What to see and do in Dijon.

If you think Dijon is famous for its mustard only... you are wrong! It is also reknowned for its architecture. It is beautiful, historic, and charming.

Dijon is one of France's most beautiful towns, for its centre has been spared by both wars and the town-planning of the '60s. As a result, 60% of the buildings in the Centre Ville are over 200 years old, and many of them date from the Renaissance or even medieval times. The conservation area is one of France's foremost, due not only to its size, but also to the diversity and value of its buildings. The Dukes were among the most powerful leaders in France for centuries and their legacy is the richness of the buildings and art that fills Dijon. The names of prominent dukes such as Philip the Good, John the Fearless, and Charles the Bold are still revered and remembered five centuries after the duchy reverted to the French crown. During the 17th - 18th centuries wealthy parliamentarians also built elegant hôtel particuliers or private mansions in town, adding to the architectural richness of Dijon.

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When you visit Dijon, you can sit in the lovely park behind the Palais des Ducs, listen to the trickling water in the small pond, and if you daydream, you can imagine life here 500 years ago. The Palace of the Dukes of Burgundy lines one side of Dijon's central Place de la Liberation. Part of the palace has been converted into Dijon's Town Hall, but the rest (the Fine Arts museum) contains, among other things, ducal kitchens that date back to the mid-1400s and a sprawling art collection of European paintings from the early Renaissance to the Impressionistic periods and some of the tombs of the Dukes themselves.

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Great food and great wine IS Dijon . Dijon is famous for its mustard, its wonderful pain d'épices (a sweet bread made with honey and spices), its liqueur de cassis (blackcurrant liquor, delicious when mixed with dry white wine(Aligoté) for a Kir), its escargots, boeuf bourguignon, coq au vin, oeufs en meurette, jambon persillé, and of course the world-reknowned Burgundy wines. Don't forget to visit the covered market in Dijon “Les Halles” every Tuesday, Thrusday, Friday and Saturday… On Saturday, it spreads outside & there is more "stuff" including some antiques. It feels like it's been there every week for over a millennium, with its meats, cheeses, fresh vegetables and fruits, baked goods, mustard, gingerbread, and on and on. With the Notre Dame cathedral on one side and Dijon's colourfully tiled roofs all around, the market is the centrepiece for a leisurely walking and shopping tour of the old city. Don't miss it for a quintessential French experience!!

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You’ll find many events throughout the year : the annual Gastronomy Fair (one of the ten most important fairs in France. Every year, a different country is invited to be a host of honor.) The rendez-vous for second-hand goods (Les Puces Dijonnaises) The Antique Trade show (le Salon des Antiquaires), the Wine fair and international folklore festival, (people from over 22 countries flock to Dijon, France in a celebration of music, culture and dance.) to name a few.  

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Dijon boasts a large number of churches and cathedrals, including St. Bénigne, Notre-Dame, St. Étienne, St. Michel and St Philibert (the only roman church in Dijon). The crypt of Dijon Cathedral, dedicated to Saint Benignus, dates from 1,000 years ago, and the city has retained many architectural styles from many of the main periods from the past millennium, including Gothic, Renaissance and Capetian.

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