Stone villages

Five Plus Beaux Villages de France (Most Beautiful Villages of France) within an hour · one of the rarest concentrations in the country.

• I.

  Couches

  Medieval town · Wine · Pop. 1,700

  Below the château of Marguerite de Bourgogne, the old town lines up its half-timbered houses and its Romanesque church. Sunday morning market, 15th-century market hall, and a starting point for walks through the Couchois vineyards.

  20 min19 km by road
• II.

  Mont-Saint-Vincent

  Hilltop village · 360° view · Romanesque church

  At 600 metres above sea level, one of the highest points in the Charolais, with a panoramic view across all of Burgundy. Fortified 12th-century church, cobbled lanes, a starting point for hikes.

  1 h52 km by road
• III.

  Saint-Léger-sous-Beuvray

  Gateway to Bibracte · Morvan · Pop. 700

  A small village at the foot of Mont Beuvray, once the site of Bibracte, capital of the Aedui and the largest Gallic oppidum excavated in France. European museum, excavations open to the public, vast views over the Morvan.

  40 min38 km by road
• IV.

  Brancion

  Plus Beau Village · Medieval · 14th-century market hall

  An almost intact medieval town: 14th-century market hall, ruined fortress, Romanesque church of Saint-Pierre. No cars, just cobbles and silence.

  1 h 1081 km by road
• V.

  Semur-en-Brionnais

  Plus Beau Village · Romanesque basilica

  Cradle of Hugh Capet's family, this rose-tinted village mixes half-timbered houses with the basilica of Saint-Hilaire (12th century). Farmers' market on Sunday mornings, views over the Brionnais.

  1 h 40111 km by road
• VI.

  Châteauneuf-en-Auxois

  Plus Beau Village · On the canal

  Overlooking the Canal de Bourgogne, this small fortified village is all pale stone. A walk along the ramparts, craft workshops, tastings at La Maison du Pressoir.

  35 min33 km by road
• VII.

  Beaune

  Wine capital · Hospices · Pop. 22,000

  World capital of Burgundy wine, an intact walled town. The Hospices of 1443, the vaulted cellars of the great houses (Bouchard, Drouhin, Joseph), food market on Saturday mornings. Perfect for exploring on foot.

  35 min33 km by road
• VIII.

  Saulieu

  Gateway to the Morvan · Gastronomy · Pop. 2,300

  Known for the basilica of Saint-Andoche, with its exceptional Romanesque capitals, and for the Loiseau restaurant. A gourmet stop on the Paris–Lyon road since the 19th century.

  45 min46 km by road
• IX.

  Cluny

  Abbey town · Romanesque · Pop. 4,700

  Cluny was home to the largest Christian church of the Middle Ages: it is gone now, but its surviving fragments still tell of its grandeur. An intact medieval town, and the École nationale supérieure des Arts et Métiers.

  1 h 2580 km by road
• X.

  Dijon

  Ducal capital · Palace of the Dukes · Pop. 160,000

  The former capital of the Dukes of Burgundy, from Philip the Bold to Charles the Bold. The Palace of the Dukes, Place de la Libération, the Musée des Beaux-Arts (free), Notre-Dame, the Owl's Trail (parcours de la Chouette).

  1 h 1078 km by road

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