24 Hours In: Beaune

Wallow in wine and cheese in this attractive town in the heart of Burgundy

Wake up and smell the cedar

08.00: Wake up in the heart of the old city at the Hostellerie le Cèdre (00 33 3 80 24 01 01; lecedre-beaune. com), 10-12, boulevard Maréchal Foch, before wandering down for breakfast on the terrace. Doubles from €140 (£100) without breakfast.

Saddle up for a morning cycle

09.00: Hire a bike from Bourgogne Randonnée (00 33 3 80 22 06 03) 7 avenue du 8 Septembre and take a leisurely ride as far as you want along the signposted 20km cycle route that takes you through Volnay, Mersault, Puligny-Montrachet and Santenay. Rental costs €15 (£10) per day.

Take a savoury stroll

11.00: Tour Beaune's numerous food and wine shops. Don't miss the artisan cheese at Alain Hess (00 33 3 80 24 73 51), 7 rue Carnot, and the fig cakes at Patisserie Bouché (00 33 3 80 22 10 35, 1 Place Monge. Also worth a taste is the charcuterie at Batteault (5) (00 33 3 80 22 23 04), 4 rue Monge. Or stock up on Burgundy wines at Perret Denis SAS (6) (00 33 3 80 22 35 47), 40 rue Carnot.

Get a taste of the underground

12.00: Tour the cellars at Bouchard Père & Fils, Château de Beaune (00 3 33 80 24 80 24; bouchard-pere etfils.com), which houses one of the greatest collections of Burgundy vintages in the world. Open to visitors only by prior appointment.

Have lunch at the auberge

13.30: Remind yourself just what's so good about traditional Burgundian cuisine at Auberge Bourguignonne (00 33 3 80 22 23 53), 4 place Madeleine. Sit in the restaurant's terrace on the square and savour a slice of exemplary jambon persille (ham in aspic with parsley), a generous serving of boeuf bourguignon served with flat noodles and a plate of local cheeses all washed down with a glass of premier cru.

Watch the wine world at work

15.00: On the third weekend in November, the wine world descends on Les Hospices de Beaune (00 33 3 80 24 45 00; hospices-de-beaune. com), rue de l'Hôtel-Dieu for the annual la vente des vins auction of the Hospices de Beaune Domain wines. The museum housed within the magnificent 15th-century building is worth visiting the rest of the year.

Easy to be keen on mustard

16.30: Make your own mustard at La Moutarderie Fallot, 31 Faubourg Bretonnière (00 33 3 80 22 10 02; fallot.com). In business since 1840, the House of Fallot is the last independent mustard mill in Burgundy. Guided tours illustrate 19th-century craft skills using 21st-century technology including an animated wall and video terminals.

A different kind of wine shop

18.00: L'athenaeum (11) (00 33 3 80 25 08 40; athenaeumfr.com), 5 rue de l'Hôtel-Dieu, is the place to go for all your wine paraphernalia including books, glasses for every grape variety, grape-scented candles and the latest innovations in corkscrew technology. You can even pick up a wine-themed version of Trivial Pursuit.

Tuck into classic cuisine

20.00: Join the local winemakers for dinner at one of Beaune's best restaurants, Ma Cuisine (00 33 3 80 22 30 22), Cave Sainte Hélène, Passage Sainte-Hélène, where the excellent and well-priced wine list is the draw. It's tucked away off the main square of Place Carnot, and the menu at this cosy bistro usually includes classics such as a dozen snails, coq au vin or magret de canard.

Jazz soundtrack to a nightcap

23.00: Stroll to Le Bistrot Bourguignon, 8 rue Monge (00 33 3 80 22 23 24; restaurant-lebistrotbourguignon. com), a wine bar with live jazz, for an armagnac flavoured nightcap.

AL