Beaune to Aloxe Corton - Route des Grands Crus

Access to the start : is by car or by bus/train - enquire at the Tourist Office for timetables for the nearest stop to Park Bouzaise where the walk commences.

Start: Street opposite the park "Parc de la Bouzaire", or the park's own car park near the gates

(S) From your parking spot, walk through the park gates going left of the pond past the boat moorings and small buildings and carousel, all the way to the top of the lake (Northern side) taking the exit-gate.

(1) Go through gate and turn left (West) towards the vineyards; red and yellow signs (YR) mark the way continue over a cross roads and follow the Route des Grand Crus (RDGC) sign.

(2) At the junction turn right onto Chemin de Tilleuls and continue uphill to a view point with an information point.

(3) Continue from information boards and turn right as the road twists and turns to become a track. At the next junction turn right along rue Mimeur and rue Charles Monnot and turn immediately left up a rough path marked YR signs (don’t go down hill). Cross the road to follow a track uphill towards the right and after 100 metres turn right again to another track taking you to a view point and semi circular area and statue of Notre Dame.

(4) Opposite to the statue go down the steps marked YR and at the bottom turn left. Then continue North with regular YR signs for about 1 Km, along the Chemin "dessus" (above) the expanse of Bressandes vineyards on the slopes below you, joining Rue Francois Valliant into Chemin du Pressoir, to eventually reach a triangular junction at Chemin des Cigales - go straight on through the woods but soon reach a junction.

(5) Turn right towards the motorway, passing Chemin des Perrières and you will soon have woods on the right and fields on left till you almost reach the motorway. Turn left here back up through the forest above the village till you reach Monts Battois.

(6) Continue on the path back into the woods until after turning right onto a narrow track through the woods, proceed and you will see way marker signs and you will reach onto a wider track.

(7) Turn right to soon finally go under the motorway into the outskirts of Savigny-lès-Beaune.

(8) Soon after the motorway, turn right on the road, or on a small shortcut path heading through to Chemin des Carrières, and join onto Rue Chanoine Donin, a main route into the centre. Continue to follow YR signs until you reach a turn on the rue Chanoine Donin to go towards Savigny-lès-Beaune centre.

(9) Turn right or right slightly further on at Rue Vauchey and head for the Tourist Office and Rue Boulangerie till you reach the Church.

(10) Facing the Church doors turn left in the Place de l'Eglise and immediately left again and across a road till you reach the road out of the town.

(11) Turn right onto the road into the countryside and commence a long walk along the quiet road through the vineyards. Along the way you will pass a bench.

(12) The bench and viewpoint is suitable for snacks or lunch with a lovely view over the vineyards and across the town of Savigny to the forest and motorway where you previously walked down. Continue about 1 Km till you reach a cross roads. Go straight on across to another junction.

(13) At this junction do not go down on the signposted route to Pernand-Vergelesses, instead continue along to a cross by the main road. You will begin to see great views of Pernand, Aloxe-Corton and the elevated woods ahead.

(14) At the Cross, walk left (you can walk inside the wall of the vineyard for safety on this very busy road) and after 100 m look for a YR sign across on the right hand side of the road to take you off the main road. Take this narrow track towards Pernand and carry on towards the village until you almost reach it. Then either cut across directly to the waypoint (15) (as our map shows)

or carry on and loop round in the village itself past the church, following YR signs, and come back out. As you walk away from the village you will see a YR marked left turn along a road which becomes as concrete road. Take this and proceed from waypoint (15).

(15) Having turned away from the village of Pernand continue the RDGC. You are very near the base of the woods at this point. Reach the Charlemagne Cross (beautifully crafted with great views over the vineyards and low hills) and soon after there is a junction to turn right into Aloxe (optional).

(16) You could turn left at this junction - to continue the official RDGC round the whole length of the woods to Magny-lès-Villers or turn right to walk down into Aloxe-Corton into the centre of the village at waypoint (17) - this is our route.

(17) The Route des Grands Crus actually does not go through Aloxe-Corton but carries straight on after Pernand Vergelesses to Magny at waypoint (16) but you may wish to visit the famous wine village, anyway, for a number of reasons listed below (A). (E)

Also the bus stop is there. So at the end of the walk you can return from Alex-Corton to Beaune by bus but note it is a seasonable timetable. Check very closely with the tourist office.

Access to the start : is by car or by bus/train - enquire at the Tourist Office for timetables for the nearest stop to Park Bouzaise where the walk commences.

Start: Street opposite the park "Parc de la Bouzaire", or the park's own car park near the gates

Transport:
End : Bus stop : At the end of the walk you can return from Alex-Corton to Beaune by bus but note it is a seasonable timetable. Check very closely with the tourist office.
Take a bus at the bus stop back on the D974 .

Alternative return: If no bus suits there are choices. Either divide walk 4 into two sections Beaune to Savigny and Savigny to Alex-Corton and in each case walk back the way you came , or especially in the second of these a good circular walk is possible by walking back due West from Aloxe to Savigny.

Dog policy: This is a dog friendly walk

Accommodation: The walk ends at Aloxe if you wish there is a hotel

(A) Aloxe has its wine cellars, Church and Chateau. The history is fascinating and in the small central car park there is a notice board which describes the origins of the village -including the connection to Charlemagne. Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru is one of the most famous vineyards in Aloxe and indicates that winegrowing here goes back before his time - up to 3000 years.

This is part of an 8 walk route along the whole of the Code d'Or . More information about the series of walks along the Route de Grand Cru as a whole can be found in the Walk 1 of the series
or the overall multi walk Route des Grands Crus including more about signage, wine tasting etc
During this particular walk you will pass through or near Grand Cru vineyards at Aloxe Corton, Corton Charlemagne and Pernand. Just off route is another Grand Cru at Ladoix. You will also pass Premier Cru vineyards such as Les Bressandes and look down on the slope which helps create their well respected wine - a Beaune red, reflecting the fact that as you travel north through Cote de Beaune you increasingly find red.

Not all wine: in Beaune there is the medieval hospital, while in Savigny the route through the centre takes you close to the Chateau where there is a wine equipment display - no surprise - but also, incredibly, in the grounds is a huge collection of military and private light aircraft.