Alice & Matt
Things To Do
Beaune
This little Medieval town is the heart of Burgundy's wine production. Stay tuned for more info on our group outing here!
Dijon
Dijon (yes, like the mustard!) is the capital of Burgundy and a wonderful little town for history buffs and foodies alike. The Les Halles food market is open Tues/Thurs/Fri/Sat mornings and has a number of stalls with local wine and delicious snacks.
The Owl Route
One of the most charming things about Dijon is this self-guided historic walking tour with 22 points of interest each marked with an owl. This trail proposes 3 different loops: the Rousseau loop, the Zola loop and the Moses loop. Each numbered owl takes in a place of interest, and the whole trail can be covered on foot in about one hour.
Hospices de Beaune
Founded in 1443 by Nicolas Rolin, chancellor to Philip III Duke of Burgundy, the Hospices de Beaune, or Hôtel-Dieu, once served as a charitable refuge for the poor. Today it serves as a museum and still continues in charitable endeavors such as its annual wine auction. Each year over the course of three days, wine from 60 hectares of donated land of the highest designations (Grand Cru and Premier Cru) is auctioned off, serving not only as a benchmark for the wine market but resulting in large sums of money, which is donated to one or more charities.
Fontenay Abbey
This is one of the oldest and most complete Cistercian abbeys in Europe. Fontenay’s church, cloisters, dormitory and dovecots have been preserved intact and became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981.