Burgundy considers itself the heart of France and, as someone whose favourite red wine is Chambolle-Musigny (Les Amoureuses; Comte Georges de Vogüé), which my Burgundian husband successfully wooed me with — it was more affordable 25 years ago — and whose favourite white is almost any Meursault or Chassagne-Montrachet, I feel that it is an entirely justified view.
As well as its remarkable wines — Burgundy's Climats, a mosaic of 1,200 vineyard plots, were inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage landscape in 2015 — the region has Dijon mustard, cheeses such as the pungent, unctuous Époisses de Bourgogne and an earthy, excellent cuisine. Think snails, frog’s legs and jambon persillé. Beyond these epicurean delights, there are the Romanesque masterpieces at Vézelay, Fontenay and Cluny to explore, and a myriad impressive châteaux.
However, until recently, it was hard to find somewhere to stay that was on par with the region's riches. That has, now, been put to rights, with a plethora of new openings — from restored châteaux to sleek, bijou townhouses in places whose names are woven into the dreams of oenophiles. A visit has never looked more inviting.
Where to stay
You should take your time travelling through Burgundy. If you want structure, you could follow France’s oldest wine route, the Route des Grands Crus — a scenic 37-mile drive that starts in Dijon and goes south to Santenay. Created in 1937, it runs through 37 wine villages and the famous vineyards of the Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune. There is also a dedicated bicycle path, the Voie des Vignes, that runs parallel — for those of you who prefer to drink and bike, instead of drink and drive.
The 18th-century Hostellerie de Levernois is warm and welcoming, with roaring fires, pristine flagstone floors and smiley staff. There are 39 rooms in total; some in the main house (they have exposed stone walls, wooden ceilings and are filled with antiques) and seven in the new contemporary villas, dotted around the hotel's 17-acre leafy park.
There is a Sisley spa with an indoor swimming pool, an impressive organic kitchen garden, an outdoor pool and two restaurants. One is a bistro that serves dishes such as jambon persillé with pickles and a cream of mustard. The other is a gastronomic restaurant with a Michelin star (see below). In either, or both, indulge in what I believe to be the most enticing cheese trolley in Burgundy (above).
After years of careful restoration work, Château de la Commaraine, which dates back to the 12th century, finally opened as a 37-room hotel in April. It is something of a game changer for the region, raising the benchmark for luxury accommodation and putting the town of Pommard on the map (it's long been a place of pilgrimage for wine-lovers in the know).
Its rare clos monople vineyards have been continuously harvested since the château was built. Thomas Jefferson, who visited in 1787, approved, described the wines as ‘of excellent quality’.
The elegant rooms — oenophiles should book the Cuverie Suite, whose internal window looks into the winery — come with pale-oak floors and beams; the silk pillowcases are a nod to the onsite spa's strong wellbeing ethos.
Wine tastings are, of course, among the experiences that can be organised, both onsite and in the surrounding area. You must take dinner underneath the vaulted ceilings of the former cellar in Le VIII, and try the exquisite Délice de Pommard cheese in Le Clos.
In the heart of Chambolle-Musigny, famous for its legendary terroir, Bellevigne sits beneath the village’s pretty clock tower. Behind its 18th-century manorial walls, there are 37 rooms. Renovated by Paris-based designer Jordane Arrivetz, the stone-walled rooms harbour books and artworks that draw on the region’s signature colours of deep red (burgundy), warm teal and olive green.
The restaurant is homely; well-executed dishes such as gratinated Burgundy snails with aged Comté cheese and Edmond Fallot mustard, and a traditional oeuf meurette — a poached egg with red-wine sauce.
The Fontenille Collection opened Château de Cîteaux this summer — its most historically rich hotel to date. The 19th-century château is built over 12th-century Cistercian cellars, some of the oldest in the region, merging monastic heritage and winemaking legacy.
The 18 rooms and suites will be joined, in early 2027, by another 17 in the restored Vieux-Clos. Local craftspeople have been employed to restore and renew the interiors — the style nods to the Second Empire, with torsade columns and stucco detailings, and to the surrounding vineyards, with a colour palette of ageing greens, stony greys and earthy browns.
The gilded restaurant has an ingredient-led menu, developed by chef Christophe Vauthier — ‘a Burgundian by origin and instinct’. From September, guests can book wine tastings in the 12th-century cellars.
The décor in this brand-new, ten-room Maison Le Chevreuil hotel is all about championing Burgundy wine, from its rounded showers, evoking the wine vats of local vintners, to its use throughout of a wine-coloured palette. Completely appropriate, given that it can be found facing the church in the charming village of Meursault, renowned for its deliciously buttery, full-bodied Chardonnay.
A swimming pool lies in the garden and there is a spacious terrace on which to sit over a glass or two. Dining options include TERRE, which, with its outdoor kitchen, is all about flame cooking — try the Charolais beef rib or wood-smoked trout.
Les Sources de Vougeot exists inside Château de Gilly, a stone’s throw from legendary Clos de Vougeot — the largest single grand cru vineyard in the Côte de Nuits (about 124 acres enclosed by an ancient stone wall).
Founded in the 6th century as a priory by the Abbots of Cîteaux, before becoming an impressive château in the 14th century during the Hundred Years’ War, this 49-room hotel has now joined sister properties in Bordeaux and the Loire. It melds wine with Caudalie wellness experiences. The spa, rather memorably, has been tucked away in the 14th century wine cellar (above).
As you approach the tiny village of the same name, the limestone, fairytale-like Château de Sainte-Sabine rises impressively on the horizon. Dating back to the 16th century — and expanded in the 18th one — the château has managed to hang on to its original interiors while still feeling wonderfully warm — much appreciated on the snowy day I visisted.
