djsteach

I am planning a trip with 2 friends for the last week in April. We will be traveling from near Aix les Bains on a Monday and plan on spending a few days in Burgundy before we take the train from Dijon late afternoon on Thursday to go to Paris. My questions are where should we be spending our time? Should we stay in a small town and travel around? Should we stay in Dijon and travel from there? Our interests are art, architecture, and eating (drinking included). What have been your best experiences in this area? These are the things I know that we will do...

Go to Beaune
Do the Owl Walk in Dijon
Visit the Beaux Art Museum in Dijon

I have explored other Fodorites postings of their time in this area, but are still unclear in which direction we should go.

Many thanks for your thoughts and suggestions.

WTnow

I am assuming you are interested in Pinot as well and will be traveling some of the wine roads and seeing vineyards?

We looooved our time in Burgundy, but will be no help pointing you to places to stay as we did it by RV. Many people like to base in Beaune and it is the center of it all with lots to see.

We loved this place for dinner in Dijon:
http://www.soultravelers3.com/blog/F...C98DC30FC.html

This was our favorite winery ( lovely people too) on the Route des Grand Crus:
http://www.soultravelers3.com/blog/6...6DC5FFE0F.html

The massive wine cellar at Chateau de Meusault is pretty impressive as is Hotel Dieu & wine museum:

http://www.soultravelers3.com/blog/0...817188239.html

We liked moving around for Burgundy, so we spent some time in Beaune, some in Dijon and some in small towns ( but then we do not have to unpack & repack). It is a wonderful area, just traveling on the roads ( or doing it by bike is fun).

http://www.soultravelers3.com/blog/F...F5E88265A.html
Chateau de Meursault

traveller1959

My suggestion is to stay in one of those beautiful wine villages between Dijon and Beaune. Then you are in the midst of things, and both Dijon and Beaune are in easy reach.

There are dozens of nice hotels in the region, many of them inside castles.

The alternative option would be staying in Beaune. You may visit the Marché aux Vins and then stumble back to your hotel without any hassle with driving.

I would not recommend staying in Dijon. Dijon is good for a day-trip, but there is not much with wine in Dijon itsself. The wineries are in the villages (Gevrey-Chambertin, Nuits-St.-George, Aloxe-Corton...) and in Beaune. IMO, Beaune has more to offer than Dijon.

hopscotch

I used to stay in Nuits-St.-Georges on regular wine purchase trips from Germany. There is a cheap roadhouse cafe and hotel on the N 74 highway.

You really need a car to explore Burgundy. Reserve in advance, either in Dijon or Beaune if possible.

The Michelin Green Guide for Burgundy is the best.

In Dijon don't forget the mustard!

ira

Hi DJ,

You could take the train from Beaune, as well.

>Should we stay in a small town and travel around?

If you are planning on having a car, yes.

If not, I suggest staying in Beaune - 1 day of sightseeing, visiting Dijon for a day, and another day on trains and buses through the small towns.

Enjoy your visit.

cocofromdijon

Hi dj and welcome to Dijon.
You can rent a car in Dijon train station, go down to Beaune through the wine road (route des Grands Crus)while stopping in all the famous villages. Spend one night in one of those to wake up near the vineyards (if you don't mind packing and unpacking. Hotel des Grands Crus in Gevrey Chambertin, le Richebourg in Vosne Romanée, Chateau Ziltener in Chambolle Musigny...
Spend a day in Beaune (don't miss the Hospices.)
Then come back to Dijon, leave your car at the rental agency since you won't need it anymore and enjoy what you are here for("art, architecture, and eating (drinking included).&quot

Unless you are real wine fans and want to visit all the wineries on the wine coast, Dijon is the best option for what you are looking for.

If you don't have a car, I like Ira's options.

StuDudley

I don't agree with traveller1959 about Dijon vs Beaune. Dijon is a large city and IMO has lots more to offer than Beaune. If your major interest is wine, however, then perhaps the two would be equal. My wife & I spend 2 months in France most years and Dijon is our favorite city after Paris.

We spent 2 weeks in Burgundy last year - staying in a Gite 15 mins south of Beaune. These were our 3 favorite restaurants:

Stephane Derbord in Dijon – one of the top 5 meals of all time in France (we dine out about 40 times per year in France)
Michelin 1 star

First round of Amuse Bouches
Bite sized squares of Croque Monsieurs
Carp mousse with black & white sesame seeds
Parmesan chip and a bite sized tomato “truffle” with a semi-liquid center
Second round of Amuse Bouches
Sushi (California roll) with cockle, with Asian spices & bean sprouts
Potato puree
Leek Mousse with green beans
55E menu
-Smoked sandre – thin rolls stuffed with finely julienned vegetables served with tart greens (incl dandelion greens) topped with paper thin lengthwise sliced carrots. The plate was edged with a piping of honey mustard and crumbled hazelnuts
-Perch with a wild mushrooms and green beans served in a deep plate with a “soup de poisons” reduction sauce
-cheese chariot
-Poached , pealed pear with a red wine sauce in pain epice with sage ice cream – all very refreshing

