Burgundy

Burgundy is wonderfully diverse region - ideal for gentle exploration on a cycling or walking holiday. There's the fertile basin around Auxerre, in the north west, and the ancient massifs of Morvan and Charollais in the south. Most famously of all, there are the limestone plateaux of La Cote where, in certain places, the world's most expensive wines are produced.

The region has been synonymous with 'gastronomy and good living' since Roman times, reaching its peak as a powerful and independent sovereign state in the late Middle Ages. Governed by the immensely wealthy Valois Dukes, the Duchy attracted some of Europe's greatest craftsmen. The buildings they fashioned and adorned were amongst the most beautiful of the day. In addition to splendid chateaux, palaces and courts of honour, you'll see many fine fortified villages, hospitals and half-timbered houses.