DIJON - BURGUNDY WINE,
MUSTARD N' GARGOYLES
Historic City of France’s
Cote d’Or
Dijon
- isn’t that where the mustard comes from? Yeah, but its also
the historic capital of Burgundy, where the wine comes come. A powerful
province
of France in medieval times until the Napoleanic era. Ruled by the Dukes
of Burgundy, Dijon was a center of wealth, science and religion.
Saint
Bénigne established Christianty before his martyrdom. At the Cathedral
of Bénigne de Dijon, his crypt over 1000 years old is one of
the oldest in France. Much of the original early church
was rebuilt in Gothic
times and later suffered during the revolution.
The
town center of Dijon, known as the “city of bell towers” is
one of the best preserved in France, with over half of the buildings
more
than 200 years old. Philip the Good (le Bon) made this ancient Roman
city on the road between Lyon and the old German Rhine city of Mainz
(see Mainz
Cathedral Rhineland)
the medieval capital of Bourgogne in the 15th Century. His son Charles
the
Bold who tried to annex part of Switzerland (and failed) is buried in
his own crypt in the Cathedral Notre Dame de Dijon which dominates
the
old town center, with its marvelous façade 
decorated with the
most gargoyles per square foot in Europe. The gargoyles were a later
edition
to the original gothic structure, but their varied faces and expression
make a striking moody impression. The clock tower with a 14th Century
Dutch family the Jacquemarts was brought from Belgium as loot and replaced
an earlier tower which had crumbled. Inside the cathedral is one of
the oldest "Black Virgins" (statues or paintings of Mary and Jesus with
dark complexions,)
in France, although the example at Dijon has had all it's black paint removed
and suffered damage over the years. There are two others in the area,
at Beune and Chatillon-Sur-Seine.
Dijon Bourgogne Dukes and Wine Road
Among the more interesting of Dijon's sights is the Ducal Palace (Palais des Ducs et des Etats de Bourgogne) one of the few extant examples of the Capetian period. Climb to the top of the Philip the Good Tower and take in one of the most impressive views of the city. The Musee de Beaux Arts is also found here with painting from the European Renaissance to the Impressionists. And the kitchens in the palace date from the 1400’s. But don’t look for Dijon Mustard in a mustard shop in a 15th Century kitchen, try a shop to sample the varieties in the Rue de la Liberte or find an antique.
As
for the wines of Burgundy, a few minutes from the city is the Wine
Road of Burgundy
the “Route des Grand Crus” (see Chateau
de Marsannay) beginning
in Marsannay la Cote
and going south through Beaune (see Cateau
de Pommard) to Chalon-sur-Saone and Macon.
Stop at the tourist center at Place Darcy halfway between the main
train
station
(where
the high speed TGV train rom
Paris or Marseilles/Cannes stops) and the old city center for a map.
You’ll recognize it by
the incongruous red English phone box outside on Place Darcy.
The region surrounding Dijon known as the Cote d’Or provides whole variety of French Chateaus and manor houses to visit and one of the oldest and best preserved monasteries in Europe (see Abbey Fontenay). Take a river barge trip on the Bourgogne River or a hot air balloon tour over the Burgundy wine vineyards with Air Escargot, wine tasting tours at a snails pace. Or get a golf pass with the Grands Golfs de Bourgogne. For motorsports and racing fans, the Circuit Dijon-Prenois is 20 minutes from the city with championship sports car and Formula Renault racing through the year and a go-cart facility for the karting enthusiast.
Dijon is about 1 ½ hours
from Paris on France's
High Speed Rail TGV or about a three hour drive through the beautiful French
countryside, longer if you stop for a mustard baguette with a little
burgundy wine. ©Bargain
Travel Europe
Find the best hotel deals in Burgundy at TripAdvisor
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Web
Info
Cote
d'Or Region
SEE ALSO:
RAIL EUROPE TGV, TOURS & RAIL PASSES FOR FRANCE
CHÂTEAU
DE FLEURVILLE
Hotel and Restaurant along Burgundy Wine Road
DIJON CENTRAL HOTELS
ROMANCE
CASTLES OF BURGUNDY WINE REGION
Château de Châteauneuf-en-Auxois
STONE AND GRAPES: THE CASTLES OF TRENTINO
