This Week...

Burgundy Today's roundup of news and events from our inbox

february 3

Treasure Trove for Collectors

Anyone who enjoys ferreting around the many vide greniers each summer weekend should add another venue to their list – the small town of St-Florentin in the north of Burgundy, bordering on the Champagne region. Here you will find a host of antique and brocante (bric-a-brac) shops specialising in linen, china, furniture, paintings and items of decoration, each a veritable Aladdin’s cave. Follow Lara Lunow’s guide to this little known town on the River Armançon and the Canal de Bourgogne and take a trip. More…

Stay on Track

Trying to keep track of the changes in the financial law is getting harder as governments think up new ways to bring in revenue. Blevins Franks has completely rewritten the Succession Tax and Wealth Tax pages in our Finance Centre to update everything for 2012. Check out how you stand…  

January 27

Final Stage For 'Climats'

Burgundy’s application to UNESCO to recognise and preserve the 'terroir' in the vineyards of the Côte d'Or has now entered the final stage. France has approved the proposal which now goes forward for consideration by the UNESCO committee who will visit the site, and then vote when they have their annual meeting in July 2013.

Decanter Magazine reports: ‘Aubert de Villaine of Domaine de la Romanée Conti is president of the association behind the movement, which will see the Burgundy vineyards proposed alongside 25,000-year-old cave paintings in the Grotte Ornée Chauvet-Pont d'Arc.

UNESCO recognition can lead to a 30% increase in tourism, Christelle le Presle, who has been working alongside Villaine, told Decanter.com, something they are ‘well placed to deal with.’

To date, France has 37 sites on the heritage list, including the vineyards of Saint Emilion (in Bordeaux); French cuisine was listed in 2010 as an embodiment of cultural heritage’.

Architecture Makes a Statement

In his article ‘Constructive criticism: the week in architecture’, Jonathan Glancey reviews some of the projects of 2012 around the world. He talks about the ambitious new plan for Stuttgart’s railway station, the tallest tower in Kampala in Uganda and Frank Gehry’s Dwight D. Eisenhower’s memorial in Washington DC.

Included in this illustrious list is the Alésia museum in Burgundy about which he writes in The Guardian, ‘Designed by Paris and New York-based Bernard Tschumi Architects, the cylindrical, timber-clad building rises from the spot where Caesar's army gathered. Inside, visitors will see interactive displays contextualising this critical battle. A second circular building, crafted in stone and also by Tschumi, will follow in 2015; set higher up, where the Gauls had
their fort, this will house artefacts unearthed from the ancient battlefield’. The museum will open on March 26.

Burgundy Tourism is going all out to promote 2012 as the year of archaeology in Burgundy in the footsteps of the Gauls and Romans. The spotlight turns on  MuséoParc of Alésia (Alise-Sainte-Reine), but also the Museum of Châtillonnais - Treasure of Vix (Châtillon-sur-Seine), Bibracte (Saint-Léger-sous-Beuvray in Saone-et-Loire) and the town of Autun.

Wineflite

You have tasted a memorable wine on your travels through Burgundy and would like to be able to drink it when you get home. Wineflite is a dedicated wine shipping service, safely and efficiently picking up your chosen bottles from the vineyard, tour guide or hotel, and delivering them to your house across the world. This could also be a good way to send a gift. For full details on this service contact Tracy Thurling.

january 20

Activity Burgundy

Here’s a lifeline for helping to keep teenagers occupied over the holidays. Catherine Zivi has just launched Teensbox – a boxful of 25 ideas to burn up overflowing energy in Burgundy. Watersports, tree climbing, horse riding and go-karting are a few of the suggestions which come on this fun interactive web guide, downloadable for 3.50 euros. There are sample activity sheets for you to get the idea, with full information and directions, prices and Teensbox discounts. Take a peek at the website.

In Pursuit of Excellence

Congratulations to chef Patrick Bertron of the Relais Bernard Loiseau in Saulieu who was decorated this week in Paris, receiving the Chevalier of Merit for his continued excellent work at the Michelin three star establishment.

Yan Pei Ming, the acclaimed Chinese artist, was made a Citizen of Honour by the town of Dijon.

