Explore Guédelon, where a team of master craftsmen have been building an authentic recreation of a medieval castle using only the techniques and materials of the Middle Ages
Visit the UNESCO World Heritage site of Vézelay, an enduring masterpiece of Burgundian Romanesque architecture
Spend a day in Dijon, exploring the Cathedral of St Bénigne, Archaeological Museum and Palais des Ducs
“Excellent depth and breadth of coverage of the relevant historical context...delivered with a most engaging freshness and enthusiasm”
- ACE customer on the 2023 Medieval Burgundy tour led by Hugh Doherty
From 1363 to 1477, the old Duchy of Burgundy – with the glittering court of Dijon at its heart – became the focus of one of the most influential polities of the Middle Ages, extending its authority as far north as the Netherlands.
This tour pays tribute to some of Europe’s most delightful and architecturally impressive Romanesque monuments: the once imposing abbey at Cluny, the great cathedrals at Autun and Dijon, and the sumptuous pilgrimage centre of Vézelay. Here, the 12th century Sainte Marie-Madeleine, with its complex imagery, is a tour de force of the Burgundian Romanesque style.
The magnificent church at Tournus, dating back to the 10th century, is a superb example of First Romanesque architecture.
We will view Gothic art in its emergent form at the almost complete Cistercian Abbey of Fontenay, and in its late flowering at Brou Monastery. Here, we will see the fine choir stalls and tombs, including that of Margaret of Austria and her husband Philibert who founded the church.
Beaune’s Hotel-Dieu holds one of the greatest masterpieces of Flemish art – The Last Judgement by van der Weyden – whilst on the outskirts of Dijon, the former Carthusian monastery of the Chartreuse de Champmol is home to sculpture by Claus Sluter.
We begin in Vézelay with two nights at the elegant four-star Hotel de la Poste et du Lion d’Or, before moving to Beaune, where we will stay at the four-star Hotel de la Poste, which enjoys classically decorated rooms and a location close to the famous Hotel-Dieu.
This tour will be led by Hugh Doherty, DPhil, a Lecturer in Medieval History at the University of East Anglia in Norwich. Hugh is a medievalist with broad historical interests: he teaches classical and medieval history, and publishes on knights and castles. Hugh studied at King’s College London before gaining his MPhil at the University of Cambridge and his DPhil at the University of Oxford.
8
£3495
MBUR-24
Included: return travel, accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded room, seven breakfasts, seven dinners with wine, water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities & all taxes.
Not Included: travel insurance, double room for single use supplement £545.
