Beaune, capital of the Burgundy wine regions, calls itself 'the city in the countryside.'
From 30 June to September 2 Beaune celebrates the 3rd festival of courtyards, water features and gardens.
You can discover the various districts of Beaune and the variety of gardens open to the public.
Visiting Burgundy in June? There is a plethera of activities, spectacles and entertainment to keep all age groups amused.
Each year in June a Journée du Patrimoine de Pays allows the public to discover the inheritance of buildings and landscape. The theme for 2007 is Rues & Chemins and is celebrated 24th June. With numerous exhibitions there will be visits to sites of special interest and themed excursions.
Saint Jean-de-Losnes is a town perfectly situated at the junction of the Saône river and the inland waterways of the Burgundy canal and the Rhone/Rhine canal which attracts boating enthusiasts.
The town is the smallest in square metres in France with 36 hectares of land and 20 hectares of water, however, following a history of a trade centre for the salt mines at nearby Salins les Bains Saint Jean-de-Losne is now a bargees town turning toward tourism
If you are preparing your visit to France I have drawn up a list of highlighted events taking place throughout the country this year.
There are events from tennis to music and chocolate to formula one racing. This means that you should find something for everyone .
Although we are still in the early part of the year, still there is plenty going on around Burgundy.
30th March is the tercentenary of the death of Vauban so there are celebrations happening on that date; as well as throughout the year so keep watching this page for news!
11th March is also a day to learn to do Cajun dancing, taste Cajun food and really enjoy yourself!
The Saône et Loire department of Burgundy consists of six district areas the Autunois Morvan, Bresse Bourguignonne, Chalonnais, Charolais Brionnais, Le Creusot Montceau and Mâconnais Clunisois.
Each of these areas has their own particular attractions, so wherever you visit in the department there is something for everyone.
Southern Burgundy was identified as a prime habitable area 400,000 years ago when cave dwelling animals that were prey to our prehistoric ancestors inhabited the area that was to become the Saône et Loire.
The European continent was being roamed by major Celtic tribes 
and some decided to settle in the area; the Eduens in the Morvan and the Ambarres in the Bresse. The ancient city of Bibracte, which sits atop Mont Beuvray, was the birthplace of Vercingétorix who united the Gaul tribes in the battle against Caesar’s legions.
Following his victory over the Gauls at Alésia, Caesar showed lenience toward the Eduens with his construction of Augustodunum, the present day Autun, which was labelled ‘sister city and replica of Rome’ and was destined to become one of the principal capitals of the Gallo-Roman provinces of Gaul.
The Nièvre, by the sheer fact that it is the department with the largest proportion of the Morvan, is less populated than the other departments in Burgundy.
Morvan is a Celtic word and it means Black Mountain. But don't be put off, because it is the sparsely inhabitated plateau of granite and woodland which appear from hills and farmland that give it such an appeal. The highest point in the Morvan, for you cannot talk about the Nièvre without mentioning the Morvan, is Haut-Folin; standing at 901 metres (2,928 ft.) on the slopes of Mont-Beuvray.
The Nièvre predominately comprises of villages with a few towns, but to the tourist it is the Parc du Morvan that people come to visit for its wide variety of outdoor activities. Whether you want to cycle, canoe, ski, waterski, fishing, birdwatching or horse trekking there is always something for the enthusiast.
The Morvan has it's own infrastructure which is rich and diverse, something the inhabitants are rightly proud of and wish to preserve at all costs.
The Cote d'Or covers an area from Chatillon-sur-Seine in the north to Beaune in the south. What links Chatillon and Beaune are wines, as both are famous for their vineyards.
Burgundy has revelled in its fine wines for centuries since the fame of the region's wine spread throughout Europe in the 14th century.
Following the French revolution the Napoleonic laws of equal inheritance split vineyards into tiny fractions, which has resulted in a bewildering number of appellations, which even today results in a dauntingly complex clasification system.
Burgundy is one of the largest regions of France and covers four departments l'Yonne, Nievre, Cote d'Or and Saone et Loire.
Burgundy is also a rich region historically, cuturally, gastronomically and economically with each department having something different to offer visitors.
Once Burgundy was France's most powerful rival with territory extending well beyond its present boundaries.
For today's visitor there is something for everyone, centres of medieval religious faith at Vézelay, Fontenay and Cluny, the massive Morvan National Regional Park that covers all four departments, and Dijon, the capital of Burgundy as well as the Cote d'Or with its wealth of art and splendid grat palaces relating to the old Burgundian nobility, to name but a few.
What's on in June
France in photos
