Route des Grands Crus

The Route des Grand Crus takes visitors on a journey through the vineyards, villages, history, and culture of Burgundy’s wines. The signposted route meanders through vineyards of pinot noir and chardonnay grapes, leading to treasures like medieval Beaune with its Hôtel-Dieu (Hospices of Beaune), the Château de Clos de Vougeot, and wine-producing villages like Gevrey-Chambertin and Morey-Saint-Denis.

While visitors can explore the route independently by car or bike, organized tours offer stress-free, round-trip transportation, plus the insights of a knowledgeable guide. Full-day tours typically leave from Beaune, Dijon, or Paris, and travel parts of the route with stops for wine tastings, wine-paired lunches, and sightseeing along the way. Novel options include private excursions by Citroen 2CV and multi-day bike tours including accommodation and meals.

• The Route des Grands Crus will interest wine lovers, outdoor enthusiasts, history buffs, and Francophiles.

• The route is marked by brown signposts showing clusters of grapes.

• Allow between 2 to 4 days to follow the full route.

• Many of the châteaux and wine cellars along the trail are not wheelchair accessible.

Dijon and Beaune are the most popular springboards for the Route des Grands Crus, though it’s possible to join it anywhere along its length. Dijon is a straightforward 3.5-hour road trip from Paris using the A6, and regular trains and buses run from France’s capital to the city. Beaune, meanwhile, can be reached from Dijon in about 30 minutes by train or 40 minutes by car.

The months of June through August offer the best weather for exploring the Route des Grand Crus, though the route’s towns are busy during this time, especially for events like June’s Musique & Vin festival. Early September brings the chance to enjoy the grape harvest celebrations, while spring and fall are appealing for their cooler temperatures, fewer crowds, and lower prices.

The Route des Grand Crus showcases some of France’s finest wines. Its Côte de Nuits region to the north grows mostly pinot noir grapes and produces 24 of Burgundy’s 33 Grand Crus, or highest-classified wines, most of them intense, full-bodied reds. The southern Côte de Beaune area is chardonnay territory, renowned for its fruity, creamy whites.

The Route des Grands Crus is a famous wine route in Burgundy that links 37 winemaking villages in the Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune wine regions. The route starts south of Dijon and continues 37 miles (60 kilometers) to Santenay along National Route 74.

Although the 37-mile (60-kilometer) Route des Grands Crus takes about an hour to drive from start to finish, it passes dozens of wineries, wine cellars, and winemaking villages. You can enjoy two or more wine tastings on a day tour, but it’s best to plan two days or more for the entire route.

The Route de Grands Crus runs through the northern part of the Côte d’Or wine region, namely the subregions of Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune, where many of Burgundy’s 84 Appellations d’Origine Contrôlée (AOCs) are. Famous appellations include Volnay, Meursault Premier Crus, or Montrachet Grand Crus.

Yes. You can take many guided tours along the Route de Grands Crus, whether by private vehicle, bike, or in a classic French car. Popular tours include winery visits, guided wine tastings, wine masterclasses, or visits to the winemaking villages, combined with a scenic road trip through the vineyards.

Summer (July-August) is the busiest and liveliest time for road-trippers and cyclists to explore the Route des Grands Crus. However, wine lovers should consider timing their visit for the fall wine harvest instead, when renowned events such as the Chablis Wine Festival (October) and Beaune Wine Auction (November) take place.

Among the most notable wineries along the Route des Grands Crus are the Patriarche Cellars, Burgundy’s largest; Maison Champy, the region’s oldest wine house; and the famous wine estates of Château de Pommard, Château Meursault, and Domaine Henri de Villamont. The “capital of Burgundy wines,” Beaune, is also worth visiting.