St Valentine’s Promotion

A night to remember - for something extra special in 2012, Château de Villette near Autun is offering a St. Valentine’s package from February 4 to 19. Stay for one night in a romantic room, dinner for two, (wine not included), a large breakfast and a bottle of Crémant de Bourgogne on the house, - price 140 euros per person. More...

january 14

May at La Cueillette

Among the vineyards of Meursault a large renovation project has been ongoing at the Château de Cîteaux. In 2009, Jean and Corinne Garnier, of Burgundian origin, acquired the château and embarked on an enormous project. Regional artisans, specialists in the restoration of historic buildings, have undertaken the massive and meticulous task of totally renovating the château to create a magnificent hotel and fruititherapy spa complex called La Cueillette with swimming pool, hammam, sauna, jacuzzi, treatment rooms, relaxation lounge and fitness room. Everything is designed to create a feeling of total well-being.

It is intimate whilst at the same time affording lovely views of the vineyards and the château park. There are 19 bedrooms, the restaurant is headed up by Michelin star chef Laurent Couturier, and the cellars are some of the oldest in Burgundy.

So what is Fruititherapy? It is based on natural preparations of small, red berries from Burgundy, blackcurrants, blackberries, grapes, cherries, strawberries, raspberries…which are recognised not only for their antioxidant virtues but also for their very high content of vitamins and trace elements. Mixed with honey, grapeseed or blackcurrant oil, La Cueillette spa proposes a whole range of treatments: relaxation, fitness, detox, beauty, slimming, anti-aging…

Rooms start at 180 euros a night and there are packages available offering full treatments and half board. For more details, Julie Steele, tel: 00 33 (0)6 77 50 24 93 julie.steele@lacueillette.com

May at Dijon Prenois

The Coupes Moto Légende at Dijon Prenois is one weekend in the calendar that motorbike enthusiasts from all over Europe flock to. This year sees the 20th anniversary of the event, if you are a biker, don’t miss it – full diary now available for Prenois and Magny Cours.

The circuit at Dijon Prenois is 40 years old this year and a book has been published to celebrate the event, '40 Ans de Passion' , in French only, price 25 euros from the Dijon Prenois website.

January 7

Foretelling the Future

What is going to happen in the property market in France in 2012? Over the last year, estate agents report that there has been a shift of new purchasers away from the traditional UK, Dutch and German buyers to client inquiries from Asia, North America, South America, Africa and Australia.

With all the turmoil across the Eurozone, there has never been a greater uncertainty and the property sector stands to be disrupted. Credit Agricole, one of France’s biggest banks, forecast a national fall in property prices of 5 to 6% in 2012 with an 8% overall fall in sales. Figures to be released shortly for last year will show sales at their lowest for 40 years.

However, a recent study by the Lloyds TSB International Wealth has shown that more wealthy people in Britain are considering moving abroad due to the increase in crime, higher taxes and current cost of living in the UK. 21% would choose France; 15% Spain and 11% USA.

There is a feeling of security when buying in France compared with some other European destinations. French estate agents say that if a property is priced attractively it will sell, and people with money can still get a relative bargain in some locations.

Trevor Leggett of Leggett Immobilier ends with an upbeat message: ‘We play host to more tourists than any other country in the world for a variety of wonderful reasons and we regularly top the polls for offering the highest quality of life. In troubled times owners and investors seek safe havens and they simply don't come more secure or enjoyable than France,’ he explained.

See Property for Sale in Burgundy

january 1 - happy new Year 2012

Burgundy Today for connections in travel

Dreaming and scheming, thinking and planning...whether it is a meal, a festivity, or a trip, getting it together is sometimes as much fun as the actual happening. Learning about different customs and countries, making new contacts, the anticipation and preparation, they are an important part of travel. We hope that burgundytoday will make your travel experience richer over the coming year, connecting you to people and places across the region. We feature throughout the site, some of the best that the Burgundy region has to offer, highlighting the places to visit and the things to see.

Accommodation is one of the most important features of any trip and here we bring you the hotels which our readers and visitors in 2011 through booking.com have given the top scores out of a rating of ten. These are hotels rather than chambres d'hôtes, some are grand, some less so, but all are extremely well managed and friendly. Add to that, our own reviews for chambres d’hôtes and town apartments and holiday homes and let the planning begin.

Burgundy Today Cryptic Crossword Solutions

Across

1. Nevers,   4. Tenant, 9. Noël, 10. Prodigious, 11. Bateau, 12&23 down Burgundy Today, 13. Kilometer, 15. Père, 16. Acts, 17. Reveillon, 21. Exported, 22. Petite, 24. A Rare Error, 25. Dope, 26. Events, 27. Troyes

Down

1. Neo Nazi, 2. Valse, 3. Rupture, 5. Emigré, 6 .Adieu Nell, 7. Trundle, 8. Double headers, 14. Outsource, 16. Auxerre, 18. Emperor, 19. Octopus, 20. Street. 23.  See 12 across