Just a few hours by train from Paris, Dijon is the perfect destination for a short break. Indeed, while it boasts a high-quality cultural heritage, its size and concentration of sites mean that you can visit (almost) everything in two days, and on foot without having to worry about transport.

So here’s the report on my almost exhaustive tour of the city.

At the bottom of the page you’ll find the summary of the articles about this stay in Dijon.

Strolling around Dijon

Let’s start with a few general points. In some cities, planning a visit requires a certain amount of logistics and transportation, but this is not the case in Dijon.

As far as logistics are concerned, there’s no need to buy tickets in advance: while the city attracts many tourists, it can’t be said that it suffers from overtourism either, and its main sites must be booked in advance.

As for the rest of the sites – unless, of course, you’d like to visit the surrounding wineries (which would require a few extra days’ presence, but is largely justified, especially if, like me, you consider Burgundy wines to be the best in France) – everything is concentrated in a very compact historic center.

This historic center bears witness to its rich medieval past and the period of the Dukes of Burgundy. It is organized around a number of major buildings, including the Palais des ducs et des États de Bourgogne, which today houses the Hôtel Deville and the Musée des Beaux-Arts. The Gothic Cathedral of Saint-Bénigne and the Church of Notre-Dame, known for its gargoyles and animated clock, are the main religious sites.

The cobbled streets in the center, such as Rue de la Chouette, lead to half-timbered houses and private mansions. Dijon is also famous for its Halles market, designed by Gustave Eiffel and inspired by the old halles centrales in Paris.

The historic center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Sainte Bénigne Cathedral, Dijon

Dijon’s Cathedral of Saint Bénigne is a Gothic edifice built between the late XIIIᵉ and early XIVᵉ centuries. It is dedicated to Saint Bénigne, a Christian martyr whose relics rested in an ancient basilica destroyed before the present cathedral was built.

Its architecture is distinguished by its sobriety and verticality, characteristic of the Burgundian Gothic style. The interior houses an XIᵉ century crypt, a remnant of the Romanesque church that preceded the cathedral. This crypt, built as a rotunda, is a unique example in Burgundy.

The cathedral was the home of the bishops, then archbishops, of Dijon.

Notre-Dame de Dijon church

It’s a Gothic edifice built in the XIIIᵉ century. Located in the heart of the historic center, it is known for its facade adorned with numerous gargoyles and its tower featuring a jacquemart, a mechanical clock with automata that strike the hours.

Inside, the church features a slender nave and antique stained glass windows, typical of Gothic art. It also houses a wooden statue of the Black Madonna, a local object of devotion for centuries.

A striking feature of the church is the owl carved on one of the buttresses. This sculpture, which has become a symbol of the town, is associated with a popular tradition according to which touching the owl brings good luck.

Church of St Michel, Dijon

A religious building located to the east of the city’s historic center, its construction began in the 15th century and was spread over several centuries, which explains the combination of Gothic and Renaissance styles.

The main façade is particularly noteworthy, with its three richly sculpted portals adorned with religious and secular motifs. Inside, the church is distinguished by its Gothic vaults and several works of art.

The Arquebuse garden

The Dijon Botanical Garden, also known as the Jardin de l’Arquebuse, is a green space located near the train station. Created in the XVIIᵉ century, it covers several hectares and combines an arboretum, a botanical garden, and a natural history museum.

The garden is home to a wide variety of local and exotic plants, organized into thematic collections. An area is dedicated to medicinal plants, reflecting the history of botanical medicine. The arboretum, with its century-old trees, offers a shady walk.

The Natural History Museum, located within the garden, features collections on fauna and geology, completing the educational experience.

Dijon Museum of Fine Arts

Housed in the Palace of the Dukes and States of Burgundy, Dijon’s Musée des Beaux Arts is one of France’s oldest museums, founded in 1787. Its collections cover a wide period, from Antiquity to contemporary art.

Major works include the tombs of the Dukes of Burgundy, Philip the Bold and John the Fearless, masterpieces of Gothic sculpture. The collections also include European paintings, decorative objects and works of modern and contemporary art.

The museum has recently been renovated to enhance its collections and improve the visitor experience, but in all honesty, I found it a little hard to find my way around, trying to keep to one guideline. On the other hand, the place is superb.

L’entrée est gratuite, ce qui est à mettre à son crédit.

The Magnin Museum

The Musée Magnin, housed in a 17thᵉ century mansion in the center of Dijon, is dedicated to the art collections assembled by Maurice Magnin and his sister Jeanne in the early XXᵉ century. Somewhat, for those in the know, on the same concept as the Musée Jacquemard André in Paris.

The museum presents an eclectic collection, composed mainly of European paintings, drawings and objets d’art from the XVIᵉ to the XIXᵉ century. The works reflect the Magnins’ personal tastes, with a particular interest in the French school and Italian masters.

During my stay, the museum also housed a temporary exhibition by Claude Gillot, French painter, engraver, illustrator and theater designer, often referred to as “Watteau’s master”.

The Rude Museum

The Musée Rude, located in the former Church of Saint-Étienne, is dedicated to the work of local sculptor François Rude. Opened in 1947, it features plaster casts of his main creations, allowing visitors to appreciate the artist’s art of the XIXᵉ century.

It has just one room and admission is free.

Moses’ Well

This is a monumental sculpture located in the former Chartreuse de Champmol. Created between 1395 and 1405 by sculptor Claus Sluter, it was part of a calvary for the cloister of the chartreuse, commissioned by Duke Philippe le Hardi of Burgundy.Il s’agit est une sculpture monumentale située dans l’ancienne chartreuse de Champmol. Réalisée entre 1395 et 1405 par le sculpteur Claus Sluter, elle faisait partie d’un calvaire destiné au cloître de la chartreuse, commandé par le duc de Bourgogne Philippe le Hardi.

The work features an octagonal column decorated with sculpted figures of the prophets Moses, David, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Zechariah and Daniel. Each prophet is depicted full-length, richly draped, and accompanied by prophetic inscriptions.

It is considered a masterpiece of Gothic sculpture.

The vineyard

I was only there for two days, but it’s impossible to talk about Dijon without talking about vineyards (I also really like mustard, but…that’s different).

The vineyards around Dijon are mainly located in the “Climats du vignoble de Bourgogne” region, a UNESCO World Heritage site. These vineyards stretch along the Côte de Nuits, south of the city, renowned for producing some of Burgundy’s finest red wines, mainly from the Pinot Noir grape.

Wine-growing villages such as Gevrey-Chambertin, Vosne-Romanée and Nuits-Saint-Georges are home to renowned estates, producing top-quality crus. The region is also famous for its Chardonnay, used for the white wines produced on the Côte de Beaune, a little further south.

Bottom line

A beautiful city, a heritage well worth the detour and, not included in this article but in the previous ones, a first-rate gastronomic heritage and, in the surrounding area, first-rate wineries, Dijon is a perfect destination whether for a short stay or a longer one including a few wineries or even as the start of a wine route.

The articles about this stay in Dijon

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