On the surface, Burgundy, France, is seemingly endless vistas of rolling farmland and vineyards. Look a little more closely and you find rivers, canals, bike paths, horse riding, a national park, markets in medieval towns, beautiful and historic chateaux, great food (this is France, after all) and, of course, the wine caves that the region is so well known for. Life in Burgundy revolves around wine production. Wine tourism, from tastings and festivals to vineyard walks and chateaux tours, is an important part of the economy.
Burgundy is located in north-central France about two hours southeast of Paris. It’s easily accessible by car, train or even plane from anywhere else in this country. There’s a local airport in the region’s capital city of Dijon. It’s a great place to be, not only if you love wine, but also if you enjoy the great outdoors. The “Tour de Boulogne a velo” route offers 800 kilometers of easy cycling. In addition, there are 6,500 kilometers of equestrian trails for riders of all abilities, more than 1,900 kilometers of rivers and canals to explore by boat or barge and a network of 6,000 kilometers of walking trails that date back to the middle ages when pilgrims to Santiago de Compostela in Spain crossed the region, passing from Vézelay to Nevers.
Water is everywhere, once you know where to look. You might miss the many waterways at first, as you can easily pass towns and villages without realizing there’s a river winding through or one of the great canals is just around the corner. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, seven canals were built across Burgundy to connect the river basins of three of the country’s greatest rivers (the Seine, the Loire and the Rhone), including the Burgundy Canal, the Nivernais Canal and the Canal du Centre. Drive off the main routes and you’ll discover where they run. These waterways provide many opportunities for exploring on barges and canoes as well as by bicycle on the well-kept cycle paths that often run alongside.
Burgundy is a paradise for foodies and wine lovers, even more so than other wine areas in this country. Burgundy has several “terroirs.” These are specific locations where the environmental conditions support the production of specific protected products. Burgundy’s terroirs include Bresse, Charolais, Morvan, Auxois, the Loire Valley and Saone, places where famous local specialties including beef (thus boeuf bourguignon), wine, honey, cheese, sweets, mustard, liqueurs, gingerbread, snails and truffles come from. The medieval town of Noyers-sur-Serein hosts a truffle festival every year in early November. The village is inviting even if you don’t fancy “black diamonds.” It is a beautiful example of something the French do well: keeping ancient properties alive by using and living in them.
Burgundy has another advantage over other regions of France for the non-French speaker: the friendliness of the locals. People in this part of the country are both accustomed to tourists and also aware of how important they are to their livelihoods. The people of Burgundy are friendly to foreigners by tradition. That’s not to say that other rural regions of France aren’t friendly, but the locals here go out of their way to be welcoming to outsiders.
Renaissance palaces are aplenty in Burgundy, but notable examples include those at Ancy-le-Franc, the Chateau de Tanlay in the Armançon valley and the Bussy-Rabutin chateau in the Auxois. At Tanlay you can sit at the bar-pizzeria situated on the side of the Burgundy Canal and sip a glass of wine as you watch the barges slip by. Not a bad way to pass an afternoon.
Burgundy is a timeless region with appeals that will never be out of date or out of fashion. However, you have even greater reason to be paying attention to this special part of France today: the cost of buying property here. You’ll be amazed by how inexpensive it is, both in euro terms and, especially, when you make the conversion to dollars at the current rate of exchange.
Young people and young families have been moving out of this region for years. They’ve been going elsewhere in search of employment opportunities, leaving many properties unoccupied and available. As a retiree, you are probably less interested in local chances for getting a job, meaning you’re able to take advantage of an oversupplied market. It’s easy to find properties throughout the region, of all types, for $100,000 and even less at the current exchange rate between the euro and the dollar.
Among recent listings is a six-bedroom farmstead close to Ancy-le-Franc with barns, a workshop and a wine cave. The property is in need of refurbishment, but the asking price is only 87,000 euros. At today’s exchange rate, that’s just under $100,000. A three-bedroom apartment in the center of Tonnerre, needing some updating but in move-in condition, is listed at 97,700 euros. And a three-bedroom, turn of the century house just outside Tonnerre, with some land and a barn, is on the market for 66,000 euros. That’s about $75,000.
If you’ve dreamt of a French country home of your own, especially if you’re up for a renovation project, this is a buying opportunity too big to ignore.
One word of caution when house hunting in this part of France would be to make sure the property is within walking distance of a village or town with a waterway. These locations are pleasant and enjoyable, and should better hold value for resale.
Kathleen Peddicord is the founder of the Live and Invest Overseas publishing group.
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Retire Among the Vines in Burgundy originally appeared on usnews.com
