Charter barge M.S. Niagara
101 things to do on your "Discovery Dream Cruise"
Your experienced barge crew will be able to advise and guide you to hundreds of places to visit and explore, from Roman ruins to castles, typical French cafes to gourmet Michelin rated restaurants
Dijon
Dijon began as a Roman settlement called Castrum Divionense, located on the road from Lyon to Mainz. This province was home to the Dukes of Burgundy from the early 11th century until the late 1400's and Burgundy was a place of tremendous wealth and power and one of the great European centres of art, learning and science. The town centre is one of the best-preserved in France: 60% of the buildings are over 200 years old, the Gothic cathedral's crypt dates from more than a 1000 years ago, the city centre has many fine houses dating from the 15th through 17th centuries. Dijon was spared the destruction of various wars such as the 1870 Franco-Prussian War, despite the fact that the Prussian army invaded the city.
Visits
- Notre Dame
- Hôtel de Vogüé
- Cathédrale St-Bénigne
- Cathédrale Saint-Michel
- Halle du Marché
- Palais des Ducs
- Tour de Philippe le Bon
- Musée de l'Art
- Rue de la Libertie (Boutique du Moutard)
- La Rose de Vergy (Pain d'Epice)
- Musée Amora, 0380444444 (Mustard museum)
- Dijon Tourism Office 0892700558
Restaurants
- Bistrot de l'Huitre 12 rue Bannelier 0380300030
- Stephane Debord 10 place Wilson 0380677464 (closed lunch time)
- Au Pré aux Clercs, Billot 0380380505 (closed Sunday evening , Monday)
- La Côte Saint Jean 0380501177 (closed Tuesday & Wednesday)
- Chapeau Rouge 0380508888
- Dame d'Aquitaine 0380303623 (closed Sunday evening , Monday)
- Le Gourmandin 19, Rue d'Auxonne 0380676954
- La Porte Guillaume, Place d'Arcy 0380307352
- La Toison d'Or 18 Rue Sainte Anne 0380307352
Fleurey sur Ouche
The village of Fleurey sur Ouche is divided into two by both the river Ouche and the canal.
Visits
- Château Malain dates from 950AD
- Gallo-Romain archeological site dates from 350BC - 150BC
- Source de la Seine
- The Battle of Leuzeu, 400 French resistance take a fierce stand and fight
- Salmaise village, panorama, old market hall
- Château la Chassagne (wine tasting, tennis, 4x4)
Restaurants
- Ecluse de Bourgogne, Fleury sur Ouche 0380336201
- Auberg Gourmand, Velars sur Ouche 0380336251
- Le Pérz Michel, Plombieres les Dijon 0380432465
- Auberg de la Charme, Prenois 0380353284, (closed Sunday evening, Monday & Tuesday afternoon)
- Château la Chassagne, Pont de Pany 0380497600 (closed Monday)
- La Montagne, Darois 0380356185 (closed Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon, Saturday afternoon)
- La Gentilhommičre, Nuits Saint Georges 0380611206
Gissey sur Ouche
Gissey sur Ouche lies in a steep part of the Ouche valley. The river is crossed by the stone Gallo-roman bridge.
Visits
- The old wash house in Gissey sur Ouche
- Jardins de Barbirey, Barbirey sur Ouche (0380490091)
- Abbey of la Bussiere, La Bussiere sur Ouche
- Saunières (frommage sur route de Commarin)
- Sombernon, panorama and market town
- Remilly en Montagne village
- Saint Jean de Bœuf (Point vue)
- Parc de Sangléies, wild boar park
Restaurants
- Château la Chassagne (closed Monday), Pont de Pany 0380497600
- Ferme du Rolle, Ternant 0380614010
- Spuller (closed Wednesday), Sombernon 0380334123
- La Veille Auberge, Vitteaux 0380496088
Pont d'Ouche
A hamlet full of bridges, roads crossing the river, paths crossing the canal, the canal crossing the river.
Visits
- Nolay, a romantic village (market and many events)
- Tourism Office 0380218073
- Lusigny sur Ouche: picturesque village with the source of the river Ouche
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Bligny sur Ouche
- Le Vallée de l'Ouche
- Marché (Monday)
- Musée des Outils
- Vinantica in Bligny sur Ouche 0380201010 (Art gallery, antiques et wine tasting 7/7, with your wine expert Dominic Achard)
- Tourism Office 0380201651
Restaurants
- Trois Faisans, Bligny sur Ouche 038020101470
- Auberges des Sources, Lusigny 0380201052
- Restaurant de l'Ecluse 0380330337
- La Ruchote (Route de Bessy en Chaume) tel ?? vers Bessey en Chaume
- Hostelllerie du Moulin, Bouilland 0380215116 (closed Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday lunchtime)
Vandenesse
Vandenesse en Auxois is a quite farming village, there is a port where the barges once moored which was important for transporting the cereal crops the the Auxois plain to the barges. Starting at Lock number 8 the stair case of locks continues to the small hamlet of Escommes, where the canal has a 3.3km tunnel passing below the hills of Auxois to surface in the town of Pouilly en Auxois.
