Tourist Attractions & Monuments Côte-D'Or

The Darcy Garden is a green lung in the heart of the city. One comes here to rest to the sounds of the waterfalls, to read on a bench, to watch the children play or to admire the calm of the hundred-year-old trees. It is also here that one can discover a masterly reproduction of the Bear of the sculptor Pompon enthroned at the entrance of the park. As for the history of this park, the merit of its construction goes to the water engineer Henry Darcy who had the idea, in 1880, to install in its basement a huge drinking water reservoir in order to bring running water to the city.

If you see Porte Guillaume in a distant horizon, know that you are at the entrance to Vieux Dijon, in the heart of the historic centre. Indeed, this triumphal arch is set on the large place Darcy, completely pedestrian, and at the entrance to the long rue de la Liberté which is also pedestrian. Dated from the 18th century, it was built in the exact location of a pre-existing medieval gate. Built by the architect Jean-Philippe Maret, this monument was erected as a tribute to the governor of Burgundy at the time, namely Louis Bourbon-Condé more commonly known as Prince de Condé. For this reason, it was first called Porte de Condé, then Porte de la Liberté at the Revolution and finally Porte Guillaume in tribute to Guillaume de Volpiano, former priest and Italian abbot of Saint-Bénigne. On the door, registered as Historical monument in 1938, you can admire four bas-reliefs.