REGIONAL FEATURE

Today, we base ourselves at Thury, a commune in the Côte-d'Or department in Burgundy, and the local village for our featured couple who run the Manoir Bonpassage hotel and restaurant (See ‘Living the Dream’ feature).
This is Charolais country, with small herds of the distinctive white cattle breed grazing on the pastures of the surrounding undulating rural landscape. Importantly, this is limestone and chalk country and therefore the site of many prehistoric settlements, where Neolithic men searched for flint for their spears, arrows and for grinding corn.

The heritage of the area makes this a popular place for amateur historians, photographers, and culture seekers alike. And it’s no wonder it is a popular place to spend days soaking up the sun, traversing the diverse topography and visiting nearby famous vineyards… In fact, aren’t we describing the perfect vacation, or an ideal place to put down some roots?
Within easy reach are the towns of Autun, a Roman settlement that to this day has a military college; Nolay, a pretty, medieval town about twelve miles from Beaune. Nestling in a river valley the town has picture postcard examples of old half-timbered houses and a fine example of a 14th century covered market. For those who seek a little more strenuous exercise, you should head west out of Nolay, where there is a 40-metre-high limestone cliff to conquer, as well as an impressive waterfall to capture a perfect ‘kodak’ photo moment.

Not far away is the town of Saulieu, known as the gateway to the Morvan regional park. We have featured Saulieu before and you can find more information about it here in our Summer 2021 newsletter. The village is worth an extra mention as it is the site of the Saint Andoche Basilica. This church, dating from the 12th century is noted for its numerous illustrations from the Old and New Testaments, local and imaginary flora, and familiar animals. Talking of this, a visit to the local museum ‘François Pompon’, who was one of Rodin’s students, showcases some fine examples of his animal sculptures.

Saulieu sits within the 1100 sq. miles of Morvan Park, which is well worth exploring. This park, protected through special status awarded to it over fifty years ago, has an unspoilt picturesque landscape, with lakes and streams bordered by forests. For lovers of nature and for those who want to soak up the ambience of nature as it was intended this is a beautiful place to spend a day or two.
Popular among many tourists to the area are the town markets. Based in Thury, we are within easy reach of the markets at Autun (Friday mornings), Beaune (Saturday mornings) and Chagny (Sunday morning).

It would be remiss of us not to mention some of the local wines that are worth a sample glass (or two!).
We are on the Cote d’Or wine route, which has been dubbed the 'Champs-Elysées' of Burgundy. Moving from village to village, you cannot fail but come across familiar names of wines that you will find on the top shelf of the supermarket, labels like Gevrey-Chambertin, Vosne-Romanée, Meursault and Vougeot. (Ed: Needless to say, you don’t have to travel far within the region to find other great wines both red, white, and sparkling!)

And this of course is château country, there are over two hundred in the Burgundy region giving a window into a bygone world. An hour’s drive away from Thury is the Château d'Epoisses, it is well worth a visit. Surrounded by 15th century homes and a church, the castle is at the heart of a double ring of fortifications of moats and towers. After wandering through the castle halls of history, you can relax in the beautiful parkland that surrounds this impressive, fortified château.
There’s a whole lot more about the area and the Morvan Regional Park in our regional pages