Find the French town that fits the life you want
Find the French town that fits the life you want
Each scale compares this town with the rest of France: least, mid-range, most.
Frequent trains to Dijon and then to Paris
1 - 2 hours to Lyon station. 1/2 hour tram to LYS
5 hours to Paris CDG (change in Lyon)
Excellent biking paths along the "voie verte" "Burgundy is saturated with dedicated cycle paths – former canal towpaths or rail tracks and vineyard paths. It is also full of historic and quaint villages through which these cycle paths pass. It makes a beautiful recipe for randonnées à vélo, punctuated with stops for a coffee and pastry, a long lunch, or a mid-afternoon apero; sometimes all three! Pourquoi pas?! (https://www.myfrenchlife.org/2023/10/06/france-off-the-beaten-path-sampigny-les-maranges-a-small-wine-village-in-the-haute-cote-de-beaune-part-7/?fbclid=IwAR2Gnat5N4wbRcK2QuBoHSEZ2Kz3hBDLyQmkqrqSIWv98BF5OtFsPgGyiOc)
Beaune, in the heart, of Burgundy is best known for its wine and food. It has more seasons than other towns further south -- less extreme heat in the summers , but winters, while not severe, are actual winter. It is a handsome city and while popular as a tourist destination, not overrun. Not overrun with English speakers either, though it has a healthy Anglophone population and group.
Not overrun with tourists can mean very quiet out of the season. Burgundy is not an inexpensive place to live.
More than 30 days, less than 90. Off-peak season, prices and features vetted for this kind of stay.
The Roads Traveled: "Hôtel-Dieu Museum, the centerpiece of Beaune’s historic town center...This vibrant building is a stellar example of Renaissance architecture, and its boldly hued, flat-tiled roof is emblematic of the surrounding wine region. Long ago, Flemish artisans conceived this distinctive rooftop of multi-colored glazed tiles in a vigorous, geometric pattern, now sparkling in the full sunlight. Befitting Beaune’s fabled wine heritage, the shades of red, green, and gold represent the colors of the fall grape harvest."
Marissa Wu: "My Favorite Village in Burgundy: I first visited Beaune, France during a semester abroad in Grenoble, at the start of the French Alps. It was a day trip, and I quickly filed it away as a must-revisit. For the art history lover in me, I was floored that I had stumbled upon Rogier van de Weyden’s “The Last Judgement” triptych in Les Hospices de Beaune....It was that, plus the liveliness of the Beaujolais Nouveau, a wine harvest festival and auction that takes place every November, that sealed the deal for me. Beaune, France was now cemented as a treasured spot to come back to. And I did. This time around, I coupled it with a visit to Dijon, considered the capital of the Burgundy region. It was every bit as I remembered, and somehow, I left loving it more."