We are off to France in April 2006 and have just started to look into an itinerary.

First up we were wondering that, as we are not wine drinkers, is Burgundy worth the visit.
We particularly love visiting gardens, small medieval towns and villages, driving through picturesque countryside and poking around medieval houses and castles.
We will be hiring a car.

We would really appreciate any suggestions plus some budget but wholesome(if possible) eating eatablishments.

Thank you
Richard.

Forgot to mention that we plan to stay in Burgundy for approximately 7 days.

Hi Richard,
I'm glad Burgundy is not only a wine county because I don't drink! I'm sure Underhill will come here to tell you all the things to see better than I can do.(you can click on my screenname to see dijon messages) Meanwhile you can have a look at this website for chateaux :
http://www.chateaux-france.com/France.html
http://www.burgundy-tourism.com/patrimoine/index.htm
http://www.cotedor-tourisme.com/inde...=fr&rub=10 (garden section)
hope this will help!
have a great stay and welcome! ><

corinne
www.myhomeindijon.com

Spend at least a day in Beaujolais in southern Burgundy visiting the little villages that comprise the best the area has to offer, such as Fleurie and St. Amour. Visit Soultre Rock to see the prehistoric digs and the little museum. The scenery is gorgeous the food is good and time passes too fast.

Small medieval towns/vilages: Beaune, Semur en Auxois, Noyers sur Serein, are amongst the best in this category in France

Picturesque countryside: the Cote des Vins south of Dijon, OK, it's wine country, but it's gorgeous nevertheless; the Nievre for something more rugged

Medieval houses and castles: downtown Dijon, Troyes (technically not in Burgundy, but 30 km from the "border", in Champagne, and one of the first historical centres to be restored in France), Nevers, Tournus, you name it

Castles: Bussy-Rabutin

Abbeys: Fontenay, Citeaux

Richard...we have similar interests and criteria so I'm interested in following this thread.

BTW, was that a typo or did you intend to coin a new word? [eatablishments]

If the latter, for non-drinkers, it's a gem!

Oh yes, Burgundy has a lot to see! It's our favorite region aside from Provence, and for medieval houses and castles it's actually better. Send me your e-mail address and I'll ship you the articles on Burgundy I wrote for the bonjourparis.com web site; too long to post here.

[email protected]

Richard - Thanks for posting this thread. We are going to France in April too, and I was looking at the guide book last night and thinking the same things about Burgundy. Your interests are similar to ours.

We got home last Sunday from Germany/France and spent a bit of time on the Route du Vin in the Alsace region of France and the Mosel Valley in Germany. Scenery was beautiful but, as a non-drinker, I really felt like I was missing out on the essence of each region.

Underhill, hope you would not mind if I also wrote to you for the Burgundy info.

Of course. Glad to help anyone interested in Burgundy.

Finally found a link to the articles:

http://www.bonjourparis.com/pages/ol...articleId=1215
That's for Part I; click on Underhill, and the link to Part II should show up.

you see, Underhill is always around for Burgundy. Even if I live there, I always learn something!

P.S. Since you'll be in Burgundy for 7 days, pick up a copy of the Michelin Green Guide to Burgundy--lots of useful information, lodging and dining suggestions, recommended itineraries.

Not sure what you mean by wholesome food--Burgundian cuisine is one of the best in France. It's hard to find a bead meal there.

Or even a bad meal...bead meals are few and far between.

As usual the kind folks of fodors came through with some excellent information.
Thank you all.

Corinne - thank you for the websites I will certainly have a look at those.

Tuck - no it was a complete typo on my part.

RJD & Art - thanks for that I have taken it all onboard.

Jean - thank you so much for all your much appreciated information. I have already ordered the Michelin Green Guide on Burgundy. By wholesome meals I mean good meals that do not have a high level of fat in them. In other words we never have 'take aways' with the exception of the occasional pizza. Because we live in New Zealand and it costs so much to get to Europe, we have stay in budget accommodation and eat mainly at the cheaper cafes and restaurants. When we venture overseas we always travel for a minimum of four weeks. This pushes the cost up also.

For fairly low cost accommodations, check out Gites de France. You should be able to get a double room with your own shower for anywhere from 45 to 60€, or lower if you are willing to share the bathroom.

You'll find it easy to get healthy meals in France in general, with the emphasis so much on fresh foods. Vegetables, fish, and chicken are really good, and you'll find quite a number of supermarkets with attached cafeterias where you can put together a good meal for a low price. There's always a selection of salads in addition to hot main dishes.

At the larger supermarkets you'll find a large variety of ready-to-go meals, both hot and for heating up. I myself could just live on the bread! (Maybe with some cheese, though.)