A tourist map of Burgundy: sites and escapes

Burgundy holds heritage of unusual density. To get a grip on a region with this many faces, from vineyards to Roman remains, a map is the first tool worth reaching for. This guide walks through the sites and routes that matter, so you can put together your own escapes.

What a map of Burgundy gives you

A tourist map of Burgundy gives you something valuable: a spatial sense of an exceptional region. It lets you optimise the drive between cultural sites and wine estates, see the relief before a country walk, and build a balanced itinerary. It saves pointless detours and it turns up things you would otherwise miss.

The landmark sites

A map of Burgundy reveals remarkable historical jewels. Ancient Augustodunum, at Autun, keeps a theatre that was one of the largest in the Roman world, a striking record of past grandeur.

UNESCO World Heritage and historic monuments

Bourgogne-Franche-Comte is among the French regions with the most UNESCO-listed sites. Fontenay Abbey, near Montbard, a Cistercian masterpiece founded in 1118 and listed since 1981, offers cloisters of architectural purity and a former priory full of calm. The hill and the basilica of Sainte-Madeleine at Vezelay have been World Heritage since 1979. Other jewels enrich this cultural inheritance: the luminous stained glass of Auxerre cathedral, centuries-old churches, the ramparts watching over Semur-en-Auxois, and Renaissance chateaux in golden stone such as Ancy-le-Franc and Tanlay.

Unspoilt country and wide landscapes

A map of Burgundy also reveals wide stretches where time seems suspended. The Morvan Regional Natural Park, created in 1970, spreads across forests rising to 901 metres, an ideal setting for a path in the shade of tall trees. Nearby, sites such as Bibracte on Mont Beuvray, or the Roche de Solutre, combine history with landscape in a striking harmony. The valleys of the Loire and the Seine offer quiet canals made for contemplation.

Burgundy of flavours and wine

Any escape into Burgundy calls for immersion in its wine and food, and both are carefully mapped.

The vineyard: from Beaune to the Route des Grands Crus

Any traveller's map of Burgundy gives pride of place to the vineyards. They cover some 29,000 hectares, organised into large production zones. The Bourgogne appellation rests mainly on Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, refined expressions of the terroir. The Route des Grands Crus winds for sixty kilometres from Dijon to Santenay, through the villages around Beaune. It was this particularity that earned the Climats of the Burgundy vineyard their place on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2015.

Wine area	Main grapes	Character	Towns on the way
Chablis	Chardonnay	White wines	Chablis, Auxerre
Cote de Nuits	Pinot Noir	Red wines	Dijon
Cote de Beaune	Chardonnay, Pinot Noir	Grands crus	Beaune
Cote Chalonnaise	Pinot Noir, Chardonnay	Fruit-forward wines	Chalon-sur-Saone

Dijon, capital of gastronomy

Dijon carries its reputation through its food. The city opened the Cite internationale de la gastronomie et du vin in May 2022, a showcase for culinary culture. The institution underlines the UNESCO listing of the French gastronomic meal as intangible cultural heritage. At the fine arts museum in the palace of the dukes, visitors find a tradition where art and history meet with some elegance.

Planning your escapes and itineraries

Building a route around a map of Burgundy needs somewhere to stay that offers both charm and a good position. Maison Constant, set in nearly a hectare of wooded park in the heart of historic Autun, makes an ideal anchor point from which to range across the region. Our Palladian-inspired house offers apartments where families and groups of friends can gather and enjoy Burgundy properly. We help our guests plan their routes. Whether you want to travel the Canal du Nivernais or work through the wine estates, our knowledge of the area turns a map into something you actually experience, combining country calm with the attractions of Autun. For two to four people, the Camellia takes the first floor of the street-side pavilion, with a bedroom, a living area and a full kitchen across 42 m2.

Your complete guide to travelling Burgundy

A map of Burgundy is the prelude to a journey for the senses. From Cistercian abbeys to grands crus, each stage reveals a piece of French history. Choosing places that reflect the real character of the region makes the immersion complete. Open your maps and go and find the timeless elegance, the architectural richness of the old stone houses, and the preserved beauty of the Bresse.