65E menu
-Sauteed scallops, each served on a cucumber “coin” with a topping of lemon cream & caviar, with julienned apples & dandelion greens
-Sandre on a bed of spinach with a butter sauce accompanied by a small tomato stuffed with diced cepes on a squash “coin”
-Filet of Cerf, served with berries & a dark berry reduced sauce with green beans & wild mushrooms with a ‘grain” of some sort
-Cheese chariot
-pre-dessert refresher
-Chocolate fondant – top & bottom layers of dark chocolate “sandwiching” lighter chocolate mousse with dark chocolate wafers & vanilla ice cream
-Post-dessert refresher


Hostellerie du Vieux Moulin in Bouilland, just north of Beaune
Also a hotel
www.le-moulin-de-bouilland.com
Michelin 1 star

Amuse Bouches
Skewered rolled duck breast slice, with mustard dollop
Homard tartare “confit”
Arugula sorbet with whipped cream top layer & balsamic drizzle (in a glass cylinder)
39E menu
-Seared tuna with fennel sorbet and a side of pickeled vegetables
-Supreme de Pintade thinly sliced in a “spiral” presentation on a bed of herbed crushed potatoes, with vegetables in a side casserole
-Excellent cheese chariot
-Seasonal fresh fruit with pepper-flecked yoghurt ice cream

65E menu
-Daurade with vegetables a la Pistou
-Rougets with a confit of fennel and a bouillabaisse reduction with macadamia nuts
-Pigeon with polenta and zucchini “packet” stuffed with caviar d’aubergine and a rich reduction sauce
-Cheese chariot
-Poached plum with amaretto cream and puff pastry triangles

-Post dessert if Marc de Bourgogne ice and assorted sweets


Charlemagne in Pernand-Vergelesses just north of Beaune
Slight Asian twist
Michelin 1 star

37E menu
Six amuse bouches which arrived on a Plexiglas “cube” with holes & shelves to present the various items
California rolls with a “crisp”, held in place by a teeny wooden clothes pin
Fish mousse on a cracker
Parmesan pastry palmier
Pickled fish filling wrapped in a won ton wrapper on a skewer
Marble sized savory (no idea what it was)
Small piece of spiced pork on a bone
Second Amuse Bouche course
Glass of creamy smoked fish puree (to drink)
A herb-crusted langoustine
-Bread presentation – 3 different breads stacked on a skewer, with a wooden base into which a recess had been routed to hold a corked vial with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, which were to be shaken before pouring onto your bread plate as a dipping sauce
-Tuna ceveche served at the bottom of a glass with a smoked tomato cream, slivered green onions, and a dot of washabi cream
-Cabillaud a la vapeur with a vanilla/olive oil drizzle, layered with wild mushrooms, served with a pork bun with a crustacean filling, on a bed of cucumber-wrapped ratatouille. This was not your grandmother’s cabillaud recipe
-Strawberry/red berry gazpacho – heavenly creamy/frothy served in a slanted glass with a brochette of halved strawberries and strawberry marshmallow cubes

45E menu
Same Amuse Bouche courses
-California rolls with snails and langoustines speckled with black and white sesame seeds
-Lisettes (small mackerel) served atop a bone marrow tube filled with spinach & julienned carrots tossed in Asian spices
-Porc cotolet (cutlet/loin) served with artichoke mousse, drizzled with peanut butter with a cluster of small wild mushrooms in tempura
-Pyramid of chocolate with other sweets

Other restaurants – all were excellent
Le Jardin des Remparts in Beaune. We dined here several years ago, and it was one of our top 5 of all time then. It didn’t “wow” us as much this visit. Michelin 1 star.

La Rotisserie du Chambertin in Gevrey Chambertin. It has an upstairs Bistro, and a downstairs restaurant in a wine cave, with animated winemaking scenes as you descend into the cave. We dined downstairs.

Le Montrachet in Puilly Montrachet. It was “complet” the first few times we tried to reserve. Obviously very popular. My St Pierre was overcooked. Lovely setting.

Relais de la Diligence in Meursault. Excellent value. It was the “sleeper” of the group

Les Gourmets in Marsannay la Cote. Michelin 1 star. Very nice

Stu Dudley

Lauricelli

Oh to be staying in Burgundy again. We loved this place. Excellent service, great restaurant.
http://chateaudige.com/
Hôtel du Château d'Igé, bienvenue

georgiegirl

It depends. Are you coming to Burgundy by train? Since you are taking a train to Paris, I would stay in Dijon. You can go to Beaune by train. You can walk around checking out the museums and the architectures in Dijon. There are many good eating places in that city. You will like Dijon.

djsteach

Thanks so much for all the advice. We will have a car so I think, given the information from Fodorites, we'll look into staying outside of Dijon in a reasonably price hotel/chateaus.

Coco..I'm in the process of researching your excellent recommedations.

Stu...your detailed information is wonderful and truly appreciated.

Any other places to stay in this area just in case the places Coco and Stu suggested aren't available?

Thanks again.

