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Wine,
Art, & Roman History |
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Address:
Hotel des Ursulines, Autun 14 rue Rivault
Area: Autun, Burgundy
Self Drive Package
A superb 3 day drive from Beaune to Autun
to Dijon to explore the wine art and culture of the region. You
will visit Roman ruins, see sunsets over the hills of Morvan and
stay in a 17th century convent where you will savor a perfect
marriage of food and wine and of course wine tastings along the
way.
Special Price: 390
€ per person
Your hotel will be the charming Hotel des
Ursulines in Autun, an old 17th century convent, located in the
old part of the city, with a great view of Morvan regional
park. Only 15 minutes away from Mont Beuvray european archaelogical
center and 150m from the Cathedral and Rolin museum.
This hotel is highly recommended by many
people who have stayed here.
Hotel Features :
• Very quiet rooms, equiped with bathrooms, TV, phone (direct
calls), mini bar.
• Gastronomic restaurant
• Bar
• French garden style, over the roman ramparts
• Terraces
• Breakfast served in the old convent's chapel
• Garage available ( additional charge)
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| Dijon
& Beaune |
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Beaune:
Beaune is the logical place to stay during your wine pilgrimage
to the Cote d’Or and is actually the most visited city in
Burgundy. It contains the headquarters of many well-respected
Burgundy wine dealers in addition to grand historic sites that
are worth seeing and gourmet food and restaurants.
Hotel-Dieu is the treasure of Beaune, a ‘medieval jewel’,
with its superb multi-colored Burgundian roof tiles. It was originally
a hospice founded by the chancellor, Nicolas Rolin, and his wife
in 1443 to help the inhabitants of Beaune who were suffering the
effects of poverty and famine after the Hundred Years’ War.
It now also houses the Museum of Wine of Burgundy (Musee du Vin
de Bourgogne).
Dijon, Capital of Burgundy:
Dijon, former capital of the Dukes of Burgundy, is a town steeped
in history with a rich architectural legacy. Lying at the gates
of the famous vineyards of the ‘Cote de Nuits’, Dijon
is one of the glories of the French gastronomic tradition, known
throughout the world for its mustard, blackcurrant liqueur, gingerbread,
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| Cotes-Beaune |
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Area Map
click to enlarge
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3 Day 2 Night Self
Drive Package:
Day 1
Arrival at Beaune in the beginning of the afternoon
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Free visit of the “Hopices Civils de
Beaune” and the “Hotel-Dieu”: the multicoloured
roofs of the Hotel-Dieu have become one of the symbols of
Burgundy.
From the date of its foundation, Nicolas Rolin
had planned the donation to the institution of furniture,
tapestries and other items, of which a detailed inventory
dating from 1501 gives us a precise idea. |
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beauty of the interiors rivals that of the exterior. In
the great “Salle des Pauvres” ("hall of the
poor"), decorated with multicoloured beams which are
unique in the world, reigns a serenity which will leave
no one unmoved. The halls of Sainte-Anne, Saint-Nicolas,
Saint-Hugues and Saint-Louis are overflowing with treasures:
statues, furniture, pottery, paintings, tapestries…and
the kitchen has been restored exactly as it was in the 19th
century.
The Polyptych of The Last Judgement, a master
work by the Flemish painter Rogier Van Der Weyden has been
particularly well presented in an air-conditioned room.
Discovery of the “Hautes Côtes
de Beaune” route and its castles: Located in the southern
part of the Côte d'Or, the vineyards of Côte
de Beaune begins to Ladoix Serrigny and finishes in the
Maranges.
25 km of an inexhaustible talent where, on 3000 ha, the
greatest dry wines are next to red “Grands Crus”
of great rename, such as Pommard, Santenay, Corton (the
only red Grand Cru of the Côte de Beaune). Pinot Noir
and Gamay are exclusive varieties of red wines. The Chardonnay
gives us here all the richness and the complexity of its
flavours. |
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Dinner in Autun:
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Hostellerie
du Vieux Moulin
In the heart of Burgundy, the city of Autun is over 2000
years old. When the “old mill” stopped operating
in 1958 it was turned in a beautiful hotel restaurant. Its
sluice gates are still on the Arroux River. Lunches are
served in the shady garden in the summer time. |
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Night: Hotel des Ursulines
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Day 2
Breakfast at the hotel.
