Is the cycle route accessible to all?

Yes, thanks to the Voie des Vignes, the route is suitable for cyclists of all abilities, whether you’re on a conventional bike or an electric one.

What unique experiences does this cycling road trip offer?

Wine tastings at the estates, visits to emblematic villages, wellness breaks at the spa, cultural walks and natural swimming in Beaune.

What types of accommodation are available on the route?

The choice is yours: nature campsites, comfortable hotels, bed and breakfasts in the heart of the vineyards or unusual accommodation such as gypsy caravans and cabins.

Voie des Vignes by bike — ©Les Conteurs - Cycling through the vineyards

By bike Côte-d'Or freewheels!

Did you know? Burgundy’s Route des Grands Crus is just like its wines: it reveals all its potential in the great outdoors! And what better way to make the most of it than on a cycling roadtrip, between exceptional Climats, gourmet addresses and wonderful discoveries. With your nose to the wind or your head to the handlebars, in solo escape mode or as part of a peloton, the Côte-d’Or has something for everyone. Drink up!

To be completed in 4 days

4 days

Jour 1
Jour 2
Jour 3
Jour 4

Cascade, perfect egg and blackjack

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Day 1 Cascade, perfect egg and blackjack

Your departure : Santenay

Just 15 minutes south of Beaune, the peaceful town of Santenay marks the start of your getaway. Wait a minute, you were going to leave without enjoying the benefits of its thermal baths? Without hitting the jackpot at the casino? And without treating yourself to a tasting at one of its two châteaux? Wine, water and cash: enough to fill up on cash.

Cycling on the Voie des Vignes in Côte-d'Or — ©Les Conteurs - Cycling the Voie des Vignes in Côte-d'Or

Good morning Burgundy!

Are you ready? It’s time to hire your bike from Active Tours,Santenay ‘s two-wheeler and vineyard specialist. A team of enthusiasts will be on hand to advise you on your choice of steed and tell you all about the green route you’ll be taking. End of the line: Nolay!

In the meantime, head for Cheilly-les-Maranges , 3.5 km away, for a visit to the family wine cellars of Domaine France Dessauge.The figures? 25 hectares of vines, 11 Appellations d’Origine Contrôlée (AOCs) and a Haute Valeur Environnementale (HVE) label to reward the estate’s responsible and sustainable practices. The tour is about to begin…

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Active Tour

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L’Etape (Santenay)
Le Terroir (Santenay)
Brasserie des Halles (Nolay)
Halles (Nolay)

The beginning of hunger

Table, bar, cellar and vegetable garden: at lunchtime, it’s pleasure on every level with the Le Menu de Nolay restaurant. The table? You’ll find a menu that smells of family, committed local producers and ultra-fresh produce. Made on the spot or nothing at all! The bar? You’ll find the great classics of the French bar on offer all day, every day. The vegetable garden? It supplies the chef in the kitchen. As for the cellar, deliberately small, it shines with Burgundy and Hautes Côtes de Beaune .

Not to be missed

Don’t miss the Halles de Nolay. Built in 1388, they are the oldest in France in their category.

In the afternoon

In need of a breath of fresh air? You have two choices this afternoon. Pedal north of Nolay to reach the Cascade du Bout du Monde (that’s Marseilles for you) and treat yourself to a pretty nugget listed under Natura 2000. The site is well worth a few stories, but above all it tells the fascinating story of geology in the Côte-d’Or.

Option no. 2: cycle 35 minutes south back to Santenay and curl up in the town’s ValVital thermal baths. Whether on your own or as a couple, you’ll find it impossible to resist the heated thermal pools, hammam and sauna, as well as the invigorating hot and cold wells.

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Voie verte de Santenay (Nolay)
Cascade du Bout du Monde (Vauchignon)
Caveau de dégustation Mestre & Fils (Santenay)
ValVital thermal baths (Santenay)

Our top tip: Le Mois des Climats

Rain or shine, every year it’s there: the famous Month of Climats! From May to June, this popular and festive event celebrates Burgundy and its iconic vineyards. Open-air concerts for the right sound, oenological workshops for the right nose and essential tastings for the right palate, an event that goes (definitely) in all directions. Mark your calendars!

©Les Conteurs - Domaine Evenstad at Santenay in the Côte-d'Or

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L’Ouillette (Santenay)

Those evenings

You’ll recognise it throughout Santenay by its bright purple colour: tonight, you’re dining at the Ouillette restaurant. Navigating with ease between tradition and modernity, bistro generosity and posh refinement, the establishment offers you tasty, sought-after cuisine. On the à la carte menu, you’ll love the pithiviers-style quail with its tangy reduction, and the perfect egg with mushroom fricassee. As for the cellar, the 300 wines on offer are hard to resist.

