Attractions
An Old Town area such as you will have the pleasure to discover in Dijon is a surefire guarantee that you’ll have plenty of sightseeing to do. In many areas, the styles of architecture from different times in the past overlap, providing an impressive, tangible tale of Dijon’s long years of life and strife.
Historical Landmarks
- Palais des Ducs de Bourgogne
Address: Place de la Liberation
General info: Once, this was the residence of the dukes of Burgundy and it shows. The lavish exterior is more than a match for the interior; in fact, there couldn’t have been a more suitable place for the Fine Arts Museum.
- The Dijon Cathedral (Cathédrale Saint-Bénigne de Dijon)
Address: Place Saint-Bénigne
General info: It would be quite hard for you to miss the huge towers of this Gothic giant. It was built between 1280 and 1325 but it still stands high and proud and will undoubtedly keep doing so for a long while.
Museums
- The Amora Maille Museum (Musée de la Moutarde)
Address: 48, quai Nicolas Rolin Dijon
General info: If there were such a thing as an international capital of mustard, Dijon would certainly be it. So the theme of this museum shouldn’t astonish you too much.
- Fine Arts Museum (Musée des Beaux-Arts Dijon)
Address: Palais des Ducs de Bourgogne
Open hours: each day, except Tuesday
General info: While visiting the Ducal Palace, don’t leave without visiting the museum located in its eastern wing. Prepare yourself to see mysterious tombs, Gothic sepulchers, ancient altars, Egyptian antiquities and other amazing items.
- Archeological Museum of Dijon (Musée Archeologique Dijon)
Address: 5, rue Docteur Maret
Open hours: each day, except Tuesday
General info: The treasures on display at this museum predictably belong to the Romanesque or Gothic categories, but many of them are quite exquisite. The “pièce de résistance” of the collection is the bronze figure of the goddess Sequana, dating back from the 1st century AD.
- Musée de la Vie Bourguignonne
Address: 17 rue Ste-Anne
General info: You will find out some interesting stuff here about how people were making a living in ancient Burgundy. Don’t worry, brochures also come in English.
- Musée Rude
Address: rue Vaillant
General info: This is where you can see some valuable originals (and some unbelievably accurate copies) of works by famous sculptor Francois Rude. Lucky for Dijon that he was born here.
Tourist Attractions
- Chartreuse de Champmol
Address: 1.5 km west of city center, on N5
General info: You won’t regret making the small trip to this monastery, even if you’re probably not going to be allowed to enter. The Gothic architecture is simply breathtaking and inside the fairytale gardens you can also admire the beautiful Moses Fountain.