Visits
- Autun, rich in Roman history, visit the temples and ampitheatre
- Walk along the canal to Escommes
- Châteauneuf (closed Monday,0380492189) : The castle was built in 1132 by Jean de Chaudenay for his second son Jehan. Jehan took possession of Castro Novo in 1175. The family reigned over the fief for 9 generations, en ending in tragedy in 1456, when Cathrine of Châteauneuf was burnt to death, after poisoning her second husband, Jacques d'Haussonville.
- Château Commarain (closed Tuesady), 0380492367
- Semur en Auxois
- La Collégiale Notre Dame
- La patisserie Mary, 0380970894
- Les Biscuits Mistral, 0380896666
- Tourism Office 0380970596
- Arnay le Duc
- Art de la table
- Brocante
- Tourism Office 03 80 90 07 55
- Essey Antiques Fougerouge 0380841287
- Alesia Sainte Reine: statue of Vercingetorix, the last stand of the Gauls against the Roman Empire, The Battle of Alesia or Siege of Alesia was a conflict fought in September 52 BC around the Gallic oppidum of Alesia, the siege of Alesia is considered one of Caesar's greatest military achievements and is still one of the classic examples of siege warfare and circumvallation.
- Abbey Fontennay: 03 80 92 15 00, the abbey was founded by Saint Bernard in a small marshy valley a few kilometers from Montbard (Burgundy). 1139 Ebrard, the Bishop of Norwich, came to Fontenay to flee the persecution he was under in England. His fortune financed in part the construction of the church. Classed with UNESCO world heritage
- Vezelay Basilique Ste-Madeleine: The Benedictine abbey church of Sainte-Marie-Madeleine at Vézelay in Burgundy is one of the most important surviving monuments of architecture and sculpture of the Romanesque period. It was a pilgrimage church in its own right, allegedly holding the relics of St. Mary Magdalen to whom it is dedicated, and it also stood at the beginning of one of the four major routes through France for pilgrims going to Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, in the north-western corner of Spain.
- Mont Saint Jean : Medieval town, the castle remains in private hands.
- Brocante
- Le musée de la vie rurale 0380843126
- Fois gras producer
- Circuit de Maconage, karting
- Reserevoir de Chazilly: interesting construction, supplying water to the Burgundy at Escommes by lock number 1 and lock 13. Chazilly is very similar to Grosbois, the stone dam being 22 metres high and a capacity of 5,190,000 m3 of water covering 52 heaters.
- Pouilly en Auxois
- Tunnel de Pouilly en Auxois et le Touer (the barge which used to tow the cargo boats through the tunnel)
- Tourism Office 03 80 90 77 36
Restaurants
- Restaurant de l'Auxois, Vandenesse 0380492236 (Closed Monday)
- Hosteleire de Châteauneuf, Chateauneuf 0380492200
- L'Orée du Bois, Chateauneuf 0380492532
- Le Gril du Castel, Chateauneuf 0380492682
- Chez Camille, Arnay le Duc 0380900138
- Restaurant de Chailly, Chailly 0380903030 (closed lunch time an Monday)
- Le Terminus, Arnay le Duc 0380900033
- Le Médiéval, Mont Saint Jean 0380843468
- Relais Bernard Loiseau, Saulieu 0380905353
Beaune wine excursion
Visits
- Aloxe Corton, Château Corton Andre
- Château Savigny les Beaunes : wine tasting, Tourism Office (cycles 03 80 21 55 03
- Clos de Langres : wine tasting 0380629873
- Château de Meursault : Château, wine tasting and art 0380262275
- Hospices de Beaune 0380244500
- Musée du Vin
- Marché aux vins 0380250820
- Beaune Tourism Office 0385876565
- Chateau de Pommard 0380221259
- Route des Grandes Cru
- Tourism Office 0380262130
- Various palces for wine tasting
Restaurants
- Le Cellier Volnaysien, Volnay 0380216104 (closed Tuesday)
- Rôtisserie Fleury 0380223550
- Le Gourmandin 0380240788
- Les Tontons 0380241964 (closed Sunday and Monday)
- Maison du Colombier 0380225208
- L'Ecusson 0380240382 (closed Wednesday and Sunday)
- Jardin des Remparts 0380247941 (closed Sunday and Monday)
- Hostellerie Lervernois 0380237458 (closed lunch time except weekends)
Gevrey Chambertin
Restaurants
- Chez Guy 0380585151
- Les Gourmets 0380521632
- La Sommellerie 0380343148
Visits
- En Calèche 0380341487
Nuits Saint George
Visits
- Le Cassisium 03 80 62 49 70
- Clos de Vougeot 0380628609
Hot air Ballooning
Burgundy is the birth place of Hot air ballooning. The first manned attempt was on 21st November 1783, with a balloon made by 2 French brothers, Joseph and Etienne Montgolfier. The balloon was launched from the centre of Paris and flew for a period of 20 minutes. The birth of hot air ballooning!!!
- AIR ADVENTURES
2, rue Dessous 21320 Chailly sur Armançon
Tel : +33 3 80 90 74 23 - AIR ESCARGTOURISM OFFICE
Le Bourg 71150 Remigny
Tel : +33 3 85 87 12 30 - FRANCE MONTGOLFIERES Inc.
24, rue de Paris 77420 CHAMPS sur MARNE
Tel: +33 1 60 95 15 86
Golf courses
- Norges la ville 0380357110
- Château de Chailly 0380903030
Taxis
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Taxis de l'Ouche 0380490869 / 0609406762