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Burgundy and Lyon in Central FranceBurgundyUntil the 14th century, the Dukedom of Burgundy (Bourgogne) was wealthier and more powerful than the Kingdom of France. Burgundy did not become part of France until 1477. It is a region known for great wines, gourmet food (Dijon mustard) and medieval and Renaissance architecture. Popular activities include hot air ballooning, boating on the rivers and canals, and bicycling through the wine growing areas. Auxerre in northern Burgundy on the Yonne River is good base for visiting the Chablis area or starting a canal trip. Important architecture includes the Gothic Cathédrale Saint Étienne constructed on the site of several older churches with a bell tower, stained glass windows from the 13th century, and a crypt from an earlier Romanesque cathedral with 11th to 13th century frescoes. The Abbaye Saint Germain was founded in the 6th century by Queen Clotilde (Clovis' wife). During the middle ages it was a pilgrimage site. The Carolingian crypts have frescoes from 858, some of the oldest in France.
CuisineFood: best known is boeuf bouguignon (rich stew of beef,
bacon, onions, and mushrooms cooked in red wine), gingerbread, black escargot, poulet de
Bresse (variety of chicken), coq au vin (chicken in wine sauce),
blackcurrants used to make jam and crème de cassis (mixed with white
wine to make kir, an apéritif), and, of course, moutarde (Dijon
mustard). The wine country can be visited following one of the three "green
routes" (no cars) by foot, cycle, mountain bike or rollerblades. Wine:
Red
Burgundy, White Burgundy:
The AuvergneOf all the areas of France, The Auvergne in the interior, is probably the least visited by tourists. The area has a rugged beauty with huge lava needles, volcanic craters and pine forests. The hills produce icy, clear mineral water which attract people to Vichy, Le Mont Dore and Volvic. The cuisine is rich and based on sausage, pork, cabbage, veal, turnips, potatoes, marrons (chestnuts), cattle of Charolles, dairy of Dauphiné. Sauces are usually red wine based. Local apricots make tarts and jams. Perhaps best is Cantal cheese (called fourme which gave us the French word for cheese, fromage), and, of course, fruity Beaujolais wine. Chefs including the famous Paul Bocuse have taken advantage of this richness and produced some of the best cuisine in France. LyonLyon, France's second largest city, has a long history. It was settled by the Celts, then the Gauls and used as a base camp by Julius Caesar. It is at the convergence of the Rhône and Saône rivers, as well as the road system first developed by Augustus. Charles VII founded a bi-annual trade fair here in 1419 which brought all Europe. Banking and publishing followed. From the 16th century with the introduction of silk worms from China, Lyon has also been the center of the silk and textile industry making it a key player in the French Renaissance. The elegant townhouses of this period are in Vieux Lyon.
Basilique Notre-Dame de FourviereDuring Roman times this area had many public buildings including the forum and is now the site of a pilgrimage chapel and Basilique Notre Dame de Fourvière of 1870. There is a good viewpoint of the rivers and plain. Vieux Lyon: the medieval and Renaissance center of Lyon on the west bank of the Saône at the foot of Fourvière hill.
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Copyright © 2006 Last Modified: October 06, 2007
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