BEAUNE - COTE d'OR BURGUNDY
Bourgogne Wine
Capital
Beaune
is the center of the Burgundy Cote d’Or region or the Hautes
Cote. Distinctive of
the city and throughout
Burgundy can be seen a particular roof style of multicolored tiles
and the origination of the style can be found in Beaune,
most notably at the famed Hotel-Dieu in the town's center. Sometimes called
the wine capital of the region, Cote d'Or region, Beaune is surrounded
by quaint small villages which bear the names of now world famous wines.
The cellars of the Chateau of Meursault holds almost 800,000 bottles.
Maison Louis Jadot one of the larger producers since the 1850's
lists
150 labels from it's vineyards. Beaune is about 40 minutes south
of Dijon. In Beaune, sometimes called the wine capital of
the region, 
is
dotted with wine shops where you can stop of a sip, or a concentrated
tasting experience. At the Marché aux Vins (Wine
Market) of candlelit caves in Rue Nicolas Rolin,
you can purchase a souvenir tasting cup and have forty-five
minutes to sample the varieties from many of the local vineyards.
If you buy something they'll let to keep on tasting. The Burgundy
Wine Museum (Musee
de
la Vigne
et du
Vin)
can
be
found
in
an elegant
former
manse of the Dukes of Burgundy, where you can
see
winemaking
technology through the centuries and learn of the wine history
of the area along the Route des Grand Crus, a country
road which parallels the main highway from Dijon to Macon (see Route
Grand Crus: Chateau Marsannay).
Though Dijon is more famous for its mustard, Beaune has the Mustard Museum (Moutarderie) which you can tour through a modern facility located in a Napoleonic era building, dedicated to the science and history of the spicy condiment. Or if you'd rather just taste it, get a sandwich at one of many quaint sidewalk shops in the old town and then stroll the medieval ramparts. For the family, kids and adults interested in medieval life, the Archeodrome de Bourgogne at Merceuil, a sort of archeological Disneyland with life size replicas and audio-visual displays of the history of the middle-ages is about 20 minutes away.
For tours of the local wineries
check with the tourist office. You can also save a little by getting
a "Beaune Burgundy Pass" which allows entry
into thirty historic and tourist venues in the area with one ticket.
Central Bargain Hotels in Beune Mercure Beaune Centre and Ibis Beaune Centre
The Hotel-Dieu at the Hospices de Beaune is
one of the best preserved examples of
medieval
architecture in
Europe.
Built in 1443 by Philippe-le-Bon (Philip the Fair) Duke of Burgundy
as a hospital and home for the poor following the Hundred Years
War and
the devastaions of the Black Plague. The
Great Hall is 50 meters long originally built to house patients.
The most familiar art work is the multi-paneled “Last
Judgement” by
Flemish artist Roger Van der Weyden. Though
the historic buildings of the Hospices de Beaune are a museum for
visitors, it is still an active hosptial. The Hospice de Beaune owns
a large
amount of the vineyards in
the
area, and in support of its charity work,
holds one of the largest
wine auctions in France, hosted by Christies, on the 3rd Sunday of every
November. In
July the city hosts the prestigious International Festival of Baroque
Opera.
Black Madonna and the Notre Dame de Beaune
At
the old Romanesque era church Collégiale Notre
Dame de Beaune a few blocks from the Hotel-Dieu. along with beautiful
medieval tapestries and a cloistered monks courtyard you
can find
the “Vierge
Noire” an example of the “Black Madonna” resting
in her bower over-looking the nave. So-named because they are either
painted
in dark colors or carved of dark wood, Black Madonnas are images of
the Virgin Mary usually holding infant Jesus, but apparently said
to represent
the ties to the older (pagan) earth mother. There is another connection
to the Black Virgins and to the St. Bernard miracle in Chatillon-sur-Siene
north of Dijon (see A
Saint, A Chanteuse and an Emperor).
Beaune is a stop on the TGV rail
line about 2 hours from Paris and just off the A6 autoroute
from Paris to Lyon. The nearest airport is at Dijon. Follow the wine
road from Dijon to Beaune along the
wine
road
the
or train.
There are a variety of hotels and wine region
B&B’s throughout Burgundy. © Bargain
Travel Europe
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deals in Burgundy
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Web Info
Beaune
Tourism
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SEE ALSO:
TOURNUS
ABBEY
Wine and Romanesque in Southern Burgundy
WHITE
WINE & SAUSAGE
The Wine Road of Northern Alsace
WINE
AND WURST
Bad Durkheim and the German Wine Road
CHATEAU
DE POMMARD
Wine Chateau on the Route des Grand Vins Bourgogne
