HOUSES AND PROPERTY FOR SALE IN Burgundy

Proximity to their favourite vineyards tend to heavily influence where second-home owners buy in Burgundy. This is one of France’s major areas for wine production, with the red wine mostly Pinot Noir grape, and the white wine Chardonnay. You will find the finest and most prized wines in the Cote-d’Or, and not surprisingly property in this department attracts a premium price. The Plateau de Langres run through the department, with most of the famous vineyards on the south-east slope. Properties here nestle into the hillside and the rolling countryside is home to a fine selection of manoir, chateaux and country houses.

Dijon-Longvic airport primarily offers flights to Bordeaux and Toulouse, although during summer it does offer charter flights to some holiday destinations. However, Lyon Saint-Exupéry and Paris Charles de Gaulle airports are both easily accessible by road.

The TGV stops at Dijon, Beaune, Chalon-sur-Saone and Macon with direct trains to Paris (and then London via Eurostar), Lyon, Marseille and Geneva.

Burgundy is easily accessible by car, with motorway access to Paris, Lyon and other major cities. From Paris the A6 autoroute gives easy access to Dijon, Beaune, Chalon-sur-Saone and Macon. If you are driving from the UK, you can take the Eurotunnel to Calais and then drive to Burgundy in around 5 hours.

Burgundy is a popular region for holiday homes, particularly with buyers from elsewhere in France, Belgium, Holland, Switzerland and Germany. Property prices have risen in all four departments in the last 12 months. The biggest increase has been in the Cote d’Or (6.6%), with smaller increases in Haute-Saone (1.5%), Nievre (1.4%) and Yonne (1.4%).

You will certainly pay a premium price for property in the towns and villages renowned for the quality of their wines. These are predominantly found in the Cote d’Or, which is divide into two main areas: the Cote de Nuits in the north, and the Cote de Beaune in the south. Many international buyers head to Beaune, which is the wine capital of Burgundy. The town is surrounded by the most famous vineyards and the historic centre has many cellars, where you can taste the best wines. It is a beautiful walled city and a UNESCO world heritage site. Property is not always easy to find and you can expect to pay 3,000 euros per m2, or more, for a well located apartment in the town centre.

Particularly popular spots for holiday homes include the chocolate-box pretty villages of Chablis, Noyers-sur-Serein, Chateauneuf, Vézelay and Semur-en-Brionnais.

Of course, property prices are also higher in the cities and major towns. Dijon is the regional capital, and the historical centre is a UNESCO world heritage site, expect to pay around 3,000 euros per m2 for an apartment in the city centre.