North Burgundy - Guided - 7 days

Day 1.

Own arrival by car or train. Welcome dink and first French 4-cours-dinner.

Day 2.  Pontigny – Chablis – St.-Bris-le-Vineux  42 km

You will start the day with an extended breakfast in expectations. The camera is mandatory and depending on the season sun blocker is essential. You are visiting the Cistercian Abbey in Pontigny, the second daughter if Citeaux und one of the principal witness of the Cistercian, movement.

Afterwards you are cycling through the wine-producing region of Chablis to the eponymous city. Here we have a wonderful pick nick with a view one the noblest vineyard, the grand cru.  But before that we will have a marvelous winetasting oft this delicious white wine. At the afternoon visit of Chablis. The trip is going on into the vineyards and from time to time we have to stop to admire this outstanding panorama. Next stop is Saint Bris le Vineux. Another winetasting is waiting for you in a very special wine cellar. You get to know the wines of the Auxerrois. Spirited we will cycle the last part to the Chambres d’Hôtes. The evening fades away with a typical French diner.

Day 3.  Auxerre—Canal du Nivernais  38 or 47 km

After breakfast the daily schedule begins with a marvelous journey next to the Canal de Nivernais und der Yonne to Auxerre. Here you will learn more about the city of art and culture. Visit of the particular picturesque quarters with the half-timbered houses, the cathedral St Etienne with its Romanic crypt, the former abbey  St Germain, with the oldest frescoes in France…

For lunch you have the possibilities to eat in a Crêperie. Strengthened we can continue our way. We cycling along the Yonne and the  Canal de Nivernais, with short stops at the wine villages. At least we will arrive at the Cave de Bailly. It is a deposit of Crémant de Bourgogne, a sparkling wine, which is manufactured the same way as Champagne. It is 3km into the mountain and more than 5 million bottles are stocked there.

Day 4.  Avallon – Vézelay—Givry  42 km

A day with many highlights is waiting for you. Strengthened and fully motivated we will start the day with a transfer to Avallon. Highly embattled in the last centuries it lies just at the gates to the national park of Morvan. We start the cycling trip through the romantic Vallée du Cousin. The valley lies picture-perfectly in the Granite Mountains. From less to bit more hilly climbs, we are cycling through the sweet landscape of the Avallonnais to Vézelay, the highlight of our today’s trip. Vézelay, with its Basilica on the „eternal hill“, was declared as a World Cultural Heritage by UNESCO. It is a miracle of Romanian architecture und contains the relics of Mary Magdalene. The veneer, the tympanum and the approximately 100 picture capitals as well as the light-flooded interior, don’t let anyone go without being truly impressed. After an intense visit of this wonderful structure and a short walk through the „Grand Rue“ we are cycling further through a lovely forest landscape till the end of ours daily stage.

Day 5.  Semur-en-Auxois – Abbay Fontenay  48 km

The bus brings you in front of the city gates of Semur-en-Auxois. Shortly after you admire the picturesque city which is located above the rivulet Armancon. By bike you are quick there, so we will visit the old city and the impressive Gothic church Notre Dame, which is one of the most beautiful examples of gothic architecture. Afterwards we cycle through a lovely landscape to the Canal de Bourgogne, which possess at this high 37 locks on 12 km! But you don’t have to crank, but just cycling alongside of the canal just in front of Montbard. Then you reached the today’s highlight: the  Abbaye de Fontenay. The Cistercian abbey is a characteristically example thanks to its achieved unity of architecture and landscape. Visit of the monastery complex and return by bus.

Day 6  Châtel Censoir—Auxerre  53 km

Oh well, the last cycling day has arrived. The stage is characterized by water. The area contains a fanstaic landscape upto Châtel-Censoir, startingpoint of todays trip. The path leads alongside the Canal de Nivernais untill the limestone mountains of Les Rochers du Saussois.

Then we cycle through awesome forrest- und river andscape oft he Yonne via Mailly-le-Château back towards Auxerre. Luch is as always at a scenic spot. If the guests prefer to do some shopping in Auxerre we offer a transfer tot he city. We finish the day with a good-bye-dinner in a typical rustic Restaurant with outstanding cuisine…

Day 7

After the last breakfast it is time to say“ Au revoir et à bientôt”.