Guided tour of Autun: "City of Art and History"
with Gallo-Roman monuments like the Saint-André Gate,
the Arroux Gate, the Janus temple, the Roman theatre, the
Couhard stone, the city's ramparts. |
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| Saint-Lazare
Romanesque cathedral: the tall 15th century stone spire that
dominates the panorama of Autun helps recall the fact that
the church of Saint Lazare, today a Cathedral, remains one
of the major works of Cluny art and was built almost entirely
between 1120 and 1130. The architectural perfection inspired
by Cluny and the other nearby Romanesque buildings, however,
might pale before the vividness of the work of Gislebertus,
the craftsman... the biblical scenes of the capitals (several
can be admired more closely as they have been moved to the
chapter house)... the "Last Judgement" which covers
the tympanum and the lintel of the central |
doorway, with a multitude of elongated figures... the "Eve"
-part of the lintel of the ancient lateral doorway-now housed
at the Rolin Museum, all a testimony to the strength, the
life flow, the truculence, the sense of purpose in the composition
and the competence of execution so typical of Romanesque
sculpture at its very best.
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| Lunch
at Hotel des Ursulines
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Visit of the Rolin Museum:
Gallo-Roman sculptures, bronzes, Roman mosaics, a 12th century
sculpture of Eve, a 15th century Nativity of the Master of
Moulins, a 15th century polychrome statue of the Virgin of
Autun, 15th and 20th century paintings and sculptures. |
| Rivault
Farm: “Foie Gras” and “Duck Breast” tasting,
accompanied by Burgundian wine: M. Labonde is a producer of
fat ducks in Autun. You will appreciate a visit followed by
a tasting; all the “gourmets” will enjoy themselves. |
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| Dinner
in the Restaurant “Les Jardins du Lac” in Autun
(”planche Bourguignonne”: kind of plank-plate
with several Burgundian specialities).
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| Overnight in
Hotel des Ursulines in Autun
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| Day 3
Breakfast at the hotel.
Visit of Châteauneuf en Auxois: on a rock, overlooking
the plain, this powerful mediaeval stronghold was built
around a square 12th century. keep. With flamboyant gothic
living, quarters added by Philippe the Pot, knight of the
Golden Fleece and Senechal of Louis XI, the château
contains murals in the chapel, and tapestries depicting
the life of Moise in the apartments.
Discovery of the “Côte d’Or” beautiful
landscapes and its canals.
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| Lunch
at the restaurant “La Cloche” in Dijon.
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Free visit of Dijon, Whoever wishes to take in the full
sweep of Dijon’s historical centre should climb to
the top of the Tour Philippe le Bon. It was built by the
third of the four "Great Dukes of the Occident"
who reigned over the Burgundian States for more than a century
from 1364 to 1477: Philip the Bold, John the Fearless, Philip
the Good and Charles the Bold.
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The former Palace of the Dukes of Burgundy is the veritable
heart of the ducal capital which is now also the capital
of an administrative region. It houses, along with the Town
Hall, the Fine Arts Museum (Musée des Beaux Arts),
one of the great museums of Europe. The museum’s reputation
is based not only on the uncontested wealth of its collections
but above all on its possession of masterworks of mediaeval
paintings and sculpture, particularly the tombs of the Dukes
of Burgundy. |
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Around the palace stretches the historical centre which
is entirely preserved as a protected sector. It offers the
visitor the charm of its squares and small streets for a
stroll past half-timbered houses and elegant mansions, beneath
the shadow of its church spires. Notre-Dame, the Gothic
parish church dating from the 13th century is a veritable
work of art in stone with its unique facade where rows of
gargoyles alternate with slender columns topped by the Jacquemart
Clock which has struck the hours of the day for the townspeople
since 1383. The serenity of the historic buildings is contrasted
by the bustling market which is held three times a week
in and around the 19th century market halls.
End of our program. |
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Included :
• Accommodation in Hotel Les Ursulines - 3 stars hotel
(based on a double room).
• Lunches of day 2 and 3 (drinks not included).
• The visits and tasting mentioned in the program.
• A guided tour of Autun.
• Diners of day 2 and 3 (drinks not included).
Cost: 390 € per person (based
on a double room)
Not Included :
• Transport
• Drinks.
• Insurances
• Personal expenses
Check
availability
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