Burgundy and Franche-Comte

Burgundy



Paray-le-Monial

Dedicated to the cult of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Basilique de acre-Coeur has made the Paray-le-Monial one of the most important sites of pilgrimage in modern day France. 		The cult was founded by Marguerite-Marie Alacoque who was born here in 1647, but it didn't developed untuil the 19th century. The church is a small version of the now lost abbey chaurch of Cluny and features extraordinary harmony and purity in its Romannesque architecture.




Côte d'Or

Situated in the heart of Burgundy, the Côte d'Or is worthy of its name, the Golden Ridge. The autumn vineyards are rich with a myriad of colors. The Côte d'Or contains two distinguished regions: The Côte de Beaune for its excellent white wines and the Côte de Nuits for its famous red wines.

Beaune


Located exactly in the center of Burgundy's Côte d'Or the "golden" 37 miles (60 km) of vineyard extending from Dijon toChalon-sur-Saône Beaune is a quintessential wine city.



Roman Theatre

Ancient Roman theatre. Largest Roman theatre in the western part of the Roman Empire. Currently used for summer performances of historical plays on the town's ancient history.





Exterior of Abbey of Fontenay

Abbey of Fontenay

The tranquil Abbey of Fontenay is the oldest surviviny Cistecian foundatin in the France and offers a rare insight into the Cistecian way of life. It represents the spirit of the order in the sublime gravity of its Romanesque Church and its plain but elegant chapterhouse, in early in 1118 by St. Bernard. Situated deep in the forest, it offered th epeace and seclusion the Cistecian sought. Supported by the local aristicracy , the abbey began to thrive and remained in use unitl the Revolution when it was sold and converted into a paper mill. In 1906the abbey came under new ownership and was restored to its original appearance.



Other view of the Abbey of Fontenay

Franche-Comte

Belvedere de la Roche Blanche

Between the villages of Septmoncel and Les Moussières, this scenic viewpoint, at an altitude of 1140 m, offers a spectacular panoramic view of the deep Flumen gorges, St. Claude, Septmoncel and surroundings.


Waterfalls

Rushing water is one of the characteristics of Haut-Jura. In spring, when snow is melting, waterfalls offer all their magnificence. Near the town of Champagnole, the Lemme River drops 28 m in 2 successive leaps to form La Billaude waterfall.

The hike starts next to the camping site of St-Claude, 2 km from the city. The trail leads to the waterfalls of the Flumen River, emerging in the middle of a cliff, a very impressive sight in raining period.

From the village of Chaumont, 4 km from Saint-Claude, a marked trail reaches the "Queue de cheval" waterfall, meaning "Horse Tail". The rushing water drops 60 m in two leaps set in a very pleasant setting.
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