Classic Burgundy Cycling, France

This 8-night independent cycling holiday provides a real connoisseurs’ guide to Burgundy: the wines, the fortified towns and villages, the eclectic architecture and the strategic importance of the waterways over the centuries.

The cycling is relaxed and undemanding, often along canal towpaths or riverside trails, and taking you through quiet rolling countryside, with vineyards and cherry orchards to the north, and flower-filled meadows and woods to the south. Highlights en route include prehistoric Arcy, the Roman baths at St Père, the famous Mary Magdelène Basilica at Vézelay and, of course, the plethora of fine wine tasting opportunities en route! The cycling days have been specially designed to allow for lazy riverside lunches, and there’s lots of scope to potter around the pretty canal ports and their tiny villages.

Detailed Itinerary:

Day 1 - Arrive at Auxerre
Time to explore the mediaeval lanes and pretty port of Auxerre before dinner in town, there are plenty of choice of restaurants within a couple of minutes' walk.

Day 2 - Auxerre to Cravant 20km/12mi or 32km/20mi
It's easy peddling along the canal and river paths for your first day with the popular option of a spot of wine tasting at the renowned Bailly wine cellars en route! Enjoy a riverside lunch at the renowned restaurant in Vincelottes then, in the afternoon, on to mediaeval Cravant, with its new little port. Quiet canal paths lead from here to Accolay. For a more energetic route, leave the river path at Escolives to explore the roman villa. It's then on through the cherry orchards and vineyards of Coulanges-la-Vineuse before a final swoop down into Cravant.

Day 3 - At Cravant
Cycle or take the train to Arcy, a village steeped in roman history. Agrippa's route passes nearby and the remains of a roman camp lie on the cliffs above the river Cure. You can visit the prehistoric caves and the tiny museum at St More. On your way back, look out for some amazing species of flora - the limestone cliffs here provide a warm micro-climate which attracts rare plants more often seen in the Mediterranean.

Day 4 - Cravant to Vezelay 40km/25mi
Head south along tranquil canal paths overtaking the snail-paced barges and boats; it's easy to spot grey herons, egrets or green woodpeckers along the way. At pretty Merry-sur-Yonne stop at a riverside cafe to watch climbers on the Saussois rock-face - rare in rich fossils, these rocks were once part of a Jurassic coral reef and are now a geological mecca for climbers. On to Chatel-Censoir where you leave the river and head off through shaded woods (look out for the hoopoe) to your grand 3 hotel superbly situated opposite the old gates of Vezelay's walled city and its beautiful Basilica Sainte Madeleine.

Day 5 - At Vezelay
The 12C basilica is a masterpiece of sacred art and a UNESCO world heritage site. It is the largest church in France, and was the launching point for two Crusades. Visitors flock here to pay homage to the tomb containing the remains of Mary Magdalene. To see a recreation of how the midday sun at the summer solstice reflects nine pools of light leading the way up to the alter, visit the new Maison du Visiteurs - on your way up to the basilica. A special experience is to listen to the sung service at 12.30 on weekdays or Vespers at 18:00. A short walk takes you to the village of St Pere-sous-Vezelay and its ornate Gothic church, or you can visit the nearby Roman Baths or Fontaines Salees, said to be a site as remarkable as the Roman Baths at Bath.

Day 6 - Vezelay to Clamecy 32km/20mi or 45km/28mi
You pedal on quiet roads through the Morvan National Park with an option to visit the beautifully furnished 12C Chateau de Bazoches on the way. King Richard the Lionheart stayed here before departing on the 3rd Crusade! Your route then heads west through sleepy hamlets of the Morvan valley, returning to the River Yonne and the canal paths that lead you to mediaeval Clamecy. Here you'll stay as guests of M et Mme Jardin at their charming auberge, just a short stroll from the pretty port. The dining room here is a beautifully converted C12 chapel so eating here is a memorable experience!

Day 7 - At Clamecy
Clamecy, often nicknamed 'Little Venice of Morvan' is a popular tourist port on the River Yonne and has played an important role in the region's water-based history - largely due to the Flotteurs du Bois or the floating logmen who have been carrying logs downstream since C16! The excellent Romain-Rolland Musee retraces their history and is well worth a visit. After lunch at one of Clamecy's pavement cafes, pedal beside the river, taking time to do a bit of 'canal boat watching' before enjoying a swim from the river beaches at the 'Cirque' - a sort of limestone cliff amphitheatre near the delightful village of Chevroches.

Day 8 - Clamecy to Cravant/Auxerre 42km/26mi
Your final day's cycle could not be easier - mainly on canal paths, with some short sections on quiet totally flat roads. You pedal past a former C14 Chartreuse on your way to Chatel Censoir - chateau and C16 church of St Potentien. Look out for an osprey, cormorant or beaver, as you pass fishermen hoping to catch a trout or carp. At Cravant put your bike on the train (we provide a ticket) for the last 18km back to your hotel at Auxerre.

Day 9 - Leave Auxerre

Is this trip for you?
This is a level 1 Cycling holiday (See Headwater’s Cycle Rating System) featuring exceptionally varied cycling, riverside trails, country lanes and Morvan National Park. You mostly bowl along pleasant little roads following the courses of three rivers (the Yonne, the Serein and the Armancon). This holiday has it all - the wines, the quaint mediaeval towns, the glories of the Renaissance and the wonderful cuisine.