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Burgundy Description and InformationBurgundy Departments
Regions of France – Burgundy (Bourgogne)Burgundy Départements
Burgundy descriptionA Rich PastBurgundy (Bourgogne) is a peaceful rural région at the heart of France, which has a rich and unique history. The Dijon-based duchy ran Burgundy for 600 years until 1477, when the région was jealously snatched by the kingdom of France. There is evidence of the duchy's wealth and power everywhere, such as the many beautiful chateaux and lovely towns and villages. Burgundy was also a place of important religious and spiritual influence. There are two great abbeys at Vézelay and Fontenay and the ruins of a monastery at Cluny where the abbots' influence was second only to the pope's. This monastic presence meant that during the Middle Ages Burgundy was a great church-building région. During the Industrial Revolution Burgundy prospered once again when, in 1838, the Schneider iron and steelworks based at Le Creusot made the first French locomotive. Today Le Creusot is not such a powerhouse; most of the workers have lost their jobs and unemployment is high. A Really Varieted Property MarketToday much of Burgundy's prosperity is centred about the prestigious wine growing areas in the south and around Dijon. These small pockets have helped uphold the région's reputation as the land of great art and good living and today people visit the area to try some of France's finest wines such as Nuits-Saint-Georges, Meursault and Beaune. Most of the vineyards are found in the attractive area called the Côte d'Or. This is divided into the Côtes de Nuits and Côtes de Beaune, the latter is known for its whites: Meursault, Montracet and Puligny. The reds of the Côtes de Nuits are considered more superior as they are richer and age better. Once run by the religious orders, these vines are now owned by the seriously rich and are so lucrative that they almost never come up for sale. Away from the prestigious vineyards there are less glamorous areas where the cattle outnumber people. Charolles is the heart of the cattle breeding area and is also known for its famous pottery. A Beautiful EnvironmentMany visitors come to Burgundy to enjoy canal boat holidays on its inland waterways. There are 1200km (750 miles) of rivers and canals. Cycling along the canals is also a popular pastime and there are plenty of gentle to moderately demanding walks. In the centre of the région is the Parc de Morvan, a wooded hilly area, with a number of nature trails, animal reserves and craft shops. Morvan, is an area of Burgundy with poor soil and so has little means of prosperity and has always had the reputation of being the poorest and most backward area in the region. A Region in Total ExpansionPresent day Burgundy has little economic importance and few industries so it's not an ideal area for newcomers looking for work. There are poor areas but on the whole the standard of living is good. Burgundy is surprisingly not a popular région with foreign second home-buyers although in recent years it has attracted more and more interest from Parisians looking for weekend retreats. Inexpensive, village houses and farmhouses in need of restoration can be found. Burgundy is well connected both to the north and south by autoroutes and the TGV. It's only 100km (65miles) south of Paris and 80km north of Lyon. Burgundy Population
Properties for sale in the BurgundySearch for property in the Burgundy Cote d'Or (21)Search for property in the Cote d'Or Nievre (58)Search for property in the Nievre Saone et Loire (71)Search for property in the Saone et Loire Yonne (89)Search for property in the Yonne Burgundy descriptionA Rich PastBurgundy (Bourgogne) is a peaceful rural région at the heart of France, which has a rich and unique history. The Dijon-based duchy ran Burgundy for 600 years until 1477, when the région was jealously snatched by the kingdom of France. There is evidence of the duchy's wealth and power everywhere, such as the many beautiful chateaux and lovely towns and villages. Burgundy was also a place of important religious and spiritual influence. There are two great abbeys at Vézelay and Fontenay and the ruins of a monastery at Cluny where the abbots' influence was second only to the pope's. This monastic presence meant that during the Middle Ages Burgundy was a great church-building région. During the Industrial Revolution Burgundy prospered once again when, in 1838, the Schneider iron and steelworks based at Le Creusot made the first French locomotive. Today Le Creusot is not such a powerhouse; most of the workers have lost their jobs and unemployment is high. A Really Varied Property MarketToday much of Burgundy's prosperity is centred about the prestigious wine growing areas in the south and around Dijon. These small pockets have helped uphold the région's reputation as the land of great art and good living and today people visit the area to try some of France's finest wines such as Nuits-Saint-Georges, Meursault and Beaune. Most of the vineyards are found in the attractive area called the Côte d'Or. This is divided into the Côtes de Nuits and Côtes de Beaune, the latter is known for its whites: Meursault, Montracet and Puligny. The reds of the Côtes de Nuits are considered more superior as they are richer and age better. Once run by the religious orders, these vines are now owned by the seriously rich and are so lucrative that they almost never come up for sale. Away from the prestigious vineyards there are less glamorous areas where the cattle outnumber people. Charolles is the heart of the cattle breeding area and is also known for its famous pottery. A Beautiful EnvironmentMany visitors come to Burgundy to enjoy canal boat holidays on its inland waterways. There are 1200km (750 miles) of rivers and canals. Cycling along the canals is also a popular pastime and there are plenty of gentle to moderately demanding walks. In the centre of the région is the Parc de Morvan, a wooded hilly area, with a number of nature trails, animal reserves and craft shops. Morvan, is an area of Burgundy with poor soil and so has little means of prosperity and has always had the reputation of being the poorest and most backward area in the region. A Region in Total ExpansionPresent day Burgundy has little economic importance and few industries so it's not an ideal area for newcomers looking for work. There are poor areas but on the whole the standard of living is good. Burgundy is surprisingly not a popular région with foreign second home-buyers although in recent years it has attracted more and more interest from Parisians looking for weekend retreats. Inexpensive, village houses and farmhouses in need of restoration can be found. Burgundy is well connected both to the north and south by autoroutes and the TGV. It's only 100km (65miles) south of Paris and 80km north of Lyon. Burgundy Population
Properties for sale in the BurgundySearch for property in the Burgundy Cote d'Or (21)Search for property in the Cote d'Or Nievre (58)Search for property in the Nievre Saone et Loire (71)Search for property in the Saone et Loire Yonne (89)Search for property in the Yonne Please email content@french-property.com  if you would like to add any information about this region or would like to publish any articles on the www.french-property.com website.The IFP Guides are published for general information only. Please visit our Disclaimer for full details. |
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Burgundy Region