A very lovely old town, great/consistent architecture wrapped into a bend in the Doubs river. Victor Hugo’s birthplace. Julius Caesar visited. The town itself deserves a good wander, and has grand churches plus authentic Roman ruins. The **Musée des Beaux-Arts
Squeezed between Burgundy, Alsace and the Swiss border, the Jura has an economy that essentially revolves around producing outstanding cheese, wine, and watches. It’s stunningly beautiful, lots of tiny villages, history, long stretches through beautiful countryside. Not “exciting” but perfect
A short drive south of the capital city of Burgundy, Dijon, is Beaune – an ancient town encircled by medieval ramparts, famed for its significant production of Burgundian wines. It’s relatively compact and manageable, easy to explore on foot or
***Fontenay Abbey in Burgundy was founded in 1118 by Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, a leading French saint, and built between 1139-1147. It’s the oldest preserved Cistercian abbey in the world. It’s a lovely and peaceful spot, well worth visiting. Also
Lovely, white, almost entirely car-free urban center. A great overnight within three hours driving distance from Lausanne, with enough to fill two reasonably easy days. Follow the owl markers for a good walking tour. Has a bit of a gritty
The town of **Vezelay itself is very pretty, on a hill with lovely stone buildings. It’s very touristy and small. We had a nice night, but I wouldn’t make a point of staying long here. **Vezelay Abbey: The UNESCO World Heritage
We made a stop in Saint-Sauveur-en-Puisaye to see the **Colette Museum and her childhood home (which wasn’t open, very limited hours). It’s a odd and not-particularly professional museum but worth it for Colette fans. Further reading about the museum here.