Excellent location for traffic-free cycling and scenic walks. The house is just a hundred metres from the canal, with an extensive network of quiet roads and paths right from the doorstep.
The area
There is lots to do in Burgundy, so whether you enjoy walking, sightseeing or simply soaking up the scenery - and the wine - there's something here for you.
Shopping
While Corchanu itself does not have any shops,
Santenay, just 20 minutes' walk away, has a boulangerie (for those fresh breakfast croissants and French bread), a useful mini market and a butcher/charcuterie. There is also a pharmacy and bank, and a market held on Thursday mornings.
Chagny, 5km away, has three supermarkets: Casino in the centre, Intermarche just over the main road and Champion on the Route National. It also has a fish shop, several butcher/charcuteries and bakers, a greengrocers and several banks. Its busy market is on Sunday morning.
Markets
The following local towns/villages all have markets, selling vegetables, cheese (including local goats' cheese), meat and charcuterie. Some have several stalls selling each product, some only one.
- Beaune: Saturday morning. Sells everything and has lots of local speciality stalls as well. Also a few stalls on Wednesday morning.
- Chagny: Sunday morning. Sells everything.
- Nolay: small market on Monday.
- St Leger le Dheune: small market on Tuesday morning.
- Santenay: small market Thursday morning.
- Meursault: small market Friday morning.
Eating out
Burgundy is a gourmet's paradise, with a huge choice of eateries on offer to suit any taste or pocket. The following are local restaurants we have visited and enjoyed.
Le Terroir, in Santenay, is a favourite of ours, and L'Ouillette is also recommended. L'Escale, in Remigny, is also a good local restaurant, while Le Vendagerotte, in Rully, is another favourite.
Meursault has several restaurants in the centre, including Le Relais de Diligence, near the station. Beaune also has lots of restaurants depending on your purse and eating preferences.
The place to eat in Chagny is the famous three star Lameloise. However, there are several more reasonably priced places to eat. For steak try Le Grenier a Sel, discretely situated in the street next to Casino. Alternatively, there is a pizza restaurant.
Chassagne Montrachet and Puligny Montrachet also have smart restaurants.
Things to do
Obviously wine is the biggest local attraction. It is possible to taste and buy wine wherever you see the sign Degustation or Vente de Vin, although this may not apply during the harvest. The etiquette is if you taste (usually free) you are expected to buy at least one bottle. A walk in the vineyards costs nothing. Several of the wine villages have shops selling wine from local growers, and the staff speak English and are helpful. These shops charge cellar door prices.
If you are interested in finding out a little about wine making, visit the Chateau de Meursault in Meursault centre. It costs €10-15 which gets you a free glass and the chance to taste several very nice wines, with no obligation to buy. Before touring the cellars there is a very good video in French and English explaining how wine is made locally.
Beaune is the centre of the wine industry locally and has a number of shops where you can buy local wines not available at the cellar door (beware - they are not cheap by French prices). It also has a wine museum and some lovely old buildings. The largest and most important is the Hospice de Beaune, which is now a museum but served as the local charitable hospital from the 1400s until 1970. If you only visit one tourist site, this is the one.
Dijon is an interesting place with lovely old buildings, a good art gallery and museums and mustard. The Maille mustard shop is beautiful, and if you're buying gifts, the packaging makes it a must. Dijon can be reached by car or by train from Chagny.
Autun has a lovely old cathedral and some Roman remains. It is on the edge of the Morvan National Park, an area good for walking and as a holiday destination. Not far beyond Autun is Mt Beuvray, the site of an important Celtic settlement called Bibracte, used by Vercingetorix (for you Asterix lovers). It is being excavated each summer and has a museum at the bottom of the hill and good signs around the excavations.
If you are interested in churches then Tournus has a superb Romanesque Cathedral and close by is the hill top village of Brancion and the Chateau de Cormatin.
Cluny has very little of the Abbey left and Citeaux is a working monastery with tours (in French) of the few remaining buildings.
If you want to go further afield, a visit to Vezelay, on the northern edge of the Morvan, is a must. The Basilica is one of the most important religious sites in France and is very simple but beautiful. The village has several simple restaurants, lovely views and for those who can’t resist, shopping. Go via the A6, get off at Avalon, and come back through the Morvan.
A trip cross-country to Alesia is also recommended. Alesia was an important Roman town that's currently being excavated, and was also supposedly the site of the last battle of Vercingetorix. Close by is Flavigny, a medieval village where Chocolat was filmed. Nearby, close to Montbard, is the Abbey of Fontenoy, one of the most beautiful, best kept and complete medieval monasteries in France. Nearby is the Chateau de Bussy Rabutin.
Sport and leisure
If you feel the need to exercise off all that cheese and wine, there are lots of excellent walks right on your doorstep in Corchanu, with well marked pathways. The house is well equipped with maps to help you plan your route. There are bikes stored in the Grange if you'd prefer pedal power, and there's also a riding stables in Santenay.
Further information
To find out more about the area, visit www.burgundytoday.com, which has lots of information about eating out, sightseeing and what's on in the area.