Between a galloping cultural scene and ambitious urban projects, the former capital of the Dukes of Burgundy has reinvented itself in recent years. The ideal gateway to the Wine Route, which winds its way through the best vineyards in the region, Dijon awakens and awakens everyone's senses. The local specialities seduce the taste and the smell, while the view allows itself to be charmed by the generosity of the medieval vestiges and the so particular hotels, from which the clamour of the past is tirelessly extracted. All the elements are here for a successful weekend.
Dijon plays with elegance
Although looking to the future, the city has been able to take good care of its mansions over the years, which alone deserve a trip to the heart of the Côte d'Or. Their registration in the register of Historic Monuments makes them accessible to all. These 117 exuberant Burgundy stone buildings are appreciated for their monumental portals and the detail of their facades. Some of them can also boast of being covered with glazed tiles that shimmer in the first rays of the sun, as on the clichés of good postcards
The best known of Dijon's private mansions is undoubtedly the Hôtel Chambellan, at 34 rue des Forges. A corridor vaulted with warheads takes the visitor to a small inner courtyard that Dijon has the secret. Often bathed in a blond ochre light, it then unveils its two-storey wooden gallery that connects the different bodies of the building. It was after the French Revolution that the nobility lost many of their mansions to rich industrialists. This was the case for the hotel in Blancey, whose curved tympanum and the imposing back door of its porch have no trouble splashing the street with all their class. Further on, the Legouz de Gerland Hotel brings yet another note of elegance to a city that is already full of it. Built at the end of the 17th century, it is best known for its harmonious hemicycle courtyard. Test the acoustics, it's like being in a theater!
This flattering courtyard echoes the most beautiful square in Dijon, which has recently been revamped: Place de la Libération. Renowned many times after having been called Place du Maréchal-Pétain during the Occupation, it takes advantage of its beautifully rounded shape with arcades occupied by bars and shops, to offer the perfect setting for a little moment of relaxation. A place of life inseparable from the local identity, it faces the town hall housed in the Palais des Etats, originally built for Louis XIV from 1680. Largely inspired by the palace of Versailles, it stood at the foot of a medieval tower, the Philippe Le Bon tower, completed in 1460. Already during the Renaissance, the Dijoners liked to unite the different eras. Lovers of beautiful panoramas are invited to take their courage at two feet to climb the 46 meters that separate them from the "roof of the city", and inevitably, an unobstructed view of the city.
A unique place to live
In order to rest while enjoying the architectural wonders that Dijon has to offer, a short ride aboard the free Diviaciti shuttle is a must. It runs through the entire city centre and leads to the very pleasant Place François-Rude, unknown to the locals by that name. They prefer the Bareuzai square appellation, a term used to describe the colouring of the legs of the winegrowers who used to press the bunches of grapes barefoot in large vats. They came out of it with "pink stockings"
In the background, every Saturday morning (but also on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays), you can hear the clamour of the market gardeners around the remarkable Halles de la ville. Signed by the Eiffel company in 1868, they bring the people of Dijon together around local products, inevitably binding generations together. Gingerbread, blackcurrant or mustard are the main ingredients alongside more classic products from other latitudes. The stomach will most certainly not fail to get restless. Don't panic, a bridle of about 50 restaurants is banging into Les Halles. Let the feast begin!
The city of 100 spires
Many historians trace the birth of "Dijon", derived from the word Divio, which evokes the "divine", back to the Roman Empire. This certainly explains the large number of churches in the city. This characteristic will long earn it the nickname of "city of 100 steeples". Close to the Porte Guillaume on the Place Darcy, stands the superb Cathedral of Saint-Bénigne, also recognizable by its radiant glazed tiles, and whose Gothic building as it is visible today dates back to the 14th century. She's been through time, not without her trouble. The underground floor of the rotunda was destroyed during the revolutionary period at the end of the 18th century. Another corner and another church: Notre-Dame church. Equally symbolic for the Dijon people, it also brings its share of anecdotes
They will tell you to go and caress 3 times with your left hand the sculpture of the owl flanked on the north facade. If in doubt as to which direction to take to find it, a quick look at the sidewalks is in order. Brass triangles representing her were plated on the ground all over Dijon to indicate the path to follow. There would be 115,000! It was also on Notre-Dame square that the fatal accident of this rather stingy loan shark took place. On his wedding day, he saw one of the 51 gargoyles gushing from the façade fall on his head. Legend has it that she represented greed!
Another place of worship is also much talked about. It is the parvis Saint-Jean which since 1974 has changed its religion to embrace art and thus become the stage of the Théâtre Dijon Bourgogne (TDB). The room is perfectly embedded in the interior of the old religious complex whose foundations date back to the 5th century. It alone testifies to the dynamism and originality of Dijon's cultural projects.
An interesting cultural life
If there is one area in which Dijon has been able to ensure its transformation, it is that of culture. Opened in the Age of Enlightenment and housed in the sumptuous Hôtel des Ducs de Bourgogne and part of the Palais des Etats, the Musée des Beaux-Arts has an exceptionally varied collection, the most beautiful pieces of which are most probably to be found in the great Ducal Dwelling Room, with two very beautiful altarpieces and above all the tombs of the Dukes of Burgundy. And since good news never comes alone, access is free, as is the case for the other six municipal museums.
And to make sure nothing is spoiled, Dijon always has at least one concert to offer every night, whether it be on its biggest stages like the Zénith, the Opera or La Vapeur, or in one of its many bars
Smart info
When? The most interesting season is probably the end of summer and the beginning of autumn, at harvest time
Getting there. The train is often the easiest and fastest way to get to Dijon.
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