About 60km, running from Dijon south to Santenay along the Côte d'Or, through many of Burgundy's best-known wine villages.
Discover Authentic Burgundy & Franche-Comté: A Local Travel Guide by Mercure
At Mercure, we believe you shouldn't need a guidebook to feel like you belong somewhere. That's the idea behind Discover Local: since 1973, every Mercure hotel has been built around its neighbourhood, not just dropped into it — from the décor on the walls to the flavours on the menu. Step into any Mercure and our teams are on hand with the kind of tips you won't find in a guidebook: the market stall locals queue for, the bar where nobody speaks English, the walk that skips the crowds. They live here. They know. Discover Local isn't a generic city guide — it's a short, honest list of the restaurants, markets and neighbourhoods our own hotel teams actually recommend to guests, updated as the city changes around us. Below, you'll find our picks for Burgundy & Franche-Comté, an interactive map to help you find your way, and answers to the questions travellers ask us most. So — where will Discover Local take you?
Our map pins local favourites such as the Cité des Climats et des Vins de Bourgogne in Beaune, Pontigny Abbey and the Morvan Regional Natural Park.
Top 5 Things to Do in Burgundy & Franche-Comté
Dijon
The Palace of the Dukes of Burgundy sits at the heart of a compact old town, easy to explore on foot between meals.
Beaune
A medieval town built around wine, with the Hospices de Beaune and its glazed tile roofs as its best-known landmark.
Besançon
Wrapped in a loop of the Doubs river and watched over by a citadel designed by Vauban, now a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Arc-et-Senans
Home to the Royal Saltworks, a UNESCO-listed complex built as a statement of 18th-century industrial architecture.
Vézelay
A hilltop village crowned by the Basilica of Sainte-Marie-Madeleine, a UNESCO site since 1979 and a historic starting point for pilgrims heading to Santiago de Compostela.
Explore Burgundy & Franche-Comté's Best Local Spots with Our Interactive Map
What's on the map in Burgundy-Franche-Comté
We've mapped local spots across Burgundy and Franche-Comté.
Wine & heritage
Cité des Climats et des Vins de Bourgogne, Beaune
In the heart of wine country, Beaune's Cité des Climats is a lively introduction to Burgundy's wines – then on to the famous Hospices and tastings in historic cellars. Sister sites in Chablis and Mâcon.
Beaune · Wine centre · Made for wine lovers
Pontigny Abbey
One of the four 'daughters' of Cîteaux, a Cistercian abbey with more than 900 years of history tied to the kings of France and England. 20 minutes from our Mercure Auxerre.
Pontigny · Abbey · Perfect for medieval architecture
Nevers' Blue Thread
Follow the blue line painted on the ground through Nevers' medieval centre on the Loire, earthenware district included. No map needed.
Nevers · Walking trail · Ideal for a self-guided tour
Noyers-sur-Serein
A medieval village in the Yonne steeped in history – film fans may spot it from 'La Grande Vadrouille'.
Yonne · Village · Perfect for a stroll
Domaine Gueguen
A family estate making Chablis, Irancy and Saint-Bris on 36 hectares of vines. Ask for a tasting.
Chablis area · Winery · Great for wine lovers
Caves de Bailly Lapierre
Crémant de Bourgogne, aged in a 12th-century underground quarry 50 metres deep. Cool, quiet and sparkling.
Bailly · Wine cellars · Made for tastings
Pyneau Prunutz
The 'temple of the gougère', the cheesy choux pastry that rules the Burgundian aperitif.
Yonne · Bakery · Perfect for local treats
Paldenshangpa La Boulaye
A Buddhist temple of a thousand Buddhas in the Burgundy countryside, open for visits and meditation.
Saône-et-Loire · Temple · Ideal for a peaceful visit
Abbaye Saint-Germain, Auxerre
Built over the tomb of Saint Germain, this abbey in the heart of Auxerre spans sixteen centuries – and houses the town's museum of art and history.
Auxerre · Abbey and museum · Great for history lovers
Nature & science
Jardin de l'Arquebuse and planetarium
Just behind Dijon station, a botanical garden that's also home to the Hubert Curien planetarium – a fully digital trip through the universe.
Dijon · Garden and planetarium · Perfect for families
Val-Suzon and the Fontaine de Jouvence
Fifteen kilometres from Dijon, the largest regional nature reserve in Burgundy-Franche-Comté, loved by hikers and families. Seek out its romantic 'fountain of youth'. 24 minutes from our Mercure Dijon Centre Clémenceau.
Val-Suzon · Nature reserve · Ideal for walks
Maison du Parc du Morvan
The gateway to the Morvan Regional Natural Park, Burgundy's green lung: an ecomuseum, a Resistance museum, a herbarium and orchards. One hour from our Dijon and Beaune hotels.
Saint-Brisson · Park visitor centre · Made for nature and history
Musée Nicéphore Niépce
In the birthplace of the inventor of photography, a museum tracing its story from the very first images to digital.
Chalon-sur-Saône · Museum · Perfect for photography
Musée de la Mécanographie
The 'prehistory of computing', from punch-card machines to tabulators. Nostalgia, in metal.
Museum · Great for curious minds
La Ferme d'Ultéria
An organic goat farm run on permaculture principles, where Claire makes and sells cheeses – a traditional crottin among them – from her own goats' milk.
Burgundy · Organic goat farm · Ideal for local produce
Franche-Comté
Luxeuil-les-Bains and Ronchamp
A spa town in the southern Vosges, 30 km from Le Corbusier's chapel of Notre-Dame-du-Haut in Ronchamp. Pair them in one day.
Haute-Saône · Spa town · Perfect for architecture
Ecclesia
An archaeological museum in Luxeuil with 150 sarcophagi, the old Saint-Martin church and the crypt of Saint Valbert.
Luxeuil-les-Bains · Museum · Great for history
Tour des Échevins
A 15th-century tower, emblem of Luxeuil and home to one of France's oldest museums.
Luxeuil-les-Bains · Museum · Ideal for history
Musée du Combattant de la Haute-Saône
A volunteer-run museum on French soldiers from 1870 to today, and on Luxeuil air base 116.
Luxeuil-les-Bains · Museum · Made for military history
Écomusée du Pays de la Cerise
A listed 1830s distillers' estate with an orchard, revealing how kirsch is made. Cherries, then a taste.
Fougerolles · Ecomuseum · Perfect for food lovers
FAQ
Around 93km by road, roughly an hour and a half's drive, making it a feasible day trip from Dijon if you want to see both Burgundy and Franche-Comté.
Époisses and Comté cheese, boeuf bourguignon, escargots, and the local Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines — most towns have somewhere to try all of it together.
At the Cité des Climats et des Vins de Bourgogne in Beaune, with sister sites in Chablis and Mâcon.
Yes. The Hubert Curien planetarium is in the Jardin de l'Arquebuse, just behind the station.
A regional natural park known as Burgundy's green lung; the Maison du Parc is its main visitor centre.
Where to Sleep in Burgundy & Franche-Comté
See our Mercure hotels across Burgundy & Franche-Comté, ideally placed to explore these picks.