BURGUNDY, AUVERGNE AND RHONE-ALPS

Click here for How to Get There

BURGUNDY

Features - Richly varied landscapes with vineyards producing some of France's most admired wines, wild forests and lush farmland, wealthy cultural heritage of Romanesque architecture and excellent cuisine.

Key Sights/Places to Visit - Dijon, Sens, Auxerre, Avallon, Vézelay, Tonnerre, Fontenay Abbey, Baune, Tournus, Cluny, Mâcon, St Brisson Musée de Résistance, Autun.

Further Attractions - Magny Cours motor-racing circuit, Morvan Regional Park for outdoor pursuits, wine tours and winetasting.

AUVERGNE

Features - Spectacular volcanic peaks, crater lakes and hot springs, beautiful green countryside and landscapes, attractive Romanesque churches, medieval castles and Rennaissance palaces, ancient towns with traditional crafts, thermal spa resorts.

Key Sights/Places to Visit - Spa resorts of Vichy, St Nectaire-le-Bas, La Bourboule, Le Mont Dore.  Clermont Ferrand, Orcival, St Nectaire, Salers and Le Puy-en-Velay.

Further Attractions - Wide variety of outdoor pursuits including hiking, skiing, fishing, rock-climbing, canoeing, Puy de Sancy.  Cantal mountains (Conques, Rodez, Najac just south of the region).  Vulcania theme park, Puy-de-Dôme, Le Pal theme park, Allier.

RHONE-ALPS

Features - Wide diversity of landscapes including agricultural plains, marshlands, vineyards of Beaujolais and Côtes du Rhône.  Lyon, 2nd city of France, well known for its historic buildings and gastronomic tradition.  The rugged Ardèche with mountains and spa towns, ideal for outdoor pursuits.  Chateaux and ancient towns, orchards, sunflowers, lavender and olive groves to the south.  The majestic snow-capped peaks of the Alps to the east, including Mont Blanc - the highest in Europe - with superb ski slopes and elegant spa resorts.

Key Sights/Places to Visit - Lyon, Grenoble, St Etienne, Briançon, Chambéry, Aix-les-Bains, Evian-les-Bains, Yvoire, Annecy, Bourg-en-Bresse, Vienne, Tournon-sur-Rhône, Valence, Montélimar, Nyons, Grignan.

Further Attractions - Beaujolais wine tours and winetasting, Vercours and Chartreuse nature reserves (Voiron for green and yellow Chartreuse liqueur), Lac Leman.  Leading ski resorts include Alpe-d'Huez, Les Deux-Alps, Megève, Chamonix, Meribel, Verbier, Tignes, La Plagne, Courcheval, Montgenèvre.

REGIONAL FOOD

Features - Bresse chicken, Charolais beef, ham from the Morvan hills, wild fowl and frogs from the Dombes, fish from the Saône and Rhône and snails (the "oysters of Burgundy"), salted hams, pork, cheese and vegetables from the Auvergne, Dijon mustard.
Specialities - Oeufs en meurette (egg, bacon, mushrooms and onions in red wine sauce), minute steak Dijonnaise, Andouillettes à la Lyonnaise (tripe and veal sausages), rosette de Lyon (pork salami), salt pork with lentils, boeuf bourgignon, falette (stuffed veal), ham flan, coq au vin, walnut and pear pie, cherry flan, cheese feuillettes, gâteaux Lyonnaise, pain d'épices.  Alps - fondue Savoyarde, gratin Savoyard, gratin Dauphinoise, tarte des Alpes, biscuit de Savoie.
Cheeses - Burgundy - Epoisses, Pipo Crem, Bleu de Bresse.  Auvergne - St Nectaire, Fourme d'Ambert, Cantal, Laguiole.  Alpine - Tomme de Savoie, Tomme au Raisin, Raclette, Emmental, Beaufort (Gruyère), Vacherin, Reblochon, St Marcellin.

regional wine

Burgundy's world famous fine wines have a rich history and tradition and some exceptional grands crus, although the variable continental climate can be a crucial factor in vintages.

Wine Regions - Chablis, Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune (Côte d'Or), Côte Chalonnaise, Mâconnais, Beaujolais.

Principal grape varieties - red - pinot noir, gamay; white - chardonnay, aligote, pinot blanc, sauvignon.

Rhône Valley - This covers a hierarchy of wine appellations.  Côtes du Rhône, Côtes du Rhône Villages and 13 individual appellations, the best known of which are Hermitage, Côte Rôtie in the north and Chateauneuf-du-Pape in the south.

Haute-Savoie - Known for its sparkling wines as well as still wines, includes Savoie, Mousseux de Savoie, Pétillant de Savoie, Roussette de Savoie, Seyssel, Crépy, Vins de Bugey. 

back to top