| Burgundy Traveller |
Festivals of gardens and courtyards. Exhibition of ancient wine at Bibracte. Medieval tapestries, a gothic revival castle and a trendy wine bar. Special place to stay: Château de Chorey. |
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With high summer upon us there is plenty to do in Burgundy and Beaune is a bit of a cultural hotspot. |
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| The Chateâu de la Rochepot |
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| Festival of courtyards, water and gardens in Beaune |
| Beaune looks pretty colourful this summer as 'extraordinary floral compositions' are destined the town. The inner courts of many private mansions in Beaune are on view offering a more intimate view of the city with the opportunity to see more of its domestic architecture and private garden spaces. Somewhere in all this there is a maze. In the park of Bouzaize there are gardens created by students of the best French landscaping schools including the garden school at Versailles, which shall apparently self destruct on September 18th. Rather appropriately they follow the theme of gardens and movement. There is also a 'trail of fragrances'. For more information and to book tickets visit the tourist office in Beaune. +33(0) 380262130. Adults 6 Euros, children 5 Euros. Running June 17 th to mid September. |
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| Wine in Antiquity |
A bit further a field at Bibracte there is a temporary exhibition running until November on the ancient origins of wine. Bibracte is an archaeological dig of the 2 nd and 1 st century of Gaulish town. This stood on Mont Beuvray in the Morvan, 25km from Autun. You can visit the site with a guide and there is a museum devoted to Celtic civilization where the temporary wine exhibition will be held.
www.bibracte.fr email info@bibracte.fr go to 'Le vin, nectar des dieux' for further information. |
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De Bach de Bacchus: Musical Festivals of the Grand Cru of Burgundy
www.bourgogne-tourisme.com
Including: Les grandes heures de Cluny en bourgogne. Classical music on the 5, 9, 12 and 28 th August with a tasting in the cellar of the Abbaye de Cluny. Contact Bertrand Eugène +33 (0) 3 85592383. email eugene.bertrand@.wanadoo.fr |
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name:
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The Château de la Rochepot |
| location: |
Above the medieval village of la Rochepot, 15 km South of Beaune |
| Reason to visit: |
To indulge in fantasies of the medieval |
| open: |
April-October 10-11.30 & 14-17.30. (10.00-18.00 July/August). Closed Tues |
| contact: |
Closed Tues. 0380217137. www.larochepot.com |
| entrance: |
Guided tour is 6 Euros, 3,50 for children |
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This was an unexpected treasure. It dominates the pretty village of Le Rochepot where my mother and I were staying in April. The castle's battlements, turrets and burnished tiles look thoroughly romantic as you come over the hill from Saint Aubin, but come closer and grey walls and drawbridge are formidable. The interior is another transformation...a gothic revival, a Puginesque feast. |
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| The post revolution ruin was rebuilt in the spirit of the C15th by the son of president Carnot at the beginning of the C19th. It is crammed full of fascinating pieces of gothic and renaissance furniture, chimney pieces and decorative items including a beautifully carved Bishop's chair and an Italian safe both from the C15th, an C18th pressure cooker, gossip chairs, a C19th wedding waffle maker and an ancient BC silver bracelet. The copper encrusted kitchen is dominated by a piano or huge kitchen range and there is an entire Chinese bedroom which was given to Colonel Sadi Carnot in 1922, by the last empress of China. Wonderful stuff. The guide is hugely enthusiastic and brings it all alive with stories about each interesting object. |
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Tapestries at the Collégiale Notre Dame |
| These expressive tapestries depict the life of the Virgin Mary as told in the Book of the Golden Legend, written by the priest Jacques Voragine in the thirteenth century. They were commissioned in 1374 for the cathedral choir, where they have hung for most of the last 500 years, and were woven in silk and wool from the cartoons of Pierre Spicre. The figures are lively, apart from where some not so clever C19th restoration has taken place, and show in detail of the dress of the period. The figures are set against a recognisable Burgundian background of châteaux and côtes. The five panels are linked with a charming panel of millefleurs, which were rather reminiscent of the meadows of spring flowers in the Haute Côtes around Le Rochepot at the time we visited. Free entrance. June to September Mon-Sat 9.00-12.00 and 14.00-17.00 Oct to May: Open Mon-Sat, 9-12.00 and 14.00-1700 Oct to May. Sunday 13.00-17.00pm. A knowledgably guide is available for a small fee of 2.30 E for adults through the Tourist Office. |
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| Name: |
The Chateau de Chorey |
| Location: |
Chorey lès Beaune, 10 minutes from the centre of Beaune |
| Ambience: |
shabby chic a castle (and family) without pretensions
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| B&B: |
160-170 Euros depending on room size and 220 for the suite with two bedrooms at the top of the castle |
| Contact: |
Château de Chorey, 21200 Chorey-Lès-Beaune. + 33 (0) 380 22 06 05 |
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The Château de Chorey should hit the spot for wine lovers looking for something a bit different. François Germain runs this B&B in the family castle, now that his son Benoît runs the domaine. It's a proper castle dating from the C12th and C17th centuries with turrets, towers and a moat. There is a large kitchen overlooked by assorted hunting trophies mounted on the walls, a light pleasant breakfast room and a comfortable drawing room for the guests. The castle has a very lived in feel - don't expect smart, it's more comfortable shabby. The bedrooms are spacious, each with a different character. The bathrooms are dated, but adequate. You can roam at will around the gardens. It's a good place to relax while being just minutes from Beaune and the Côte de Nuits The Germain family are very affable, and you will feel welcome. François Germain likes to make pain épice and jams for his guests. (Guests can use the kitchen to cook after 11am). |
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Bedding down in Beaune: L'Hôtel de Beaune |
L'Hotel de Beaune right in the centre near Place Carnot is a beautiful building which has been expensively updated, although in the process the interior has lost some of the charm and individuality of the exterior. It is undeniably smart and very comfortable, but it looks and feels more like an international business hotel, than somewhere you would want to spend a holiday. One nice touch is a private cellar from which guests can buy wine. I am told that the Swedish owner is a former chef and specialises in food and wine matching, but I haven't tried the restaurant here yet. Tariff: Chamber traditional 150E, Chamber Prestige 280E, Chamber Executive 335E. |
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Location: 5,rue Samuel Legay, 21200 Beaune.
Contact: Tel +33 (0) 3 80 25 94 14. Fax 33 (0) 3 80 25 94 13 Email: info@lhoteldebeaune.com Website: www.lhoteldebeaune.com |
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