Burgundy: hilltops, abbeys and castles

Drive out of Dijon to Châteauneuf, whose castle, fortified by Philippe Pot, still sits on top of the hill; look for his arms and knightly emblems on the walls. Then wander the small medieval village around it and look down on the Canal de Bourgogne before driving on to Montréal.

Montréal en Bourgogne sits on a hilltop above the Serein meadows, with the legend of Queen Brunhild behind its name. Walk its old streets, where a powerful medieval lordship once stood behind walls and fortified gates. Then drive on towards Vézelay.

Climb the hill to Vézelay and step into the Romanesque basilica of Sainte-Marie-Madeleine. Walk the old town walls, or visit the Musée Zervos for Picasso, Calder and Miró. Try a glass of Vézelay wine, and stay the night here, where pilgrims have stopped since the Middle Ages.

Noyers is curled into a bend of the Serein, with cobbled lanes and half-timbered houses to explore. Climb to the castle ruins and the two towers open to visitors, or look in at the museum of naïve art. Come in November and you will find its truffle fairs; then drive on to Flavigny.

Finish in Flavigny-sur-Ozerain, on its rocky spur, where the old abbey still makes aniseed sweets. Walk through the Porte du Val and the Porte du Bourg, and spot the streets that starred in the film Chocolat. Then take the road back to Dijon.