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Pretty Burgundy Villages & Tours That Enriched My Canal Trip

Many years ago I did a bike tour in the Burgundy region, and while the biking was fun, I feel I missed out on what Burgundy was really like. At the end of each day, I had covered 50 or 60 kilometres and had little energy (or time) to explore the town or sites.

I had a much different (and more enriched and relaxed experience) thanks to the included guided tours and excursions on the “Burgundy and The Doubs Valley” canal trip with CroisiEurope. I gained a deeper appreciation for Burgundy during my leisurely 7-day barge trip from Dijon to Besançon. We traveled over 100 kilometers, passing through locks, and stopping overnight in picturesque villages and vineyards.

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1. Pretty Burgundy Villages Between Dijon And Besançon

Dole harbour

Each day, our barge took us through the quieter parts of the region, and we were presented with picture-postcard scenery. You’re surrounded by nature and away from the noisy, busy cities. The bird watchers on my cruise were in heaven, constantly pointing out interesting birds and wildlife along our route.

The first night we were moored in Dijon and the last night was in Besançon. Besides these two major cities, we stayed in small, picturesque Burgundy villages like Saint-Jean-de-Losne, Dole, Peitit Ouges, and Ranchot, but we never cruised at night. I think they’re some of the best towns to visit in Burgundy, France.

If you’re interested in what it’s actually like to sail on a barge (which is NOT like a cruise ship!), check out my post here: CroisiEurope Barge Cruise. Even if you’re not on a barge cruise, do consider some of these tours and 6 sites from the Burgundy itinerary.

Hotels In Dijon

Although a tour of Dijon is not included in the canal tour, do spend time in this lovely city. I stayed there before and after the cruise and like that there was a lot to see and do. It was very walkable. The two Dijon hotels I stayed in and recommend are:

2. Guided Tours, Excursions, And Experiences

Entrance to Chateau du Clos de Vougeot

It wasn’t just the countryside scenery that made the canal trip so enjoyable. It was also the excursions and experiences encountered along the way. The guided tours and entry fees were included in the barge cruise package.

Audio sets were provided for our walking tours, ensuring we heard the guide clearly, even in noisy areas. We had English-speaking guides or bilingual ones, enhancing our understanding of Burgundy’s rich history.

We took a bus twice. The rest of the time we were already docked in the town where we would have a tour—and these were primarily half-day tours. Nothing felt over-scheduled and I never felt exhausted by the end of the day. There was free time to wander the village, ride a bike along the canal, or just hang out on the boat or at a café in the town that was being visited.

3. Château du Clos de Vougeot

Inside Château du Clos de Vougeot

(a) The Château du Clos de Vougeot

Our first visit was to Château du Clos de Vougeot and we took the Grand Crus Wine route by bus to get there. The Château was constructed in 1551 and is located in the heart of the Côte de Nuits surrounded by vineyards. It is considered the birthplace of wine growing in Burgundy. The vineyards of Clos de Vougeot were created by Cistercian monks in the 12th century.

The Owners

Tastevin at Chateau du Clos de Vougeot

Through the centuries the château has been owned by various individuals (ie. Julien-Jules Ouvrard in 1818), their heirs, and wine merchants. Eventually, owner Etienne Camuzet sold it to the “Friends of the Château du Clos de Vougeot” who gave a 99 year lease to the Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin (Brotherhood Of The Knights Of The Wine-Tasting Cup).

Château du Clos de Vougeot doesn’t produce wine anymore; however the grand cru vineyards cover 125 acres and 80 producers have parcels of this land.

The Tour

White wine press at Chateau du Clos de Vougeot

Our tour began at the courtyard and took us through the production area with its gigantic white wine presses that date back to the 1400s. There was also a giant “tastevin” which is the symbol of Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin—-a shallow cup used to taste wine. We then explored the interior of the château and saw the banquet rooms and historical items and documents.

Plates, bottles, and candlesticks celebrating the Eiffel Tower in 1900

There was a display of items and letters showing the connection between Gustave Eiffel (1832-1923) and Château du Clos de Vougeot. Eiffel was born in Dijon and spent his childhood in the region. His letter to his mother comments about the ceiling of the Clos, how he learned about winemaking from the owner, Monsieur Ouvrard and how the elder Ouvrard took him to lunch and “made” Gustave drink too much wine! The letter was written in September 1842, when Gustave was only 12!

(b) Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin

Banquet room for Confrerie des Chevaliers du Tastevin

The Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin was established in 1934 to promote Burgundy wines and gastronomy and some say it has evolved into more of a secret (wine) society. They have wine tastings and banquets throughout the year (and guests are invited.)

To become a member, you have to be nominated by two other members and submit an application to join. Today, there are now more than 12,000 members with numerous chapters throughout the world.

(c) Wine Tasting At La Grande Cave de Vougeot

Cellar at La Grande Cave de Vougeot

The tour was followed by a wine tasting at La Grande Cave de Vougeot. There is a shop on ground level, but we started our tour in the cellars, which dates back to 1631 and were the cellars for Château de Vougeot.

