Places to Visit
- The excellent Beaune tourist site can be found here
- If you visit Beaune you must not miss the Hospices de Beaune or the market (Saturday). We also like walking around the ramparts – which are often surprisingly quiet
- Chateau Pommard is worth a look – they are in the process of redeveloping the site but new attractions are opening continuously. Don’t miss the lovely garden opposite the Chateau
- The historic centre of Dijon is worth a visit and the Palace of the Dukes of Burgundy
- Chateau Sully, beyond Nolay, is beautiful and worth a visit
- Each November Beaune lets its hair down during the weekend of the Vente des Vins de Beaune. Barrels of yet to be made wine are auctioned at eye-watering prices for the Hospices de Beaune charity. And an excuse for a lot of ‘sampling’ across town
- Fontenay Abbey (a World Heritage Site) is wonderful. The deposed Ebrard, Bishop of Norwich, arrived there is 1139 and made a major contribution to the Abbey’s development
- Vézelay Abbey about 90 minutes drive. Once one of the most influential Benedictine and Cluniac monasteries in Europe
- Chablis and Auxerre both worth visiting
- Chateauneuf en Auxois is a beautiful village and chateau, about 30 minutes drive from Pommard
- Cluny Abbey is worth a visit – once amongst the most influential abbeys in the World
- Chateau La Rochepot is not open to the public but the village is still worth a visit
- Bibract was the capital of Aedui and one of the most important hill forts in Gaul
- Autun Cathedral is worth a visit
- How about a day trip to Lyon, about 1:50 by train? Visit the culinary heart of France … the humble Bouchon
- A bit of spa luxury: check out Hotel Cedre in Beaune or Hotel Spa La Cueillette in Meursault
- Ever thought of visiting a mustard factory? The Moutarderie Fallot in Beaune is well worth a visit
- Musée des Beaux-Arts: The museum collection includes 12th to 19th century sculptures, Egyptian bronze figurines, 16th to 18th century Flemish and Dutch paintings, and local 19th century artists including Michaud
- Musée du Vin de Bourgogne: The museum has an impressive collection of wine artefacts from Antiquity through to the 20th century, showing the history of wine making in Burgundy
- Musee du Chatillonnais: The Chatillonnais Museum houses the world’s largest bronze vase, measuring 1.64m in hight and weighing 208 Kg. The Treasure of Vix was discovered in a princess’s tomb and dates back to the 6th century BC. The museum’s permanent collection also includes a number of ancient surgical tools and artefacts collected from Gallo-Roman sites in Burgundy
- Musée de la Resistance: The Morvan Forest, north of Chalon-sur-Saone, provided a perfect hiding place for the French Resistance during Nazi occupation in 1940. The museum documents the efforts of the Resistance and the liberation
- Colline Notre-Dame du Haut. Corbusier’s chapel Ronchamp, Vosges mountains
Things to Do
- Canal boating: Gourmet trip on the canal
- Golf: If you like golf then Golf de Beaune Levernois is worth a visit. Not top quality but good fun and very relaxed (and lots of water!). Website here
- Picnic: Go to the market in Beaune to stock up on picnic goodies – following day set off early for the Jura mountains and a swim
- Truffle hunting: You can arrange truffle hunting tours through the tourist office
- Swimming: Check out Beaune Côte Place just 9 minutes drive from Pommard. Four natural pools. Also the Colombier hotel in Pommard offers a day rate to use their pool
- Cycling: Hire some bikes (or e-Bikes) at Pom’Bike and tour through the vineyards on the Route des Grand Vins. If you’re feeling a bit more adventurous the cliffs above St Romain are only a 30 minute ride away and the views are breathtaking. Note that bikes get booked up quickly so arrange this in advance
- Balooning: How about a balloon ride above the vines? Check out Chateau Pommard or Beaune Montgolfiere
- Rugby: CS Beaune play in the top amateur division at Stade Jean Guiral. For Top 14 rugby you’ll need to visit Lyon
- Walking: If you like walking there are good routes in every direction from Pommard. The tourist office has some good guides in several languages. Pommard is on the GR Grands Crus De Dijon à Santenay. More info here