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 3rd September 2010
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 Cycling Holidays in Burgundy ‘Where is Burgundy?’ – The question most of my friends back in Britain have asked. Some have even asked it more than once. My well rehearsed geographical summary goes along the lines of, ‘it’s just to the right of the middle of France, six hours drive from Calais or one hour by TGV from Paris’. I ignore people who follow this answer with, ‘ok, but where’s Paris?’.We moved to Burgundy two and a half years ago to start a new and simpler life. It was wonderful to drive through the vast, green, undulating landscape characteristic of the region. It was even better to stop, perhaps by the Canal de Bourgogne and take a short walk with our boys. After a while we realized that we had covered only a fraction of the view around us. Then we began to wonder what it would be like if we had bikes with us. On returning to our rented house, after more than a little struggle we dug out the bike rack and attached it to the rear of the car. Thirty minutes later, a couple of adult bikes, then a child’s bike and a bike seat for our boys and we were ready. With just a little effort, Burgundy was beginning to unfold itself before us. Later a trailer-gator, double chariot and finally a tagalong and we were deep into the whole smug fit biking family look, but we were able to cover many kilometres rather than just a few hundred metres.  Within a couple of hours of our home village of Marigny le Cahouet on the canal de Bourgone we could easily cycle to; the hilltop castle of Chateauneuf, the spectacular Cistercian Abbey at Fontenay – a UNESCO world heritage site, the Roman ruins of Alesia, site of the Gauls first and last stand against Julius Caesar, the beautiful medieval town of Semur en Auxois and the romantic hilltop town of Flavigny sur Ozerain – both locations for the filming of ‘Chocolat’. The well maintained Veloroute along the towpath combined with a network of quiet cycle friendly country roads give us access to all of the treasures of the region. The hills, and there are some, provide some of the most breathtaking views while the descents give you the thrill of childhood cycling trips. A strong breeze in the face and childish whoops of glee, it’s all a bit Famous Five really. When we cycle friends through the region everyone is stunned and surprised by the beauty of the place. This is why we set up a company to do exactly this, stylish accompanied tours around the region at a gentle pace, supported by sumptuous picnics, great Burgundian food and wine (of course!) and accommodation in a five star gîte just round the corner from our house. We are passionate about Burgundy and want to share it with you. Whether you are keen cyclist or not, a family or a cycling club, if you travel independently and want to spend half a day or a day with us, or if you want a short break or full week, we can promise that you will leave with memories to treasure and like us the desire to have seconds.Discover more at www.velovelo.co.uk Cycling Holidays in France Home Page 
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Sportif RidesEvents for the serious cyclist in France Try these useful links to find out where and when Sportif and Grand Trophee events will take place... The calendar section here is excellent: cyclosport.com Use this link for Grand Trophee events. sportcommunication.com These sites are kept up-to-date. Feedback & SuggestionsTell us your experiences!If you have any stories, information or advice for FrenchEntrée's Cycling Holidays in France, please get in touch. We'd love to hear about your experiences, and also of anything you would like to see on this site. Is there something you need to know about cycling holidays in France, which you can't find here? Let us know! |