Holiday Highlights
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- Medieval Dijon – Capital of Burgundy
- Chalon-sur-Saône
- Beaune and the Hospices de Beaune
- Canal du Centre
- Wine tasting at the Clos de Vougeot
- Châteaux of Burgundy
- All meals and included along with excellent regional wines during lunch and dinner
Itinerary
Your Outward Journey
Day 1 – Saturday – London to Dijon
Your holiday begins as you stroll under the magnificent glass roof of London St Pancras and board the morning Eurostar service to Paris. Sit back and relax in your Standard Premier Class (formerly 1st class) seat and watch the world slip by as you enjoy your complimentary meal and drinks. On arrival in Paris a private transfer will take you across the city to the Gare de Lyon for your First Class TGV to Dijon. Here a private motor coach will take you the short distance eastwards to the Burgundy Canal to board Lorraine/Caprice, your hotel barge. Enjoy a champagne welcome, meet the attentive crew and settle in to your comfortable surroundings. There may be time for a pre-dinner stroll, before you head back on board for the first of many delightful meals and cruise to your mooring at Ouges.
On Board The Lorraine or Caprice
Day 2 – Sunday – Medieval Dijon to St. Jean de Losne
After breakfast on-board you journey north to Dijon crossing the plain of the river Saône. The route passes the Abbey of Citeaux, a monastery founded in 1098 which led to the creation of the Cistercian order, the most powerful of all monastic orders during the 12th & 13th centuries. On arrival in Dijon there is a guided walking tour of this historic capital, famous for its architecture, including the Ducal Palace and the charming medieval quarter with its characteristic half-timbered houses. You have some free time to stroll around the city and wander among the brocanterie (antique shops) or visit the Musée des Beaux Arts before your return to the ship for lunch. Meanwhile your hotel barge continues down the Canal de Bourgogne to St. Jean de Losne. There are many opportunities to walk along the towpath or cycle into nearby villages. In St Jean de Losne the Canal de Bourgogne merges with the river Saone. Perhaps take a stroll after dinner around this fascinating bargee’s town, which has become the most important centre for inland boating in France.
Day 3 – Monday – Clos de Vougeot and Chalon
This morning you enjoy a leisurely breakfast before heading off to visit the fabulous Clos de Vougeot, a monastic winery dating from medieval times and the present day headquarters of the ‘Brotherhood of Knights of the Vine’. You will see the magnificent dining hall which can hold over 400 people for their gala events and sample some of the excellent local wines during a wine tasting before returning to Lorraine/Caprice for your lunch. This afternoon you cruise to Chalon-sur-Saône, birthplace of photography. Lorraine/Caprice moors up right in the heart of the city, close to St. Vincent Cathedral and the surrounding medieval quarter of half timbered-houses and narrow streets reserved for pedestrians. From here you are ideally placed for a pleasant stroll around the town before dinner on board the Lorraine/Caprice.
Day 4 – Tuesday – The Canal du Centre
This morning the pace slows as Lorraine/Caprice enters the Canal du Centre from the river through a lock with a fifty-foot rise and cruises along an attractive winding stretch of the waterway. Here there are good opportunities to walk or cycle along the green cycling track recently built along the Canal du Centre between Chalon and St Léger. Enjoy the scenery of verdant pastures populated with the famed white Charolais cattle that are native to this area before lunch on board. This afternoon you head for thenearby village of Rullyfor a guided tour of the fascinating twelfth century château and winery. The medieval fortress was built around a square keep, where the vaulted kitchen has a monumental fireplace and an extensive range of copper utensils. You continue to Chagny for an overnight mooring and an opportunity to explore this famous gastronomic centre before dinner in the same vein.
Day 5 – Wednesday – Côte de Beaune & the Hospices de Beaune
This morning after breakfast you head through the rolling hills of Burgundy to the town of Beaune and centre of the Burgundy wine trade. The drive follows the Côte de Beaune, whose villages read like a fine wine list: Puligny-Montrachet, Meursault, Auxey Duresses, Volnay, Pommard. In the walled town of Beaune, there is the opportunity for a guided visit of the Hospices de Beaune, a charity hospital founded in 1443. A masterpiece of late medieval architecture, it houses priceless art and is topped by a remarkable glazed-tiled roof. Afterwards you have some free time to explore the city before returning to Lorraine/Caprice for lunch. You then cruise along the charming Canal du Centre to the charming town of Santenay for an overnight mooring, where you may have some time to explore this famous wine-producing village of the Côte de Beaune.
Day 6 – Thursday – Medieval Villages and Châteaux of Burgundy
This morning your criuse continues to the quiet village of Dennevy. From here your private motor coach conveys you to Couches to visit the château of Marguerite of Burgundy, the beautifully preserved vestiges of a vast medieval fortress. You then have the opportunity to taste some of the delightful local wines made here by Emmanuel Cayot, son of the owner. There are ample opportunities for cycling and walking throughout the day on the restored towpath or simply enjoying the relaxing pace of life on board. Later you cruise to the picturesque village of St. Léger-sur-Dheune and after free-time to explore your surroundings, take your seat for a gala farewell dinner amidst the charm and tranquillity of rural France.
Homeward Bound
Day 7 – Friday – By train to London
After breakfast say farewell to charming Lorraine or Caprice as you transfer to Dijon Ville station and join the TGV travelling First Class to Paris. Here a private taxi transfer takes you to the Gare du Nord to board the Eurostar service. The pace has quickened, yet the memories remain to savour over your complimentary meal and drinks, and beyond, as you return to London St. Pancras.
