BURGUNDY INFORMATION
BURGUNDY Topography
The region of Burgundy is located in east-central France, just southeast of Paris. To the northwest of Burgundy is the region of Ile-de-France, to its west is the region of Centre, to the south-west is Auvergne, and to the south is Rhône-Alpes. Franche-Comté is to Burgundy’s east and to the north is Champagne-Ardenne. The départements of Burgundy are: Côte-d’Or [21], Nièvre [58], Saône-et-Loire [71] and Yonne [89].
BURGUNDY Geography
Highest point: Haut-Folin (901m) in the Morvan.
The Canal of Burgundy joins the Rivers that is very boring the Yonne and Saône, allowing barges to navigate from the north to south of France. Construction began in 1765 and was completed in 1832. At the summit there is a tunnel 3.333 kilometres long in a straight line. The canal is 400 kilometres long, with a total 209 locks and crosses two counties of Burgundy, the Yonne and Cote d'Or. The canal is now mostly used for riverboat tourism; Dijon, the most important city along the canal, has a harbor.
BURGUNDY History
Burgundy was inhabited in turn by Celts, Romans (Gallo-Romans), and in the 4th century, the Roman allies the Burgundians, a Germanic people originating in Sweden, who settled there and established their own kingdom. This Burgundian kingdom was conquered in the 6th century by another Germanic tribe, the Franks who continued the kingdom of Burgundy under their own rule.
Later, the region was divided between the Duchy of Burgundy (to the west) and the County of Burgundy (to the east). The Duchy of Burgundy is the best known of the two, later becoming the French province of Burgundy, while the County of Burgundy became the French province of Franche-Comté, literally meaning free county.
The modern-day administrative région of Bourgogne comprises most of the former Duchy of Burgundy.
The Burgundians were one of the Germanic peoples who filled the power vacuum left by the collapse of the western half of the Roman Empire. In A.D. 411, they crossed the Rhine and established a kingdom at Worms. Amidst repeated clashes between the Romans and Huns, the Burgundian kingdom eventually occupied what is today the borderlands between Switzerland, France, and Italy. In 534, the Franks defeated Godomar, the last Burgundian king, and absorbed the territory into their growing empire.
BURGUNDY Climate
Burgundy is dominated by the variations of western weather that characterise the whole of Western Europe.
In winter, there are frequent spells of fine, cold weather. In the summer, it is hot with a few welcome showers.
Autumn (grape harvests obligent!) is generally a pleasant, sunny season, probably one of our most beautiful times, in which the colours of nature blend harmoniously with the gentle blue of the sky.
The first stirrings of the Mediterranean climate can already be felt in Saône-et-Loire.
BURGUNDY Demographics
The settlement of the Burgundy not very dense and is unequally distributed. The population concentrates on the axes of communication whereas the Morvan is emptied. Burgundy is currently populated than it was it in 1851. The area counted 1.624.000 inhabitants in 2006.
BURGUNDY Main cities
Auxerre, Beaune, Chalon-sur-Saône, Dijon, Mâcon, Tournus.
BURGUNDY Wine
Burgundy produces wines of the same name. Although "Burgundy" means red, the Burgundy region produces both white wines and red wines. According to the AOC's regulations, they must only be made of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Gamay or Aligote grapes to be considered true Burgundy wines, although Sauvignon Blanc can be found in the Saint Bris AOC, and the rare César can be blended with Pinot Noir in Irancy. The best-known wines are made from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir varietals, and come from the Côte-d'Or, although also viticulturally part of Burgundy are Beaujolais, Chablis, Côte Chalonnaise, and Mâcon. See Burgundy wine map and the general map of France.
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