Valvital Spa Santenay — ©Valvital - Valvital Santenay thermal baths

In fine fettle

When the evening comes, put your rucksack down in one of the rooms at the Hôtel-Bistrot L’Étape in Santenay. An ideal address for the most modest of pockets, for backpackers in search of a solid pied à terre or for those who prefer to scare their banker at the casino. On the programme: blackjack, bandits and poker follow one another to the rhythm of a host of entertainment. Will you be lucky or left out in the cold?

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Hôtel L’Étape (Santenay)
Campsite (Santenay)

Handlebars, foie gras and utopia

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Day 2 Handlebars, foie gras and utopia

Good morning Burgundy!

Too impatient to wait for the Mai à Vélo event? Put on your coffee and pack a rucksack (or vice versa) and set off on the Voie des Vignes. The morning’s objective: to hit the village of Meursault for lunch. You’re off for a 40-minute ride along the tracks of an old railway line, criss-crossing vineyards and estates, helmet on and nose to the wind.

The beginning of hunger

You arrive just in time, Meursault is waiting for you to sit down to dinner. And not just any table: the Bistrot de la Cueillette.Here, the best of Burgundy traditions are cooked and simmered in a setting just the way you like it. Leather benches, wooden tables and black-and-white photos set against a crackling fireplace… It doesn’t take long to work up an appetite. In fine weather, a pretty, flower-filled terrace is set around the village fountain.

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Restaurant du camping (Meursault)
Le Bistrot de la Cueillette (Meursault)

In the afternoon

What do Beaune and Meursault have in common (apart from being on Burgundy’s Route des Grands Crus, we can see where you’re coming from)? Having hosted the filming of La Grande Vadrouille with the succulent Bourvil and the truculent Louis de Funès. Thanks to the Meursault Tourist Office, relive some of the film’s most iconic moments on a guided tour full of surprises…

At the end of the afternoon, drive your marble to Pommard (4.5 km) where the Cellier d’Armand Heitz welcomes you for an extraordinary wine tasting. The setting is simple, even frugal, to sublimate the simplicity of yesteryear. And its philosophy of unfiltered terroir. And, last but not least, the irresistible grands crus.

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L’Épisode (Meursault)
La Table de Guigone (Beaune)

Those evenings

The Route des Grands Crus by bike is full of great restaurants, but it’s also full of little nuggets, like L’Épisode in Beaune. A confidential address (12 covers), a simple, short menu (always a good sign!) and vegetables straight from the garden: an invitation to simplicity. Did we mention his foie gras royale with creamy corn, and his perfect eggs with caramelised onions?

©Les Conteurs - Camping Huttopia - Meursault

In fine fettle

Back to Beaune to relax after a busy day. Our recommendation: a night between the stars and the vineyards at a Huttopia campsite. Chalet, caravan or trapper tent, find the accommodation of your dreams and savour the pleasure of an all-inclusive break. A sweet utopia? You be the judge.

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Vineyard, beach and launderette

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Day 3 Vineyard, beach and launderette

Good morning Burgundy!

Do you love the Côte-d’Or? Wait until you rediscover it with the Balades en Bourgogne app, your new hiking reflex! Download the app free of charge and treat yourself to the best of local escapades, from heritage nuggets to radiant nature. Mount your steed, this morning Beaune reveals its little secrets. If you want to find out more, you’ll have to go for a ride…

Conclude your morning with a visit to the Domaine Guyot cellars, with optional wine tasting. 3 Pinot Noirs, 2 whites (Aligoté or Chardonnay) and a pat on the back later, you’ll leave feeling light-headed and delighted.

The beginning of hunger

Continue your day in weightlessness on the 4ᵉ floor of the Cité des Climats et Vins de Bourgogne, with the bar Les Accords. Let yourself be stunned by the 110 or so references on the menu, ranging from the Mâconnais to the Grand Auxerrois, via the Châtillonnais and the Côte de Beaune. And don’t forget the wine and food pairing menu, to combine gourmet pleasure with pleasure. Would you prefer trout tartare or almond gazpacho?

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Bar Les Accords (Cité des Climats & Vins in Beaune)
Monaka (Voco Hôtel in Beaune)
Wine Please (Novotel Beaune)

In the afternoon

Who would have thought it? Beaune also knows how to get wet! The proof is in the pudding with Beaune Côté Plage, a vast natural swimming area just outside the town. Swap your rucksack for a sarong and get into summer mode for a lazy afternoon. The little ones will be able to swim in complete safety.

