The Route in Brief
The Voie des Vignes is a signposted cycle route through Burgundy's wine country, running south from Dijon to Beaune and on towards Santenay and Chalon-sur-Saône. The Dijon to Beaune stretch shadows the Route des Grands Crus, the famous wine road, but uses quiet lanes, vineyard tracks and short sections of minor road instead of the main D974. Beaune's tourist office gives the distance between the two towns as about 46 km.
Along the way you pass through Chenôve, Marsannay-la-Côte, Fixin, Gevrey-Chambertin, Chambolle-Musigny, Vougeot and Nuits-Saint-Georges, the villages of the Côte de Nuits. South of Nuits the route enters the Côte de Beaune before reaching Beaune itself. The slopes you ride past are part of the Climats of Burgundy, listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 2015 for their centuries-old patchwork of named vineyard plots.
How Hard Is It?
This is a moderate ride for anyone used to a few hours in the saddle. The terrain is rolling rather than mountainous: the route follows the foot of the escarpment, so expect gentle climbs, false flats and a few short, steeper pitches into and out of villages. Some sections are on gravel or compacted vineyard tracks, which are fine on a hybrid or touring bike but less comfortable on a road bike with narrow tyres.
The route has developed in stages; Beaune's tourist office notes that the section from Dijon to Chambolle-Musigny opened in 2020. Signage and surfaces can vary from section to section, so carry an offline map or GPS track as a backup and watch for Voie des Vignes signs at junctions.
Getting Started in Dijon
Dijon is easy to reach by fast train from Paris. Several shops in Dijon and Beaune rent bikes, including e-bikes, which make the climbs trivial and are popular on this route. Book ahead in summer and at harvest time in September. Leaving Dijon, the route heads south through Chenôve, where the vineyards start almost at the edge of the city.
Villages and Stops Worth Your Time
- Marsannay-la-Côte and Fixin: The first wine villages, with views back over Dijon. Fixin has a small park dedicated to Napoleon, created by one of his former officers.
- Gevrey-Chambertin: The largest village on the Côte de Nuits, known for Chambertin and other grand cru vineyards. It has cafés and bakeries for a mid-morning stop.
- Chambolle-Musigny: A compact village in a fold of the hills, home to Musigny and Bonnes-Mares.
- Vougeot: The Château du Clos de Vougeot stands in the middle of its walled vineyard, founded by Cistercian monks. Its medieval press-house with huge wooden presses is open to visitors, so lock your bike and allow an hour.
- Nuits-Saint-Georges: A small town with shops and restaurants, a natural lunch stop roughly halfway.
- Beaune: The finish line, with the Hospices de Beaune and its glazed tile roofs, ramparts and wine merchants.
Wine Tasting and Safety
Many domaines in these villages offer tastings, some by appointment only. If you taste, spit; France's drink-driving limits also apply to cyclists, and riding on gravel after several glasses is a real hazard. Wine purchases are heavy, so ask whether the domaine can ship bottles home or hold them for collection by car.
Carry water, a spare inner tube, a pump and sun protection. There is little shade between villages in summer, and some stretches have no shops. Ride on the right, give way to vineyard tractors, and slow down where tracks are shared with walkers.
Getting Back by Train
You don't need to ride both ways. TER regional trains run frequently between Beaune and Dijon on the main line, and there are stations along the way at Gevrey-Chambertin, Vougeot-Gilly-lès-Cîteaux, Nuits-Saint-Georges and Corgoloin, which means you can shorten the ride if you get tired or the weather turns. Many TER trains carry bikes at no extra charge, subject to space; at busy times there may be limited room, so check the SNCF conditions for your train and avoid commuter peaks.
Planning Tips
- Best seasons: Late spring and September to early October, when temperatures are comfortable. The September harvest is lively but busy with vineyard traffic.
- Timing: Allow a full day. The riding time is a few hours, but stops at the château and in villages easily double it.
- Going further: From Beaune the Voie des Vignes continues south through Pommard, Meursault and Puligny-Montrachet to Santenay, where it joins a greenway on a former railway line and links to the long-distance routes along the Canal du Centre.