This was followed by a sampling of 1 white and 4 red wines from the Bourgogne region—all Grand Vin de Bourgogne—prestige wines:

  • Crémant Blanc de Blanc Brut by Louis Bouillot
  • Marsannay by Charles Viénot
  • Savigny-Lès-Beaune by Alex Gamble
  • Savigny-Lès-Beaune by Morin Père et Fils
  • Fixin by Charles Viénot

4. Saint-Jean-de-Losne

Saint-Jean-de-Losne was one of most picturesque port towns during the trip. It is at the intersection of the Saône river and Burgundy canal and is a major port for boat enthusiasts who are looking to buy, sell, and repair boats. We spent the night here and had time to explore the town on our own and with a guide.

(a) Hôtel de Ville

Hotel de Ville St.-Jean-de-Losne

We first visited the beautiful Hôtel de Ville and learned about the history of the area. In 1814, during the end of the Napoleonic Wars, the locals stopped the Austrians from seizing the main bridge. In recognition, Napoleon honoured the town with the Legion of Honour medal. It is on display in the city hall.

(b) La Maison des Mariniers

Display at La Maison des Mariniers in St. Jean-de-Losne

One of the oldest houses in the city was built in the 1450s. La Maison des Mariniers was originally a mariner’s house and was eventually turned into a museum. At this “House of Sailors” we tasted local wine/food and learned about the history of barging and the life of sailors. As mentioned in my post about what a barge is, there is a permanent exhibition.

5. Walking Tour Of Dole

Dole France
Trail Of The Chat Perche bronze marker in Dole

In Dole, we followed part of the “Trail of the Chat Perché”- a circular bronze marker on the ground with the image of a perched cat and arrow. The name of this trail  is a nod to, “Les Contes du Chat Perché (“Tales of the Perched Cat”), made famous by writer, Marcel Aymé. The tales involve two girls, Delphine and Marinette, and their ability to speak to animals. Aymé is one of Dole’s famous citizens who was born in Burgundy and spent his childhood in Dole.

(a) La fresque des Dolois

Wall mural in Dole France

Marcel Aymé also has another well-known story, “Le Passe-Muraille”. It is about a man who walks through walls and in Montmartre, Paris there is a sculpture paying tribute to this story: Le Passe-Muraille.

Aymé’s story is illustrated in the “La fresque des Dolois”—a wall mural in Dole that was inaugurated in 2017. The fresco has paintings of some famous Dole locals from the past ten centuries. In addition to the man who can walk through walls (bottom left corner), there is:

  • Louis Pasteur (Chemist)—in the upper left window
  • La Jument Verte (The Green Mare-story by Aymé—the horse is in the top window of the mural)
  • Beatrice de Boulogne (Countess of Burgundy)-in the upper right window, below the horse
  • Anne de Xainctonge-French Catholic nun who founded the Society of the Sisters of Saint-Ursula in the 1500s—on the balcony with 4 others
  • Philippe Le Bon (Duke of Burgundy)-in the window

(b) Louis Pasteur Museum

Louis Pasteur museum, Dole

Dole is the birthplace of chemist and microbiologist, Louis Pasteur (1822-1895), We spent time in the home where Pasteur was born (Maison natale de Louis Pasteur) and today it is a museum.

It showcases his humble beginnings during the first few years of his life in Dole (1822-1826), and his achievements (ie. creating the process for pasteurization and developing vaccines for infectious diseases such as rabies and anthrax!).

(c) La Fontaine aux Lépreux

La Fontaine aux Lepreux, Dole

During our walking tour in Dole we were taken through some passageways and eventually came to “La Fontaine aux Lépreux”, which is also known as the “Leper Fountain” or “Grand Fountain”. Mention of this fountain was first noted in 1274 and it became a wash house in the 18th century. It is odd that it was given the name Leper as leprosy patients never used the fountain. They weren’t even allowed into the city.

The fountain is visible from the street above, but it’s more fun navigating your way through the hidden passageways.

6. La Saline Royale of Arc-et-Senans

La Saline Royale of Arc-et-Senans
Model of the Royal Saltworks

At La Saline Royale of Arc-et-Senans (Royal Saltworks), the English passengers had their own English-speaking guide when we visited this 18th century salt factory. On the surface, visiting a factory would seem boring; however, this is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that was built in the late 1700s under Louis XVI by architect Claude-Nicolas Ledoux.

The fascinating production ran from 1780 to 1895, transporting salt water 21 km from Salins-les-Bains to the factory at Arc-et-Senans. The architecture is beautiful and the story about getting the saltwater through wood pipes to Arc-et-Senans was fascinating.

In 1895 all salt production stopped due to a lawsuit brought forward by the inhabitants of Arc-and-Senans. They complained that the well water was polluted. There was also stiff competition from sea salt producers who used ships to transport their salt—a more cost efficient, easier, and cheaper process than that used at Arc-et-Senans.

In the early 20th century, it was basically abandoned. During the war the Germans took it over and it was also an internment camp. In 1982 it finally became a UNESCO World heritage site.

7. Petit-Ouges And Ranchot

Wood carving in Ranchot France

Petit-Ouges and Ranchot are both lovely country villages where we moored for the night. In Ranchot we walked along one of the sideroads and behind a garden was a colourful and amusing exposition. Raymond Chorvot has a store called La Trifouillette. It sells trinkets but the attractions are the wood sculptures and carvings.

It was a wonderful 7 days on the canal tour, exploring pretty Burgundy villages and enjoying enriching tours. I was immersed in local culture, history, cuisine, and wines, all at a very relaxed pace.

I was a guest of CroisiEurope and was not financially compensated. All opinions expressed in this post are my own.

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Pretty Burgundy village-St. Jean de Losne at dusk

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