Dijon, a stylish city that boasts fine restaurants, museums and churches galore, is the capital of Bourgogne. An apartment here will put you in the thick of the city's bustling gastronomic and cultural life. In Dijon, be sure to see local landmarks like the Palais des Ducs and the Romanesque crypt of St. Bénigne.

Dijon may be Bourgogne's official capital, but the smaller and more quaint Beaune is Bourgogne's undisputed wine capital. A visit to Beaune's damp underground cellars - some of them built in the middle ages - is a must. But these cellars only show a part of all that goes into making a wine. To learn more, you'll want to visit wineries both in Beaunne and further afield. Bourgogne's appellation system is infinitely complex, but on a very basic level the major wine appellations are Chablis and the Auxerrois, the Côte d'Or (which includes the Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune), Mâconnais, Chalonnais and Beaujolais. Each area is packed with small, family-owned wineries, many of which are open to the public.

Bourgogne's cuisine includes more than wine. The region is also famous for its mustard; Dijon is synonymous with the pungent, spicy condiment that has been made here for generations. Other must-try specialties include coq au vin (chicken cooked with red wine), beef à la Bourguignonne, the tiny, garlicky snails typical from Bourgogne, and local cheeses like Crottin de Chavignol, Époisses and Gex. Bourgogne is home to more than 50 Michelin-starred restaurants, and it boasts a host of delectable family-run farm restaurants to choose from as well.

Eating and drinking will take up a lot of your time in Bourgogne, but try to save time for visiting character-filled villages like Vézelay, Fontenay, Cluny, Louhans, Alésia and St. Usuge, where you'll find Romanesque churches, medieval monasteries, quaint cobblestone streets and the hearty restaurants so typical of Bourgogne. An apartment in one of these small towns gives you a great opportunity to meet local people and get a taste of day-to-day life in Bourgogne.