Magali
Magali
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On 31 March 2021
Magali presents her 6 most beautiful panoramas around Beaune in Burgundy
Here I am in summer dress but well shod to guide you to the beautiful panoramas of Pays Beaunois. Off we go! Let's gain a little height - you won't regret it! The views I offer have a few things in common: you look out from on high ;), an orientation table often lets you get your bearings, you can stay longer to enjoy the site, opt for a picnic or a hike. In any case, take care of the place, and leave it clean!

Mountain of the Three Crosses or Mont de Sène

Located above Santenay, you can access it by taking the road towards Nolay. At Les Louchardes (just before entering Nolay), take the small road to Dezize-lès-Maranges to the left, continue to the hamlet of Borgy, and there, turn left to take the Route des Trois Croix, continue and then park your vehicle, and you’re there!
 
This 521-metre mountain is covered with limestone grasslands typical of the Côte de Beaune with protected flora such as the Monkey Orchid and Pyrenean Fleabane. Classified as a nature park since 1993, don't pick any flowers, just enjoy them with your eyes.
 
Here, you have a 360-degree view overlooking the south of the Côte de Beaune to the east and the prestigious Santenay vineyards, a village gathered together and dotted with glazed tile roofs. On a clear day, you can see Mont Blanc, and that's no joke! To the south, you can make out the vineyards of the Maranges, Côte Chalonnaise and Cluny dominated by Mont-Saint-Vincent and, to the west, the Morvan.

My top tip: I come here with a basket to picnic, the serenity of the place and its 360-degree view are worth taking your time, and ... if you want to take a nice panoramic photo, this is the perfect place! You can also discover by walk the circuit 26, marked in yellow.

For a family walk: Chaume des Buis in Nolay

In the village of Nolay, head for Aubigny-la-Ronce, Bligny-sur-Ouche via the D33. Pass through the hamlet of Cirey, continue 100 metres and to your right before a turn, take a little road indicated by a sign 'ferme auberge'.
Two viewpoints are available, the first right at the foot of the Virgin Our Lady of Deliverance, erected on the cliffs in 1945 in thanks for the liberation of the town in 1944 and in memory of the victims of the war. This viewpoint is so beautiful, from east to west, your gaze embracing this landscape made up of hills and valleys, Nolay, the valley of the Maranges and the Cozanne, the Juliard and Sène Mountains... 

A second panorama is revealed if you continue straight along the road you’ve taken. Here, you can buy vegetables from the garden as well as organic pork in an exceptional setting with a magnificent panorama.

My top tip: continue the path to the Chaume des Buis farm, Karine sells terrines of pigs reared in the open air. If you go there late in the evening, I've seen unforgettable sunsets from this place! 

Orches and Saint-Romain-le-Haut

Heading from Nolay to Beaune, you pass La Rochepot. In the middle of the village, head for Baubigny on the D111D. You’ll inevitably take a look at the château, which can no longer be visited at the moment. Enjoy this imposing building all the same, which stands proudly with its glazed tile roof. Pass through Evelle and continue towards Orches, staying on the upper road. Don’t enter Orches, but at the cross when arriving in Orches, take the road on the left and turn left 50 metres further on. This path leads you to an orientation table.
The view is wonderful from there too ... you can see Mont Blanc in good weather! The landscape of vineyards and cliffs offers a beautiful panorama.
If you like hiking, take advantage of the Trail of the Rocks, punctuated with a few gasps of amazement, to discover one minute the vineyards at the foot of steep cliffs, the next, viewpoints revealing the landscapes of the Côte d'Or made up of forests, vineyards and hills with rocky knolls. This 15 km trail can also be cut in half for family walks! Useful to know: the circuits around Beaune are all loops and marked in yellow. With the "Walks in Burgundy" app, you can vary the pleasures and the gradients.
So you understand, Burgundy on foot: it's well worth it! If you don't want to walk, run or find inaccessible nooks and crannies by car, turn your vehicle round and head back to the cross at Orches, pass through this hamlet nestled under the cliffs to reach Saint-Romain-le-Haut. You’ll find a beautiful square with a 15th-century parish church. At the end of the rocky outcrop stands a cross. From here, a magnificent panorama opens up: the village of Saint-Romain-le-Bas and the Baubigny cirque of cliffs. You’ll notice that Saint-Romain-le-Haut is located on a limestone spur in the middle of a beautiful semi-circle of cliffs. You can admire its well-preserved habitat, its roofs and typical stone houses, rebuilt during the Revolution with the stones from the château, transformed into a huge quarry.

