Northern and southern France meet in 'bourgogne' (Burgundy), where the patronage of the Dukes of Burgundy introduced an inimitable Flemish note to the region. Burgundy, divided into four counties, each bringing their own particularities, is driven by a deeply rooted regional identities, shaped by history, wine and food.

You will enjoy the relaxed art of living built around its famous wines and classic and hearty Burgundy cuisine.

Easy to reach by TGV(a high speed train) and expressway(by car), Burgundy is very pleasant to drive through. It may seem, at first, to be only a useful territory to go from one part of France to another. But those who do drive through its rolling hills, return again and again, drawn by the 'Route Des Vins' (the Wine Road) and the beauty of the architecture featuring more than 200 Romanesque churches, abbeys and monasteries.

You will make a stop at Tournus famous for its abbey, one of France's most impressive Romanesque structures. The nave, gallery and crypt were built in the Xth and XIth centuries. Tournus is also known for its great antique shopping.

Don't forget Beaune [bone], capital of Burgundy that holds many treasures including the 'Hospices de Beaune', a masterpiece of Flemish-Burgundian architecture, also famous for its polychrome hand painted roof tiles.

Every year on the third Sunday in November, a world- famous wine auction is held in the Hospice de Beaune where wines are sold the best 'appelation Bourgogne label' on Earth. Another stop should be the city's Wine Museum, housed in the former private residence of the Dukes of Burgundy.

If you smell the mustard! It is Dijon, exceptionally strong and rich (like the mustard) in art treasures and historic buildings. Worth seeing are the 'Palais des ducs' (Palace of the Dukes) and the States-General of Burgundy, the Burgundian-style Gothic Notre-Dame church, the Renaissance Saint-Michael church, the Renaissance mansions, and the Fine Arts Museum.

In Fontenay, you will discover a magnificent Abbey, founded in 1118 by St. Bernard, remarkably well preserved: it is a perfect example of Cistercian architecture. You will note the twin arches of its cloisters, the chapter house, and the dormitory. This abbey has been given 'World Heritage' classification by UNESCO.

Vezelay was, in the Medieval period, one of France's great pilgrimage sites. In 1146, St. Bernard preached here in favor of the Second Crusade, and it was in 1190 that Philippe-Auguste and Richard Coeur de Lion (Richard BraveHeart) met before setting out on the Third Crusade.

Finally, Auxerre, is one of the magnificent medieval cities that kept intact the original medieval art from the XIIIth to the XVI^th centuries. Saint Etienne Cathedral with its 13^th century choir, its magnificent stained-glass windows are a perfect example of this conservation. Its Romanesque crypt with the famous fresco 'Christ on Horseback' from the 12^th to 14^th centuries is the jewel of this cathedral. Saint-Germain Abbey kept in its heart the Carolingian crypts with the earliest known frescoes from the IX^th century and its famous XV^th century Clock Tower.