Dijon Was So Much Fun We Went Back a Second Time

Let’s go to Dijon in the Burgundy Region of France. I love Dijon, its covered market, churches, beautiful parks, the wines and the food. Everything is centrally located which makes it easy to walk to anything you want to see. This map will help you locate the attractions I suggest.

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Place Darcy is a beautiful park only a couple of blocks from the train station and I found it the perfect spot to enjoy my sandwich while waiting for the arrival of my daughter at the train station. After a few days in Dijon, we picked up our rental car, at the train station, and drove south through the vineyards. The street between the park and the train station also has some delightful shops.

First, the follie behind the fountain where I sat for my lunch.

 

Now lets get a close look at the phenomenal details of the fountain itself.

 

Another little quiet and serene park with a stone waterfall lies behind the Musée des Beaux Arts which is housed in the Palais des Ducs et Etats de Bourgogne.  Clearly the local children love this fountain as it is perfect for climbing.

 

Dijon was the capitol of the Kingdom of Burgundy as far back as the 5th century. Although less quiet because of the surrounding traffic, Place du Wilson sports a huge fountain in the middle of the round-a-bout (rond point). There are, however, many nice benches surrounding the fountain where you can relax.

 

The walk from the center of town to the train station has some wonderful shopping. The Maille mustard shop which has been in business since 1747 is always on our list of “to go” places. You will find a huge selection of mustards there but you will also note that it can be purchased much cheaper at the covered market. However, what you will not find anywhere else but this in this shop (except in their Paris shop) is their fresh mustard made by macerating mustard seeds in wine. We came home with three jars straight from the tap, each sealed with a large cork. Who knew that mustard would be a tourism draw! The mustard jars must be packed in your checked luggage.

I had lunch at La Maison Milliere Café (10 rue de la Chouette) in the shadow of Notre Dame. You can eat inside, or in their courtyard – the courtyard was my choice of location. They also have little tables outside where you can sit in the shadow of the cathedral if you are only having tea or coffee.

Dijon Churches

There are 51 gargoyles on the western façade of Dijon’s Notre Dame Church. However, they are not functioning downspouts, but merely decorative.

 

The Cathédrale Saint-Bénigne de Dijon is a Gothic cathedral from the XIIIth century. It is stunning inside but the crypt was the most fascinating part of my visit.

 

 

The Church of St Michael, built in the XVIth century, is a mixture of Renaissance and Gothic architecture.

 

Dijon Markets

Dijon and Beaune have some of the best markets in this part of France. A visit to the Les Halles market building is sure to provide you with lots of souvenir choices. Dijon is well-known for its mustard, gingerbread cake (pain d’épice) and Crème de Cassis (black currant liqueur). In addition, the open air market which takes place every Tuesday, Friday and Saturday is not to be missed. I have purchased some of the loveliest table clothes at these markets.

 

 

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