My top tip: if you can, visit the church of Saint-Romain-le-Haut, so original in its sobriety and design. The entrance is located higher than the choir, so you go down steps to get to it. In front of the church is a porch topped by a triangle, the symbol of the trinity. This is a house where the nuns who schooled the children lived.

The Oratory of Frétille in Pernand-Vergelesses

From Beaune, take the D18 towards Savigny, then follow the signs for Pernand-Vergelesses. Built as an amphitheatre around Corton Hill, the village is overlooked by the protective silhouette of Our Lady of Hope. Accessible by car from the centre of the village, the Oratory of Frétille offers a splendid panorama of the vineyards. The oratory is located on a plot between the "Over Frétille" wood and the "Under Fretille" vines. From here, you can admire a landscape of vineyards and small roads that meander through the plots. Look up and admire the Butte de Corton, a mound topped off with its own forest hat that grows nectars on its slopes whose name set us dreaming: Corton Charlemagne (my favourite wine), Corton Clos du Roy...

My top tip: the Tour of the Butte de Corton trail lets you discover two mounds topped off with their own grove.

My little anecdote: a village at the bottom of the Butte de Corton on the east side is called Aloxe-Corton. Be careful, talking Burgundy is de rigueur here, so say "we’re in Alosse" and they’ll take you for a real Burgundian!
One last thing … with your picnic, buy a bottle of wine and enjoy a glass.
Seeing vines stretching as far as the eye can see is sure to give you a dry palate...
If you can come or come back and visit these places in autumn, you’ll see their magic is 10 times greater! Then, if you want to prolong your pleasure, this region is a whole network of hiking trails with breathtaking landscapes.
Moreover, other viewpoints are even more worthy because they need to be discovered on foot, so bring walking boots and a map or app!
Take the opportunity to enjoy a nice hike around the Butte de Corton.

The Virgin of Beaune Mountain

The Virgin of the Mountain was erected in tribute to the liberators of Beaune, delivered on 8 September 1944. The Mountain, sitting amid the vineyards, is a green lung, at an altitude of 385 metres. You pass through the premiers crus of "Grèves" and "Bressandes". This beautiful circuit can be taken from Parc de la Bouzaize in Beaune where you can park and leave your vehicle, or from the Virgin, which avoids a good climb. Follow the "Montagne de Beaune" signs (yellow markers).
Making out Beaune’s various landmarks is interesting, so have fun locating the Hospices de Beaune with its glazed tile roofs and imagine the transfer of patients in 1971 from the hospices to the new Philippe Le Bon Hospital, visible on the north/east side (blue buildings). Or try to guess which plots are planted in the Chardonnay grape variety for whites or Pinot Noir grape for reds. A hint: in autumn, Chardonnay’s leaves turn from green to golden yellow, while those of Pinot Noir go from green to coppery red.
Also note the walls and cabotes (dry-stone huts) that make this wine landscape so wonderful.
And if you're a running fan, Parc de la Bouzaize is the starting point for our best running spots.

La Combe à la Vieille in Bouilland
Accessible by following the markings of the Rhoin Valley Tour walk, you’ll discover several panoramas including that of the Combe à la Vieille. The cliffs, which are used as a climbing site, dominate the pretty village of Bouilland and the Rhoin Valley. At the end of your walk, why not take a little tour of this village, nestled at the bottom of this green valley: its double impluvium washhouse, its fountain and stone houses so typical of the Hautes-Côtes make it so attractive!

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