DIJON – www.destinationdijon.com
A visit to Dijon is like a full French meal – something that sets the senses ablaze and satisfies deep cravings. First, the city’s famous native food products certainly ensure powerful tastes. Second, its wines, drawing from some of the most celebrated vineyards in the world, pack just as much gustatory punch. Third, Dijon's setting and history are almost without equal: shop-filled streets and pleasant sunny plazas bristling with medieval and Renaissance buildings and private mansions, some of them full of art and past political intrigue. Even in celebration – for Dijon definitely celebrates – a high bar is set and always met.
Fun Facts
The owl is the symbol of Dijon. The small carving of one in the north facade of Notre-Dame is said to bring good luck if you touch it with your left hand and make a wish.
Dijon is at the heart of the Burgundy vineyards.
Significant Site
Palais des Ducs et des États de Bourgogne: incredible architectural ensemble that was the residence and seat of government of the Dukes of Burgundy
Extraordinary Exhibit
Musée d'Art Roger-Quilliot (MARQ): the city's foremost cultural venue with six levels of art from the Middle Ages to contemporary times
Delectable Delights
mustard: since its creation in Dijon in the 18th century, it has been famous around the world
Burgundy wines: the nearby Côte de Nuits includes 16 grand crus (highest quality) vineyards
Legendary Local
Gustave Eiffel: the engineer and architect most well known for the world-famous Eiffel Tower, built for the 1889 Universal Exposition in Paris
Also in the Area
Château du Clos de Vougeot: former wine storehouse of the Monks of Cîteaux and now the headquarters of a Brotherhood of the Knights of Tastevin
Beaune Hospices: a 15th-century former charitable almshouse with kaleidoscopically beautiful multi-colored tiled roofs and an annual wine auction
Abbaye de Cluny: the most prestigious abbey in medieval Europe, still much-visited today
Access from Paris
by road: about 3 hours (196 miles) via the A6 Autoroute du Soleil
by train: about 1 h 35 min by TGV from the Paris Gare de Lyon
For more about what to see and do in and around Dijon, including on the “Passion for gastronomy & creation” itinerary, visit www.topfrenchcitybreaks.com