For a heavy dose of grandeur, book the wood-panelled Suite Salles de Gardes, complete with four-poster bed and magnificent neo-Gothic fireplace. Alternatively, opt for a room in the main château, with views across the park to what is considered, justifiably, one of the most beautiful villages in France — Châteauneuf-en-Auxois.
Dine on Charolais beef fillet with smoked potatoes and truffle.
Where to eat
There's no shortage of Michelin-starred restaurants in this region, where life revolves around what's on the kitchen table — or, on a sunny day, what's in the picnic basket. The latter is why I've included Fromagerie Alain Hess in Beaune, run by a fourth generation cheesemonger, here.
Choosing your cheese won't be easy, but do try their own-brand Délice de Pommard, a triple-cream cheese made from cow’s milk and rolled in mustard seeds. It is sensational.
You can buy your wine here, too — their cellar boasts an impressive choice of Burgundy whites and reds.
At the other end of the scale is the three-Michelin-starred Maison Lameloise, currently celebrating its centenary. I went there first when Jacques Lameloise was at the stove and much enjoyed throwing down the gauntlet by sending out three of the fattest snails, pierced with a silver toothpick, to ‘l’Anglaise’. Once I had passed that test, we got along, and his cooking remains up there in my culinary memory banks. Eric Pras, his sous-chef, was already in charge on my last visit and, again, delivered a superb meal highlighting the best of Burgundy’s terroir.
Dishes at La Table de Levernois are inspired by the season and the restaurant's own vegetable garden.
Further south, in the foothills of the Mâconnais, I was charmed by La Marande, located in a Burgundy stone house in the little hamlet of Montbellet. It has a Michelin star and serves food that is affordable and unpretentious. Trout steamed and served with shiso rice vinegar, smoked beetroot, red cabbage, black rice with cardamom and a Viré-Clessé sauce was spot on.
La Table de Levernois is as inviting as the hostellerie (Hostellerie de Levernois) it is housed in. Try the green carnaroli risotto with frog’s legs and snails, the Bresse chicken and the Grand Marnier soufflé with blood-orange sorbet. It is imperative, though, that you save room for the cheese trolley — a highlight of any trip to Burgundy.
In the village of Gevrey-Chambertin, on the Route des Grands Crus and famous for its powerful, robust reds, Bistrot Lucien delivers on every front. It is loud and buzzy, with flagstone floors, a lot of wine talk and, when I was there in November, a roaring fire. Dishes range from boudin noir maison to crispy pig’s trotters, snails with parsley butter and a rich venison stew with wild mushrooms and a memorable gratin dauphinois.
Similarly, the pretty, honey-coloured village of Puligny-Montrachet — often referred to alongside Chassagne-Montrachet and Meursault as the Holy Trinity of heavenly wines — is a good place to stop for a wine tasting or a bite to eat. Try Klima, a restaurant and hotel run by the Leflaive family — local winemakers since 1717. Here, you can dine on pigeon with cherries, enjoy a glass of their Pommard Premier Cru and drink to the words of Molière: ‘If Claret is the King of wines, Burgundy is the Queen’.
What to do
Obviously, many visitors to this wine region are here for the wine tastings and cellar tour. Make sure to book these in advance. My top recommendation is La Grande Cave de Vougeot.
Edmond Fallot Moutarderie is an independent Burgundian family business, founded in 1840.
Take time out, though, to get a good overview of the region’s wine heritage at Cité des Climats et vins de Bourgogne, a museum just outside Beaune. The eye-catching spirals on its exterior mimic the way the vines curl around the trellises. You will learn about the land's geological composition and the 33 grands crus. And, of course, it finishes with a wine tasting.
In Beaune itself, it is worth stopping at Edmond Fallot, nowadays the only Dijon mustard producer that uses local seeds to make its inimitable condiment. Apart from purchasing a good supply of its delicious mustard in those attractive earthenware pots, you should go on one of two tours available — one exploring the history of its mustard, which began in 1840, the other about its modern factory. There are free tastings at the end of both.
If you stop in Pommard, you must visit chocolatier Sébastien Hénon. His glossy barrels of chocolate filled with cassis, flavourful citronettes and square, almond and hazelnut praline chocolates, scattered in gold, are quite delicious.
To feed the soul, immerse yourself in the culture here. The Hôtel-Dieu, a former 15th-century hospice in Beaune, is a medieval jewel. Its geometric, multi-coloured Burgundian roof tiles are immediately recognisable. Don’t miss the Last Judgement polyptych, by Rogier van der Weyden, which hangs here.
Burgundy’s capital, Dijon, is full of architectural splendours and houses art treasures, many of them by Flemish masters, in the imposing Palais des Ducs. The city is also famous for its mustard and gingerbread — a reminder that it was once on the spice route.
It was pilgrims rather than traders who ascended the narrow streets of Vézelay to what was a Benedictine abbey church in the 12th century, now the Basilica of Saint Mary Magdalene. It houses relics of Mary Magdalene and is considered one of the great Burgundian masterpieces of Romanesque art and architecture.
Famed as the most powerful monastic foundation in Europe, the Benedictine Abbey of Cluny (above) was founded in 910 and today its ruins overshadow the little town around it. Make a day of your visit and stop for lunch in one of the little restaurants on the river's banks.
The Abbaye de Fontenay is Cistercian, rather than Benedictine, and is the oldest surviving Cistercian foundation in France, founded in 1118 by St Bernard. It represents the spirit of the order in the stark gravity of its Romanesque church, while its peaceful gardens and streams imbue any visit with a sense of tranquillity.
Good food, good wine and architecture to make the heart soar heavenwards can finally be enjoyed slowly, as there are now really lovely places to make a meander through Burgundy as much about the arrival as the journey.