JudyC

Second staying nearby Dijon, as there are far more interesting things to visit and more good restaurants around or concerts to attend in the evenings.

Last month I spent 9 days in Bungundy, 6 nights at Coco's flat, but not enough time to see the tenth of it. Plan to visit again in 2008.

If you have time, highly recommend Abbaye de Fontenay for the Romanesque architecture, and Semuir-en-Auxois for the medieval old town.

bilboburgler

I think of Burgundy as two areas. The Chablis/Auxerre area which has a number of 1200 churches and monestries plus the odd vinyard. You need a car to get around these hot spots but I would put a few days into looking at the various old hospitals, fosse dion etc and then travel down to Dijon (I like Beaune but really only worht a day visit) I also have stayed in Nuit St Georges (in the main hotel to the West) but it is a village.

Generally I ask the vinyard owners where to eat because they know what is hot that year.

One Ettiqute trick I learnt some years ago is that if visiting a winery where they offer tasting but you want to taste and expensive wine (say in a coop selling off filthy old wine bottles), buy a bottle and then ask the staff to taste it with you. They will love you and open up.

If there are particular places you want to taste at then I would book. I recommend the Chablis Coop where I took 16 people a few years ago and their Technical Director gave us 2 hours of information

cchottel

I agree with Stu. There is a lot to see and do in Dijon. I have now spent a total of 8 days on two trips to Dijon and still haven't seen everything I want to see.

Dijon has some lovely small museums. I particularly liked the Museum of Burgundian Life. (I know that isn't the proper name, but close). The botanical garden is also beautiful. Also the Museum of Sacred Art. I love the fountains at Wilson Place and Darcy Park.

Dijon's market day is an experience in itself. And, I have mentioned before that the Owl Trail is the best self-guided walking tour I have ever used.

To me, Beaune is a day trip, but that is about it. The hospice is interesting, but I wasn't thrilled with the other museums. I did like walking the ramparts. Even without a car, you can get to Beaune in about 20 minutes for just a few dollars from Dijon.

I certainly can understand the appeal of a country inn if what I wanted to do was just relax, but if it is sites I want to see, I'd prefer to stay in the city that has the most sites right outside my door.

Coco and I talked about the choice of Beaune over Dijon by so many people. We thought part of it might be because Rick Steves highlights Beaune, but ignores Dijon. In my opinion, Rick got it wrong this time. I love Dijon.

PalenQ

If dijon investigate myhomeindijon.com where many Fodorites have stayed in a rather luxury B&B right in city centre and Coco, the proprietor is a regular contributor on Fodor's and gives lots of personal touches like it seems even meeting folks at the train station, advising on sites, etc.

Really exceptional good reviews and a unique place to stay if Dijon is your goal.

PalenQ

Though Dijon is a fine city i'd myself spend most of the week in a smaller more romantic town and then a few days in Dijon to see the art, give a Hoot on the Owl Trail and be well poised for the train to Paris.

The essence of Burgundy to me is in its vineyard-clad hills and wine towns - the bucolic Burgundy you won't find in Dijon though as cities go that's a gem often overlooked it seems

If you have a car especially consider any of the wine towns south of Dijon - fine bases for lots of neat areas.

cocofromdijon

Hi Pal et merci
I think it is going to be very difficult for dj to choose a place to stay! Countryside or city?
Maybe both, but you won't regret your choice anyway. The only thing you might regret is the lack of time to see everything!
If you haven't seen my pics of Dijon yet... http://tinyurl.com/okerl

Happy travels!

PalenQ

We want to see a picture of Coco in those pics of Dijon! sans la veil!

StantonHyde

We went to Burgundy this past fall. If you click on my user name, you will find my trip reports. We stayed in Dijon and LOVED it. The owl trail was fun, great restaurants, and more of a real town vs. a touristy one. Here are some key links:

For a good review of many wines (all made by one vinter) try the wine tasting lunch at Olivier LeFlaieve-see this link
http://www.olivier-leflaive.com/rubr...?id_rubrique=5

Coco's apartment was full when we went there so we stayed at one bedroom apartment managed by Beatrice Renau. It was AMAZING.
http://www.dijon-rentahome.com/index.html

We took a full day wine tour with Beatrice's husband, Max--it was fantastic and I am not a guided tour person.
http://www.dijon-rentahome.com/wine-tours.html

We flew to Paris and trained to Dijon. Then picked up a car and drove to Beaune and some other villages. Have fun!!

DAX

I second PalenQ's recommendation to reserve for lunch at the Olivier LeFlaive which is quite well known for its Puligny Montrachet chardonnay. You can buy their wines in the cellar below the restaurant. The town itself has an interesting local life & history. Olivier is a nephew of the even more famous Domaine Le Flaive.

If you are into Burgundy vineyards, then you have to pay homage to the tiny but famous vineyards like La Romanee Conti, in Cote d'Or. You can have a picnic on top of those low walls. You may even want to consider renting bicycles to explore other famous vineyards like Le Corton, Le Chambertin. They are all ideal for bicycle outing.

bilboburgler

You all sure about "Domaine" being the name of a person not the first name of the vineyard?