Dijon · FR
Dijon City Highlights
Ducal palaces, a lucky stone owl and a cast-iron market hall on one tight loop through the old capital of Burgundy.
What's the walk about?
Welcome to Dijon, the elegant old capital of the Dukes of Burgundy and one of France's most rewarding cities to explore on foot. On this gentle loop through the historic centre you will trace the city's golden age, from soaring Gothic churches and a grand ducal palace to timber-framed squares, Renaissance townhouses and a glorious cast-iron market hall still brimming with Burgundy's finest food and wine. Along the way you will rub the city's famous lucky owl for good fortune and climb a ducal tower for a sweeping view over the rooftops. It is the perfect introduction for first-time visitors who want to feel the heart of Burgundy in a single afternoon.
What you'll see
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1
Cathédrale Saint-Bénigne
Cathedral
Dijon's twin spired Gothic cathedral rises above the tomb of Saint Benignus, the city's patron, and conceals a rare circular crypt a thousand years old.
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2
Place François Rude
Square
The lively heart of old Dijon, ringed by timber framed houses and centred on a fountain crowned by the Bareuzai, a bronze winegrower treading grapes.
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3
Rue des Forges
Street
Dijon's grandest medieval street, a parade of ornate Gothic and Renaissance merchants' mansions that was once the city's main commercial artery.
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4
Place de la Libération
Square
A grand semicircular square of golden arcades and flush fountains, designed by Versailles architect Mansart to frame the facade of the ducal palace.
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5
Palais des Ducs & Tour Philippe le Bon
Palace
The former seat of the Valois dukes who once outshone the kings of France, this sprawling palace is crowned by the 46 metre Tour Philippe le Bon. Climb its 316 steps for the finest panorama over Dijon's tiled rooftops.
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6
Musée des Beaux-Arts de Dijon
Museum
One of the oldest museums in France, founded in 1787 inside the ducal palace. Its old guard room holds the dazzling carved tombs of the dukes of Burgundy, ringed by processions of tiny alabaster mourners.
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7
Église Notre-Dame de Dijon
Church
A Burgundian Gothic masterpiece built in just twenty years, bristling with around fifty one false gargoyles and a Jacquemart clock looted as war booty in 1382. On its north wall hides the worn stone owl that locals touch for luck.
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8
Hôtel de Vogüé
Mansion
A richly decorated mansion from the early seventeenth century on Rue de la Chouette, famous for its colourful glazed tile roof and its exquisite arcaded Renaissance courtyard.
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9
Les Halles de Dijon
Market
A soaring cast iron and glass market hall from the 1870s, inspired by plans from Dijon-born engineer Gustave Eiffel and still crammed with Burgundy's cheese, wine, mustard and gingerbread.
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10
Église Saint-Michel
Church
A parish church begun in 1499 whose spectacular facade, where flamboyant Gothic meets the Renaissance, is counted among the most beautiful church fronts in France.
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