall 15th century stone spire that dominates the panorama of Autun helps recall the fact that the church of Saint Lazare, today a Cathedral, remains one of the major works of Cluny art and was built almost entirely between 1120 and 1130. The architectural perfection inspired by Cluny and the other nearby Romanesque buildings, however, might pale before the vividness of the work of Gislebertus, the craftsman... the biblical scenes of the capitals (several can be admired more closely as they have been moved to the chapter house)... the "Last Judgement" which covers the tympanum and the lintel of the central

doorway, with a multitude of elongated figures... the "Eve" -part of the lintel of the ancient lateral doorway-now housed at the Rolin Museum, all a testimony to the strength, the life flow, the truculence, the sense of purpose in the composition and the competence of execution so typical of Romanesque sculpture at its very best.

 

Lunch at Hotel des Ursulines

Visit of the Rolin Museum: Gallo-Roman sculptures, bronzes, Roman mosaics, a 12th century sculpture of Eve, a 15th century Nativity of the Master of Moulins, a 15th century polychrome statue of the Virgin of Autun, 15th and 20th century paintings and sculptures.

Rivault Farm: “Foie Gras” and “Duck Breast” tasting, accompanied by Burgundian wine: M. Labonde is a producer of fat ducks in Autun. You will appreciate a visit followed by a tasting; all the “gourmets” will enjoy themselves.

 

 

Dinner in the Restaurant “Les Jardins du Lac” in Autun (”planche Bourguignonne”: kind of plank-plate with several Burgundian specialities).

Overnight in Hotel des Ursulines in Autun

 

Breakfast at the hotel.

Visit of Châteauneuf en Auxois: on a rock, overlooking the plain, this powerful mediaeval stronghold was built around a square 12th century keep.

With flamboyant gothic living, quarters added by Philippe the Pot, knight of the Golden Fleece and Senechal of Louis XI, the château contains murals in the chapel, and tapestries depicting the life of Moise in the apartments.

Discovery of the “Côte d’Or” beautiful landscapes and its canals.

 

Lunch at the restaurant “La Cloche” in Dijon.

Free visit of Dijon, Whoever wishes to take in the full sweep of Dijon’s historical centre should climb to the top of the Tour Philippe le Bon. It was built by the third of the four "Great Dukes of the Occident" who reigned over the Burgundian States for more than a century from 1364 to 1477: Philip the Bold, John the Fearless, Philip the Good and Charles the Bold.

The former Palace of the Dukes of Burgundy is the veritable heart of the ducal capital which is now also the capital of an administrative region. It houses, along with the Town Hall, the Fine Arts Museum (Musée des Beaux Arts), one of the great museums of Europe. The museum’s reputation is based not only on the uncontested wealth of its collections but above all on its possession of masterworks of mediaeval paintings and sculpture, particularly the tombs of the Dukes of Burgundy.

 

Around the palace stretches the historical centre which is entirely preserved as a protected sector. It offers the visitor the charm of its squares and small streets for a stroll past half-timbered houses and elegant mansions, beneath the shadow of its church spires. Notre-Dame, the Gothic parish church dating from the 13th century is a veritable work of art in stone with its unique facade where rows of gargoyles alternate with slender columns topped by the Jacquemart Clock which has struck the hours of the day for the townspeople since 1383. The serenity of the historic buildings is contrasted by the bustling market which is held three times a week in and around the 19th century market halls.

End of our program.