Key facts
• Location: Known as Bourgogne in French, this centrally located, land-locked region is bordered by seven other French regions (Ile de France, Champagne-Ardenne, Lorraine, Franche-Comté, Rhone-Alpes, Auvergne and Centre)
• Land area: 31,582km²
• Population: 1,642,115
• Population density: 52/km²
• Capital: Dijon
• Average house price: €128,500
Departments
• Côte-d’Or (main town: Dijon, department number: 21)
• Saônne-et-Loire (main town: Mâcon, department number: 71)
• Yonne (main town: Auxerre, department number: 89)
• Nièvre (main town: Nevers, department number: 58)
Highlights
• A rural landscape of vineyards, medieval villages and ancient abbeys and towns
• An important wine-producing region, it divides into the Côte-d’Or, where the most expensive and prized Burgundies are found, and Beaujolais, Chablis, the Côte Chalonnaise and Mâcon; wines are principally produced from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes, and there are many
• Wine tours around the Burgundian vineyards cater for all tastes and budgets
• The Morvan Regional Natural Park is a popular spot for outdoor activities
• Founded in the 9th century, the church and defendable hill at Vézelay is a UNESCO World Heritage Sites – climbing to the top through the medieval village is amost a rite of passage
• Another UNESCO site is the Cistercian Abbey of Fontenay, which is a true Roman masterpiece situated in a peaceful valley; other abbeys of note include Pontigny, Vézelay, Tournus and Paray-le-Monial
• Dijon is full of architectural gems from different periods in history including Gothic and Renaissance, and reflecting the city’s great importance and wealth in the past; today it has all the usual shops, restaurants, nightlife and cultural attractions you would expect from a regional capital; historic monuments include the cathedral with its 1,000-year-old crypt, Notre-Dame churches, town hall and Palais des Ducs (home to the Musée des Beaux Arts)
• Other cathedral cities include Autun, Sens, Auxerre and Corgoloin
• Villes d’Art et d’Histoire: Autun, Auxerre, Pays de l’Auxois, Chalon-sur-Saône, Pays du Charolais-Brionnais, Dijon, Joigny, La Charité-sur-Loire, Nevers, Entre-Cluny-et-Tournus
• The region has several fortified towns, including Avallon, Semur-en-Auxois, Jura and Montréal
• There are also many charming riverside towns such as Nevers on the Loire, Chalon and Mâcon on the Saône, and Auxerre and Joigny on the Yonne.
• Boat hire is popular on the 750 miles of navigable rivers (Yonne, Saône and Seille) and canals (Burgundy Canal, Nivernais, Central Canal, Marne-Saône, Canal lateral à la Loire and the Roanne, Briare and Loing Canals)
• Plus Beaux Villages: Châteaneuf, Noyers, Flavigny-sur-Ozerain, Semur-en-Brionnais and Vézelay
• Festivals: Medieval Festival (May), Blues Festival (June), Chablis Wine Fair (Oct), Grand Vins de Bourgogne (Nov)
• On the menu: Burgundy is the home of coq au vin, boeuf bourguignon, Époisses de Bourgogne cheese and Dijon mustard
Climate
• Burgundy has a mild climate – temperatures rarely go over 25° in summer or fall below zero in winter
• Annual rainfall: 760.5mm (Dijon)
• Annual sunshine hours: 1,849
• Average temperature: 6.5°C/15.4°C
Access
• By sea: The journey from Calais to Dijon is 353km
• By air: Dijon is the only international airport within the region, but there are airports around the perimeter such as Geneva, Lyon or Orly (Paris)
• By train: The TGV stops at Le Creusot, Mâcon, Beaune, Montbard, Dijon and Auxerre
Property
• The dominant building material in Burgundy is stone and there are also many ‘colombage’ (half-timbered) houses. Distinctive features include the brightly coloured roof tiles of Dijon and Beaune, and also lucarnes, small dormer windows. In the wealthier wine-producing areas, you will come across many 'pigeonniers'
• Average resale house price: €128,500 (national average: €163,500)
• Cheapest department is Nièvre (€85,000), followed by Saônne-et-Loire (€117,000), Yonne (€125,000) and Côte-d’Or (€163,000)
• In each department, the most expensive housing is in each préfecture
• Most expensive sectors: Dijon (€196,000), Mâcon (€148,00), Beaune (€147,000) and Sen (€140,000)
• Cheapest sectors: Château-Chinon (€68,500), Clamecy (€74,000), Avallon (€80,700) and Montbard (€90,000)
• In 2011-2012, prices fell by 3% (increase of 5% in 2010-¬2011, decrease of 0.3% in 2009¬-2010).
• Properties in Yonne have held their prices best in the last year (only -1.5% in 2011¬-2012).
• Average new-build apartment price: €2,820/m²
• Average building plot price: €41,600
• Average resale apartment price: €1,740/m²
Property prices: Notaires de France
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