II.

Physical Geography

The source of the River Seine, which flows to Paris and the sea, can be found 26 km (16 mi) north-west of Dijon. Other major rivers that traverse the region include the Saône (a tributary of the River Rhône) and the Yonne (a tributary of the Seine). The Burgundy Canal, an important waterway that connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Mediterranean Sea, crosses the region, linking the Saône to the Loire, Marne, and Rhine rivers; construction of the canal began in the 18th century and was completed by 1832.

The Côte d’Or mountains, with an average elevation of 460 m (1,500 ft), dominate the heart of Burgundy. The range connects the Cévennes with the Vosges mountains and extends for about 50 km (30 mi). To the south-west of Dijon, the Morvan Regional Nature Park, established in 1970, encompasses around 196,000 hectares (484,000 acres) of meadows, lakes, dense forests, moors, and uplands. Among the park’s highest points are Haut-Folin (902 m/2,959 ft), Mount Préneley (855 m/2,805 ft), and Mount Beuvray (821 m/2,694 ft).