Dijon

Dijon is a city in eastern France, the capital of the Côte-d'Or département and of the Burgundy region.
Dijon is the historical capital of the province of Burgundy.

History

Dijon began as a Roman settlement called Divio, located on the road from Lyon to Paris. Saint Benignus, the city's patron saint, is said to have introduced Christianity to the area before being martyred.

This province was home to the Dukes of Burgundy from the early 11th until the late 15th centuries and Dijon was a place of tremendous wealth and power and one of the great European centres of art, learning and science. The Duchy of Burgundy was a key in the transformation of medieval times toward early modern Europe.

It was occupied by Nazi Germany between June 1940 and 11 September 1944, when it was liberated by joint French/UK/US forces.

Dijon has one of the best preserved medieval centers in France. It is easy to walk and see the sites, with lots of pedestrian walking streets. You'll sample some of France's finest cuisine and drink great Burgundy wines at dinner or at one of the many wine bars in town. Dijon offers many cultural activities, including a wealth of museums and annual festivals to keep the tourist busy, including the L'Été Musical (Musical Summer), a classical music festival in June.

Main sights

Saint Benignus (Saint Bénigne) is Dijon's patron saint, and the cathedral of Saint-Benigne de Dijon has an interesting crypt to visit, which includes a small rectangular chapel in which the relics of Saint-Benigne were venerated. The crypt is believed to be one of the oldest Christian sanctuaries still visitable in France.

Dijon's Palais des Ducs de Bourgogne was home to the Dukes of Burgundy, buildings you see in Dijon starting around 1365. You can visit parts of it, including the Museum of Art, and the fit among you can climb the "Tour de Philippe le Bon" for an impressive view of Dijon. The wonderful Place de la Liberation is across from the palace, where you can sit in a restaurant, wine bar or cafe and view the palace or the interesting fountains, undulating shafts of water that light up at night.

The Dijon-Ville station just 5 minutes from the town center. High speed TGV trains from Paris or Lille stop here. Car hire is available at the station. There are many hotels within a five minute walk of the station.