(c) Chateau du Bellecroix
A visit to Burgundy in France is top of the list for the serious gourmand, but along with great food and visits to world-famous wineries, the region also offers historic sightseeing in the form of monasteries, churches and stately châteaux, and walking and hiking for the more energetic. Here, The Good Hotel Guide selects ten incredible hotels to stay in from their collection of hotels in Burgundy.
1. Hotel Chateau du Bellecroix, Chagny
(c) Hotel du Bellecroix
A former residence of the Knights of Malta, Hotel Chateau du Bellecroix, turreted and creeper-covered, dates in part from the 12th century, but the château itself is 19th-century. It stands in its own lovely park, with an ornamental pond and a sizeable swimming pool. There is a beautiful dining room, with white tablecloths, pink flowers, panelling, wooden floor, a large fireplace. The best bedrooms, in the annexe, the 12th-century commanderie, are large and luxurious; some have a four-poster bed.
2. Chateau de Villette, Poil
(c) Chateau de Villette
In the Morvan nature reserve in southern Burgundy, Chateau de Villette is a 16th/18th-century château with lovely bedrooms, described as old-fashioned but with modern comforts. The setting, with panoramic views, is stunning and tranquil: it is in a huge park with woods, streams, ponds and fields. The five-course set dinner (chosen the day before) is served in the candlelit dining room or on a terrace. Breakfasts are lavish.
3 . Chateau d'Ige, Ige
(c) Chateau d'Ige
The 13th-century, Chateau d'Ige stands in wooded grounds in a small village amid the vineyards and forests of the Mâconais wine region (Mâcon d'Igé is an appellation in its own right). It has ivy-covered walls, stone-flagged floors and spiral stairways; corridors are dark and winding. The suites in the turrets are particularly attractive, with their circular rooms. Summer drinks and gourmet meals are served on a terrace by a stream.
4. Aux Terrasses, Tournus
(c) Aux Terrasses
A creeper-covered boutique hotel just south of the lovely medieval town of Tournos, Aux Terrasses is the ideal stopover if you want to eat well and stay cheaply. It is close to the busy road, but the soundproofed, air-conditioned rooms are very quiet. The food is exquisite (chef Jean-Michel Carrette has a Michelin star) and served in three discreetly elegant dining rooms.
5. Hostellerie des Clos, Chablis
(c) Hostellerie des Clos
If wine touring takes you to Chablis, Hostellerie des Clos should be your hotel of choice. It's set in a converted almshouse, and the restaurant is famous locally and has a huge wine list. The bedrooms face the village, or the pretty courtyard garden where drinks and tea are served. Buffet breakfasts are served in the garden, and wine tastings are held.
6. Castel des Tres Girard, Moret-St-Denis
(c) Castel des Tres Girard
Quietly set amid noble Burgundy vineyards, about 10 km from Dijon, Castel de Tres Girard is a handsome 18th-century manor house in a former wine press. The rooms are spacious, with views of vineyards; they feature old beams and original stonework. The restaurant offers traditional Burgundian cuisine. There's a large wine list and a terrace for summer dining, as well as a cozy lounge bar for pre-dinner drinks. The garden has an unheated swimming pool.
7. Hostellerie du Chateau, Chateauneuf
(c) Hostellerie du Chateau
An old hostelry, Hostellerie du Chateau in a ramparted medieval hamlet on a hilltop west of Dijon, is a most attractive location, with fine views over countryside. Though modernised, it is picturesque, with its beamed ceilings, rough stonework, and small, pretty garden that faces the château. The candlelit dinners are served in a room with flagstone floors, tapestry rugs and a fine old fireplace. Bedrooms are on several floors; some have beams, old stones and period furnishings; some overlook countryside.
8. La Cote Saint-Jacques, Joigny
(c) La Cote Saint-Jacques
The glamorous La Cote Saint-Jacques, on the banks of the Yonne, is hard to fault. Manager/chef Jean-Michel Lorain has two Michelin stars, and the wine cellar has over 25,000 bottles. Ten traditional bedrooms are in the main building; the best ones are reached by a tunnel (decorated with Roman remains) under the noisy N6. There is a summer lounge with a terrace and a winter lounge with fireplace and library. There's a spa, and the large indoor swimming pool opens on to the garden.
9. La Lucarne aux Chouettes, Villeneuve-Sur-Yonne
(c) La Lucarne aux Chouettes
This delightful small auberge, stylish but not posh, was created from four 17th-century boat houses on the Yonne in northern Burgundy. The conversion of La Lucarne aux Chouettes, or 'The Owl's Nest', has kept the old character: stones, beams, flagged floors and old tiles. In the superb dining room, created from a 17th-century warehouse, you can eat by a fire under a vaulted ceiling. Summer meals are on a riverside terrace with parasols.
10. Hotel Le Cep, Beaune
(c) Hotel Le Cep
The most famous hotel in Burgundy's wine capital, Hotel Le Cep is in a stately building, mainly 17th-century, part 14th, with outside stone staircases, a superb spiral stairway and a medieval courtyard, as well as Louis XV décor and a tower with views of the old town. A Michelin-starred restaurant, Loiseau des Vignes, is located on the hotel property but is managed separately by the Bernard Loiseau restaurant group. New in 2016 is a sleek and luxurious spa.
See more of the Good Hotel Guide's Hotels in France here.