Information about Bourgogne

Maps of Burgundy

Bourgogne Franche-Comté

Previously Burgundy

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Regional capital : Dijon

Departments / Counties of Bourgogne

A region rich in history and culture, with a beautiful geography. Burgundy was once home to the Dukes of Burgundy, masters of a territory stretched across eastern France and into Flanders. The ducal Valois family was so powerful that until 1477 Burgundy was a rival of France, sometimes allied to the English. The death of Duke Charles the Bold at the gates of Nancy in 1477 put an end to what historians have called the Burgundian State. The region more or less matching today's Burgundy definitely became part of France. The old duchy is not to be confused with the county of Burgundy that was roughly matching today's Franche-Comté.

The region of Burgundy possesses a rich architecture including religious heritage such as the stunning and more than thousand years old Cluny or Cistercian institutions like Cîteaux Abbey.

Wine is one of the pillars and pride of Burgundy, with some of the most famous wines in the world coming from the concentrated vineyards. The Romans introduced grapes and the production was mastered by the local monks. Now the main vineyards stretch from Dijon along a narrow southeast facing slope for a few hundred kilometres.

Farming is dominated by cereal crops in the Saone plain and Nivernais plateau, whilst in the hill areas there is much cattle farming with the traditional white Charolais.

The diverse geography, with the Morvan park with cold granite to the limestone Saône valley. There is much woodland and forest, in the Cote d'Or, Oak whilst in the Morvan there is Red Pine.

The important rivers such as the Saone and Yonne allowing access to the Rhone and Seine have provided the region with a major network of navigable waterways such as the Burgundy Canal.

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