Route des Grands Crus (RDGC)

Transport: Note the buses are highly dependent on season and time of day – check with the tourist office.

Navigating the route: The walking is generally fairly easy and flat through the vineyards; in total around 80km (50 miles), but with occasional steep trips up into the woods and combes. Especially in the North you have wonderful views from the route up into the higher vineyards and woods and down across the lower vineyards and plains to see the parallel roads of the motorists' Route des Grands Crus, the main D974 and the motorway and train line in the distance so you never lose your bearings. Note that our walking Route des Grand Crus (RDGC from now) is almost always separate from the road version even though near and parallel so don’t get confused.

Waymarkers: You will find that directions are well posted. Yellow and Red parallel horizontal lines (YR from now) on a tree, lamp post or on the ground indicate the way forward very frequently, with an additional line at right angles for a turn, and if you make a mistake generally they warn you with a painted yellow/red cross! Occasionally you will have a definitive way marker arrow, usually yellow, with named destinations. So following directions is easy with this map and the signs.

Refreshments: For food of course you can visit cafes in the towns but for on-route picnic lunches we recommend buying their lovely baguette sandwiches, quiches or fruit tarts at the patisseries before setting off. Water is essential as in the vineyards there is no shade.

Gears: Remember the concept of the village country pub doesn't really exist in France! Note : take lots of water and sun-protection.

The multi-stage walk covers the whole of the Côte d’Or which consists of two halves, the Cote de Beaune at the south end (mainly white wines) and the Côte de Nuits at the North end (mostly red wines). We've divided the route into eight comfortable walks each of around 7.5 – 15 km (5-10 miles), designed to provide a linear end-to-end route, each starting and finishing in towns or villages small enough to be quaint but large enough for car parking and transport links back to your start each day.
Some are short enough to circle back on foot ; most contain overnight stay options to simply keep going.

When to go? The choice of which season to go has pros and cons.
In Spring, the walking temperature is ideal and although the vines are bare the countryside is still hugely attractive with the yellows of daisy-like plants contrasting with green grass. And for dog-walkers there are no potentially harmful grapes on the ground.
In Summer the temperature is potentially very hot for humans and pets alike, but the vines are in full leaf and the grapes are often a gorgeous deep red - almost black. Also in Summer all of the facilities like museums and restaurants are fully open and festivals ongoing.
In Autumn it’s a bit cooler and the leaf-colours are stunning: red, yellow and orange but discarded grapes after the harvest might be a temptation for dogs. Most of photos in this walk and the whole series are in Spring but to show you Summer here I have included a Summer photo from our previous visit. There are a few more Summer photos in Walks 7 and 8.

The wines: if you are wine tasting on a budget as many Visorando walkers may be, our advice is to find a cave or cellar with free tastings where even if you taste one expensive wine from a named village like Nuits-St.-Georges you might perhaps buy that one but also two cheaper but still great wines like the generic Bourgogne or Haute Côtes de Beaune or Haute Côtes de Nuits. Or try wine by the glass with your evening meal in the restaurant and then buy your emerging favourite from the supermarket! If you can afford a bit more, try a paid for tour of a Cave and perhaps a Premier Cru (but the Grand Cru may be out of reach!)