A great motorhome stopping point if you are heading south from our depot

Last week we spent a couple of nights on a four-star campsite not far from Dijon, just an hour and fifty minutes from our depot. To be brutally honest the campsite itself was a bit of a disappointment but the location was amazing and therefore well worth a visit.

Campsite Lac de Panthier

The Lac de Panthier campsite at Vandenesse en Auxois overlooks a splendid reservoir with the most tempting water for a dip on a hot summer day. If you are travelling toward The Alps or the south coast from our depot in your motorhome and happen to have kids on board, this would be a great place to head for and let them have a swim to get over their travels. Even if the weather is against you, the site has an indoor and outdoor pool so a dip is guaranteed.

Departing the campsite at Lac de Panthier at sunrise

We headed there on Sunday afternoon ahead of meetings in Dijon on Monday and Tuesday mornings which gave us the afternoons and evenings to explore. Not only is the campsite at the edge of a lovely lake, it also sits between The Burgundy Canal and the fairytale castle and medieval village of Chateauneuf en Auxois both of which are so close you can visit them by bike or on foot.

The Burgundy Canal with Chateauneuf on the hill in the background

The Cote d’Or region is famous for wines such as Nuits st Georges and Beaune and boasts many other gourmet delights from Dijon mustard to Epoisses cheese. Also within easy striking distance are The Abbaye de Fontenay, The Medieval City of Semur en Auxios, The Morvan Nature Park and Flavigny sur Ozerain (listed as one of the prettiest villages of France).

There are pretty sights all the way along The Burgundy Canal and it’s great for cycling

There is something interesting around every corner as you drive through the Cote d’Or region of Burgundy

For us, the four star rating of The Lac de Panthier campsite conjured up images of a beautifully maintained site with a sophisticated restaurant and it is not that. It is none too tidy and the sanitation blocks are dated but the pitches are spacious and if you head to the right part of the campsite you will have a very pleasant spot. We had booked ahead and asked for a pitch with a view of the lake but this turned out to be a mistake as those plots are on the most crowded and overused part of the site. If you head back from the lake through a second entrance to the site you’ll find the outdoor swimming pool and a series of large, terraced pitches. You’ll still have great view of open countryside but this part of the site is much nicer and very quiet.

Sunset on one of the large pitches at Camping Lac de Panthier

This site might not live up to its four star rating but it is still very good if you avoid the most popular spots and the location is truly great. You could easily spend a week in this region and not run out of interesting things to do and see.