BURGUNDY - France 2014 - page 1311

mail suit (30 pounds), and learn that it took a kilometer of metal line to make one. To add
more meaning to this sight, read “How About Them Romans” (see here ) .
Cost and Hours: €9, includes essential audioguide (there's also a fun children's ver-
sion), skip the €1.50 extra for the archaeological site on the hills above, daily April-Sept
9:00-18:00, until 19:00 July-Aug, Oct-Jan and March 10:00-17:00, closed Feb, tel. 03 80
96 96 23, www.alesia.com .
Nearby: After the museum, drive through the village of Alise Ste-Reine and follow
the Statue de Vercingétorix signs leading to the park with the huge statue of the Gallic
warrior overlooking his Waterloo (skip the archaeological site). Stand as he
did—imagining yourself trapped on this hilltop—then find the orientation table under the
gazebo.
Flavigny-sur-Ozerain
Over the next hill from Alise Ste-Reine, sleepy little Flavigny-sur-Ozerain (flah-veen-yee
sur oh-zuh-rain) had its 15 minutes of fame in 2000, when the movie Chocolat was filmed
here. Taking its chocolat -covered image in stride, this unassuming and serenely situated
village feels permanently stuck in the past, with one café-restaurant, one crêperie, a tiny
grocery shop—but no counts and, alas, no Juliette Binoche.
Flavignyhasbeenhometoanabbeysince719,whenthefirst(Benedictine) abbeyof
St. Pierre was built. The town thrived during the Middle Ages thanks to its proximity to
Vézelay (with its relics of Mary Magdalene) and the flood of pilgrims coming through en
route to Santiago de Compostela in northwest Spain. The fortifications you see hail from
the 12th and 13th centuries. The little town was occupied by the Brits during the Hundred
Years' War (15th century), then ever-so-gradually slid into irrelevance. By the time the
French Revolution rolled around, it had no religious or defensive importance. The movie
Chocolat put the town back on the map—at least for a while—and today, Flavigny has
been reinvigorated by the return of 50 Benedictine monks at the Abbey of St. Joseph.
Getting There: The approach to Flavigny via D-9 is picture-perfect. Just south of
Alise Ste-Reine, take the D-9 turnoff to Flavigny from D-905. Park at the lot just below
the gate. From this lot, signs also lead to Alise Ste-Reine, described earlier (great views
back to Flavigny after a few miles).
Tourist Information: Pick up a map at the TI ( Accueil des Visiteurs , also called “La
Maison du Notaire”) and ask to see the photos of buildings used in Chocolat (hours vary,
but generally April-Oct Wed-Thu and Sat-Sun 11:00-13:00 & 14:00-18:00, closed Mon-
TueandFriandNov-March, downRuedel'Eglise infrontofchurch,tel. [phone]).