©Les Conteurs - Beaune Côté Plage - Swimming

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Les Pinardiers (Savigny-les-Beaune)
Le Soleil (Savigny-les-beaune)
Le 428 (Savigny)

Those evenings

Head for Savigny-lès-Beaune, 20 minutes away, to meet Chef Yannick Desclerc at the helm of Les Pinardiers restaurant. From his travels in Miami, Berlin and London, Yannick has retained a taste for the unusual. From his native Burgundy, he has retained a love of fine produce and short distribution channels. Profiteroles with courgette tartar, beetroot with yoghurt sauce and candied fruit nougat: enough talk, just enjoy!

©Les Conteurs - Restaurant les Pinardiers in Savigny-lès-Beaune

In fine fettle

Savigny-lès-Beaune is also home to Les Premières Vignes campsite, a great alternative to the big hotel complexes. Oleander hedges, shady pitches, a tent with a double bed and a fully-equipped kitchenette: what more could you ask for? Laundry facilities? It’s there too.

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Campsite Les Premières Vignes (Savigny-les-Beaune)
Bed and breakfast La Maison du Crémant (Savigny-les-Beaune)

Wine bar, granny smith and hotel room

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Day 4 Wine bar, granny smith and hotel room

Good morning Burgundy!

You dreamt it, the Dufouleur brothers did it: welcome to the Œnothèque de Nuits-Saint-Georges. As well as showcasing a superb heritage, this relaxed venue offers a range of wine-related experiences. Whether it’s an enlightened tasting at the bar, a more in-depth introduction in the tasting room or a glass on the terrace in fine weather, there’s something for everyone.

©Les Conteurs - The Dufouleur Frères wine cellar in Nuits-Saint-Georges

The beginning of hunger

Le Meuzinc in Nuit-Saint-Georges? It’s the bistronomic restaurant that takes the cooking out of the ordinary! With its guinguette spirit and deceptively simple recipes, this fine address revisits the great Burgundy classics. You’ll love the duck tartare with Granny Smith, the pan-fried sweetbreads with pesto and the banana puff pastry with chocolate ganache.

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Le Meuzinc (Nuits-Saint-Georges)

In the afternoon

Living on love and bicycles, yes, but what about art? You’ll find it in the former quarries of Villars-Fontaine, which have been converted into a place of life and creative expression: la Karrière. Take the time to admire the vast frescoes by graffiti artists right on the rock, before settling down in the fresh air for the evening’s entertainment.

©Les Conteurs - La Karrière in Villars-Fontaine

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La Gentilhommière (Nuits-Saint-Georges)
Le Richebourg (Vosne-Romanée)
La Toute Petite Auberge (Vosne-Romanée)

Those evenings

If you’re looking for an exceptional dinner on your last night out, you’ll need to make a reservation at Le Richebourg. Modern and elegant, this top-of-the-range address is a delight to the taste buds and pupils, from the setting to the plate. Behind the stoves, Chef Sikorski offers trendy cuisine, while respecting Burgundy’s heritage and its exceptional local produce. The result is a sublime jambon persillé (parsley-cured ham) or beef with Pinot Noir patiently preserved for 12 hours.

In fine fettle

Extend the pleasure by booking your night at Hôtel Le Richebourg. In a privilege, prestige or cocoon room , with or without a private terrace and spa, combine the options and treat yourself to an exceptional last night. Your calves have earned it!

Hôtel La Gentilhommière (Nuits-Saint-Georges)
Le Richebourg (Vosne-Romanée)
Les Plumes guest house (Gilly-les-Cîteaux)

Why choose it?

Cycling in Burgundy, between UNESCO Climats and charming villages

Cycle the Route des Grands Crus and discover its listed vineyards, welcoming cellars and iconic landscapes in a whole new way.

A cycling road trip full of local produce and gourmet delights

Each stage combines a gentle stroll with a tasty stop-off: tastings, picnics in the countryside and good local addresses are all part of the itinerary.

4 days of escapism on the Voie des Vignes

From Santenay to Dijon, pedal along a legendary, accessible and signposted route, perfect for sports enthusiasts and epicureans alike.

FAQ

Is the cycle route accessible to all?
Yes, thanks to the Voie des Vignes, the route is suitable for cyclists of all abilities, whether you’re on a conventional bike or an electric one.
What unique experiences does this cycling road trip offer?
Wine tastings at the estates, visits to emblematic villages, wellness breaks at the spa, cultural walks and natural swimming in Beaune.
What types of accommodation are available on the route?
The choice is yours: nature campsites, comfortable hotels, bed and breakfasts in the heart of the vineyards or unusual accommodation such as gypsy caravans and cabins.