Dijon: Background History, Things to Do, Eating Out, Accomodation.

On this Page

• Burgundy- A little background History
  
• Places to See and Things to Do in Dijon
  
• Eating Out
  
• Getting there. Paris to Dijon, London to Dijon
  
• Hotels in Dijon. Gites in Burgundy.
  

Dijon: Once a center of great power. Now, a beautiful backwater.

War

In the fifteenth century Dijon was the capital city of one of the great powers of Europe and involved in an epic struggle with France and other major powers for control of what is now Northern France and Holland.

The last great ruler was Charles the Bold. His territories stretched from the English Channel to the Swiss Alps (see map). When he perished in one of the endless wars of the period, he left no son and his former lands were fought over for almost two hundred years before the French finally expelled the last of their rivals.

Since that time, Dijon has been a quiet but beautiful backwater famous for its food and wine, its fine ancient buildings and the impressive scenery of its surrounding countryside. As one of the few cities in France that suffered no bombardment during World War 2, it is a great place to experience Europe as it used to be.

Peace

If you want a break in France- without the frantic pace of whirlwind, sightseeing tours- then compact, history-rich Dijon with its famed cuisine and wines could be the perfect choice.

Whilst the pace of living is unhurried here, there is a lively night life with theatres, cafes and festivals of all kinds throughout the year.

Places to See in Dijon

The ancient centre of Dijon is a tangle of medieval and renaissance buildings that range from the very grandest palaces to the most humble shops and inns.

A good place to sit and watch the inhabitants is the square of Francois the Rude. Cafe tables crowd the pavements beneath timber framed and stone buildings dating back five hundred years or more. It is also a good place to enjoy one of the traditional drinks of the region kir- a mixture of white wine and blackcurrant juice.

The Ducal Palace, Dijon

The palace has its origins in the dark ages when it was a simple Roman-Gallic fortress. Philip the Bold began rebuilding in 1366 and the palace took on its present outline in the 1450's with the addition of fine accommodation for the Dukes of Burgundy. In the 18th century a new assembly hall was added and the interiors were remodelled.

Nowadays, it is the town hall and sports the inscription Libertie-Equalitie-Fraternitie.

Unfortunately, not all parts of the Palace can be visited, and during important political meetings the gates are closed. Usually there is an English speaking guide and if you have the legs for steep, stone steps, the Tower of Phillip the Good offers an impressive view of Dijon and the surrounding countryside.

Museum of Fine Arts

Near the Ducal Palace is the 'Musee des Beaux-Arts'. There some fine paintings from Dijons' hey days in the fourteenth century and sculptures and painting from every other period up to the present.

One of the most famous artists represented is Jaccques de Baerze, who made significant contributions to the development of European Art in the early renaissance period.

The image-rich, official site below (in French only) gives an idea of the diversity of exhibits.

Museum of Fine Arts Dijon

Dijon Cathedral

The Cathedral in its present form was finished in 1393. The earliest religious settlement on the site was in 500 AD. The crypt of Dijon Cathedral, dedicated to Saint Benignus, dates from 1,000 years ago.

By French standards, it is a modest catherdral but still boasts some fine stained glass windows and impressive soaring cielings.

Theatres

There are three theatres in Dijon. Generally they are closed in the summer but in winter months feature music, performance and childrens' shows.

Admission to all three is pricey at 30 to 40 euros per adult but production standards are high and shows often feature international names and acts.

• Main theatre (french only)
  
• Zenit Theatre (french only)
  
• la Vapeur (English)
  

Place de La Liberation

Built in the time of Louis XIV, this was originally called the Place Royal. It is now a fine square to walk or enjoy a quiet drink at one of the cafes.

Kid Friendly Museums in Dijon

The 'Musee de la Vie Bourguignonn'- the museum of traditional life in Burgundy- is housed in a 17th Century Cistercian convent. In the 19th Century room children can dress up in traditional costume and have their photos taken. No charge for admission.

Musee de la Vie Bourguignonne
17 rue Ste-Anne
Open May-Sept., Wed.-Mon. 9-6; Oct.-Apr., Wed.-Mon. 9-noon and 2-6.

The Musee d’Histoire Naturelle (Natural History Museum) has lifelike animal exhibits and a botanical garden with paddling pools for kids. Admission Free.

Musee d’Histoire Naturelle
1 ave. Albert-Ier
Museum Wed – Fri. and Mon 9-noon and 2-6, weekends 2-6;
garden daily 7:30-6 (8 in summer)

Mustard Museum

Dijon mustard is famous worldwide. Local, artisan-produced mustards, prepared and flavored in a a huge variety of (pretty delicious) ways can be found in local, specialty food shops or at the mustard museum.

The museum tour takes about 45 minutes in French or English. Visit the tourist office on Avenue Maréchal Foch for information.

Parks

Another great feature of Dijon for kids is the abundance of parks. The Darcy Park, right in the center of town, is spacious and grand, but almost every other street has an area for children to play.

Canal and River Holidays in Burgundy

Close to Dijon you will find the Canal of Burgundy. Completed in 1832 it connects the Yonne and Saône rivers and allows navigation from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic. There are over a thousand kilometres of navigable waters in Burgundy. Find boats for hire below.

• locaboat.com/37/welcome-to-burgundy-nivernais-loire.html (good map here)
  
• barginginfrance.com/rdfbourgogne.htm
  
• http://www.crownblueline.co.uk/
  
• hotelsafloat.com
  

Places to Eat in Dijon

A good place to look for food is the Place Emile Zola. There are restaurants serving traditional regional dishes, sea food, salads and Italian foods.

La Brasserie du Theatre directly opposite le Theatre offers many good and filling salads

Le Restaurant de la Porte Guillaume, part of the Hotel du Nord, has an extensive menu, The 3-4 course fixed menu gives you the choice of such Burgundy specialties as coq au vin, boeuf bourgignon, and oeufs en meurette and is good value.

For some genuine haute cuisine, try Le Restaurant de la Cloche..

Accommodation in Dijon

Official Site of Dijon Tourism with All Hotels

Search for Hotels in Dijon

Burgundy Gites (self catering villas, cottages or appartments)

Why not enjoy a peaceful country retreat in the heart of Burgundy? The Valley of the Seine (Cote d'or) has wonderful countryside, great walks and is only an hour from Champagne Country. There are also great places along the Saone-et-Loire.

This site: Joefine's Gite in Burgundy describes one very relaxing, traditional, stone-built gite that sleep 6 people near to Dijon. There are many others on the site below:

holiday-rentals.co.uk/France/Burgundy/

By Train: Paris to Dijon

A TGV (train à grande vitesse) train runs to Dijon from the Gare de Lyon. This is the fastest train in Europe and the journey time is as little as 1 hour forty minutes

All TGV trains require advance booking either by phoning ahead, visiting the station before hand or booking online. Tickets in France are issued by mail so it is often easiest to buy in person.

If you are under 26, you can get a substantial deduction. A supplement might be charged for peak time trains,

Before boarding the train punch both the ticket and the reservation in the orange 'composte' machines on the platforms, find your seat and in about one and a half hours you will be in Dijon. TGV trains only stop for a few minutes so don’t fall asleep!

By Car

Its about 186 miles along the A6- a high quality, two lane highway. There are tolls at regular intervals so you will need euros. Service stations have cash dispensers.

By Plane

A low cost London to Dijon service will open in 2010.