Gîtes and Villas in Burgundy

Burgundy is one of France's most storied regions, a rolling landscape of vineyards, medieval towns and quiet countryside between Paris and the Alps. The name alone conjures world-class wine, but there's far more to draw you here: Romanesque abbeys, the Morvan hills for walking and cycling, and a kitchen that takes food as seriously as anywhere in France.

Self-catering gîtes in Burgundy put you close to village markets, cellar doors and the kind of slow, seasonal rhythm that suits a longer stay. Whether you're exploring the cobbled lanes of Beaune, paddling in the lakes of the Parc naturel régional du Morvan, or simply stocking up on mustard and Charolais beef for the evening, this is a region that rewards being based in one place.

About Burgundy

Burgundy was once a powerful duchy, and the legacy is visible everywhere: from the glazed-tile roofs of the Hôtel-Dieu in Beaune to the Palais des Ducs et des États de Bourgogne in Dijon, the regional capital. Dijon itself is compact and walkable, with a handsome old centre, the Halles centrales market, and the recently opened Cité Internationale de la Gastronomie et du Vin celebrating the region's food and wine culture.

Beyond the towns, Burgundy unfolds into a patchwork of vines, sunflower fields and forests. The Morvan is the wildest part — a regional park of granite hills, rivers and lakes popular with walkers, anglers and families after a bit of open space. The countryside is dotted with stone villages, many with their own Romanesque churches, and everywhere you turn there's a cave or domaine offering tastings of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

People stay in Burgundy for the ease of it: the markets, the wine, the lack of crowds outside high summer. It's close enough to Paris or Lyon for a weekend, but feels a world away. The gîtes on this page are spread across vineyard hamlets and market towns, giving you a base to explore at your own pace without the need to pack up every second day.

Things to do in Burgundy

The Hôtel-Dieu Museum – Hospices de Beaune is the standout cultural landmark: a 15th-century charitable hospital with a spectacular tiled roof and original wards, apothecary and tapestries still intact. Fontenay Abbey, a UNESCO-listed Cistercian monastery founded in 1118, sits in a wooded valley near Montbard and remains one of the best-preserved examples of its kind in Europe. In Dijon, the Palais des Ducs et des États de Bourgogne houses the Musée des Beaux-Arts and dominates the old town with its Gothic and Renaissance facades.

For families, Parc de l'Auxois is a well-regarded zoo and wildlife park near Arnay-le-Duc with big cats, primates and bird shows. MuséoParc Alésia, near Alise-Sainte-Reine, marks the site of Julius Caesar's siege in 52 BC with a modern museum and reconstructed fortifications that bring the battle to life. The Parc naturel régional du Morvan offers hiking, cycling and lake swimming across nearly 300,000 hectares of protected landscape — quiet, green and refreshingly empty. Back in Dijon, a visit to La Moutarderie Fallot lets you see how traditional Burgundian mustard is made, with guided tours and a shop to stock up.

Food & drink

Burgundy's reputation for food is well earned. Bœuf bourguignon, coq au vin, escargots and œufs en meurette all come from here, and the region's Charolais beef and Bresse chicken are protected by strict labels. Dijon mustard — the real stuff, made with verjuice or white wine — is ubiquitous, and worth buying direct from La Moutarderie Fallot if you're nearby.

The Halles centrales et marché central in Dijon is the place to shop: a covered market built in the 19th century and still the heart of local food life, open most mornings with stalls selling cheeses (Époisses, Comté, Chaource), charcuterie, fruit and ready-made dishes. Wine, of course, runs through everything. The Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune produce some of the world's most expensive Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, but there are plenty of smaller appellations — Mâcon, Mercurey, Rully — where a bottle won't break the budget. Tasting direct from a vigneron is straightforward and often free with purchase.

Getting there

Dijon-Bourgogne airport is 46 kilometres from the centre of the region and offers limited seasonal flights, mainly domestic and to southern Europe. Geneva airport, 170 kilometres away, is a larger option if you're flying from the UK and don't mind the drive across the Jura. Paris Gare du Nord — the Eurostar terminus — is 237 kilometres northwest; from there, TGV trains reach Dijon in about 90 minutes, or you can hire a car and drive south through Champagne.

If you're bringing your own car, Caen/Ouistreham (Brittany Ferries from Portsmouth) is 417 kilometres to the northwest — a long but feasible day's drive across Normandy and down through the Loire. Calais or Dunkirk ferries put you roughly 450 kilometres north. Once you're here, a car is useful: villages are spread out, and many of the best wine domaines and attractions aren't on bus routes.