We live in France in Autun and in a small village named Villeberny.
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Autun • Chateau du Petit Montjeu
Our primary residence is located in the culturally and historically significant town of Autun. Autun has a population of around 13,000 and is located in the heart of the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region, in the Saône-et-Loire department, about 62 miles southwest of Dijon and 1.5 hours south of Paris. The city is perched on a hill above the Arroux River, surrounded by the rolling hills of the Morvan National Park—a paradise for hikers and nature lovers.
Autun is officially recognized as a Ville d’Art et d’Histoire (City of Art and History), one of France’s most important cultural heritage sites. Its unique location in a natural basin (the “Bassin d’Autun”) makes it an ideal starting point for excursions into the Burgundy countryside, including vineyards and forests.
Autun’s history stretches back over 2,000 years and is a living textbook of European past. Originally founded as the Gallic oppidum Bibracte in the Morvan, the city was relocated and rebuilt by Emperor Augustus around 10 BC as Augustodunum. As the second most important Roman metropolis in Gaul (after Lyon), it was a center for rhetoric and education. Later, in the Middle Ages, it developed into a place of pilgrimage thanks to the relics of Saint Lazarus.
Villeberny • Le Petit Zendo
Our second home is a country house located in Villeberny, a small and tranquil village in the Côte-d’Or department, also in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region. The Seine rises in the immediate vicinity and the Saône flows through the department.
In Villeberny, we offer free Zazen meditation, Jin Shin Jyutsu and Qigong. Anyone interested is welcome. In Villeberny we also have converted an old barn in Villeberny into a Gallery where exhibitions by various artists are held.
Le Petite Zendo
17 Rue du Bas du Tiers du Milieu
21350 VILLEBERNY
France
Contact via our contact form.
| Culture and Landscapes of the Burgundy |
Culture
The area around Autun and Villeberny is home to wonderful medieval villages such as Semur en Auxois, Flavigny, Avallon, Tournus, and Cluny, which offer an intimate atmosphere and great beauty. There are also magnificent cathedrals and monasteries such as Vézelay and Fontenay, as well as romantic castles and palaces such as Bussy-Rabutin. And, of course, the well-known tourist attractions of Burgundy such as beautiful Dijon and Beaune with its famous Hospices de Beaune.
Morvan National Park
The Morvan National Park is located in the immediate vicinity of Autun and west of Villeberny. It is a wonderful place for hiking, swimming in lakes, or kayaking. Parking spaces for motorhomes are almost never a problem.