Four Days in Beaune France
Porte Saint Nicolas
Bonjour!
Although France is one of my favorite countries to visit, I had never travelled to the medieval town of Beaune. On my way to a wedding in the French countryside, Beaune France was the perfect place to land for a few days of exploring with friends. Located in the Bourgogne region, it is primarily known as the wine capital of France. During my brief four day visit, we certainly did our fair share of wine tasting, but there are many other things to do in this charming town. Come along as I take you on a brief journey in Beaune.
Where to Stay
The Hotel Le Cep is a 5 star hotel, located in the town center of Beaune, renowned for its friendly and accommodating service. There are 61 rooms (32 suites) which are charming and actually rather spacious (at least by French standards) The lobby bar is intimate but delightful; it is a great place to meet friends for an early glass of wine (or late drink as the staff is always available) and the beautiful French garden just outside is also a perfect spot to hang out. There is also the renowned Marie de Bourgogne Spa which offers a multitude of treatments.
Since this was my first trip to Beaune, I cannot personally recommend other hotels; however, there are others of note:
Where to Dine
There are over 100 restaurants in the town of Beaune, so finding a fantastic place to dine is not difficult. With so many to chose from, we asked the hotel concierge to select for us. I loved the Caveau des Arches: the ambience was lovely and authentic, the service was attentive, excellent food and we were the only tourists there!
Other restaurants we visited were L’Expression, L’Ecrit Vin and Caves Madeleine. Honestly, it is a foodie paradise so take your pick!
Bistrot des Halles
Of course, for a early morning cappuccino or a casual lunch, there are great brasseries throughout Beaune!
What to Do
Winery Visits
Even though I was only in Beaune a few short days, we managed to do four wonderful winery visits with corresponding tastings. If you read our blog, you may know that I have a property in Napa Valley California, so I do know a bit about California wines. However, I knew nothing (and was frankly quite intimidated) about French wines. I must say that I learned so much during our wine tours. On our first day, we visited the Joseph Drouhin winery which is located in the town of Beaune. On the following day, my wonderful friend, Christy, set up a day long tour with Authentica Burgundy Wine Tours. We visited Domaine BADUEL in Pommard; Chateau Corton C. in Aloxe Corton and finished with a tasting and fabulous lunch at Comte Senard Wine Estate. There is much too much to talk about, so I am going to do a separate post on Cote de Beaune tastings.
Hospices Civils de Beaune
Possibly the second most visited site in the town is the Hospices de Beaune’s Hotel-Dieu. Perfectly preserveed since the middle ages, the Hotel-Dieu was built in 1443 by Nicolas Rolin, Chancellor of the Duke of Burgundy. The initial purpose of the Hotel-Dieu was as a hospital for the poor of Beaune. If you look at the architecture, it is an example of Burgundian medieval architecture with the glazed roofs which have become a known characteristic of Burgundy. There is much to write about the Hotel-Dieu so I will be doing a separate post on this famous hospital.
Parc de la Bouzaize
Only a 10 minute walk from the center of Beaune, Parc de la Bouzaize is worth the trip. Created in 1883, the park is designed as an English garden, with a beautiful pond as a centerpiece. There are ducks and geese in the pond, a small animal park, walking paths and stunning foliage. It is a relaxing and peaceful place; it provides a lovely walk from town.
Avenue du Parc 21200 Beaune, France
A View of the Pond at Parc de la Bouzaize
Basilica of Our Lady (or Notre Dame) is a 13th century church with gothic and renaissance architecture. It houses historic 15th century tapestries. “Long served by a college of secular canons living in community in houses still visible today, the collegiate church of Notre-Dame has since its construction a high place of pilgrimage, especially thanks to its black polychrome Virgin carved in a fruit wood that s is clouded over time. Inside, we discover with pleasure the beauty of its architecture, including the capitals of the right pillars of the nave retracing the history of the ark of Noah or the stoning of Saint Stephen, or the tapestries of life of the Virgin woven in silk and wool on 19 paintings in the choir.”
The Musee du Vin has been modernized and just reopened May 2022. Even if you are a wine novice, you will find this historical perspective of wine making in Beaune a wonderful learning experience. “Installed in the hotel of the Dukes of Burgundy since 1946, the Burgundy Wine Museum is the first French ethnological museum exclusively devoted to wine heritage. In the heart of Beaune, the museum is the living place of reference on wine and related professions. Through the evocation of the history of viticulture, viticultural practices, cooperage, trade, oenology, the collections testify to the historical construction of Burgundy wine and its wines.
The museum is also a historical partner of the Climats of the Burgundy vineyards, listed as World Heritage by UNESCO. It promotes the uniqueness of this cultural site, considered an exceptional heritage that represents a model of local viticulture.”
Mural de la Grande Vadrouille
The Mural de la Grande Vadrouille was painted in 1996 by the artist Patrick Bidaux. Although I had some difficulty finding out exactly why this mural was painted, apparently Bidaux painted it as an homage to the 1966 French-British film, La Grande Vadrouille.
So as you can see, we packed a lot into four days. I hope you find this information helpful when planning your trip to Beaune, France. If interested, please see the two posts on Cote de Beaune wine and Hotel-Dieu that have a bit more information. The posts will be up in the next few days, Au Revoir!