Dijon, France

November 4th, 2017

We decided to do a driving trip this weekend. Mark has to work in Cergy, France on Monday. Instead of taking the train we decided to see a little of France. It was a beautiful drive from "home" to Dijon on Saturday. Dijon is the capital city of the historical Burgundy region, one of the country's principal wine producing area. Yes, Dijon Mustard was named after this town but is no longer produced locally. It is one  the most beautiful cities in France, and its historic building and roads were not heavily damaged by bombing in World War Two.

Dijon was known as the capitol of the Dukes of Burgundy. Burgundy was a great power during the 14th and 15th centuries. The dukes were great patrons of the arts, so Dijon was a major centre of Gothic and early Renaissance music, painting and sculpture, attracting some of the greatest and most famous artists and musicians from Flanders in particular.

We down loaded an app for a self guided walking tour of the city. It was around $3. They had little owl icons made on the sidewalks for an easy to follow route.


                                                            Jardin Darcy, a beautiful park


La Porte Guillaume




The grape crusher


Stain glass from the Dijon Cathedral


Dijon Cathedral


We love walking around these old cities with cobblestone streets, gates and so much history.


The owl (la chouette) is the icon of Dijon, sculpted on the side of the Notre-Dame church, perhaps as early as the 16th century. The story says it can grant you a wish when you touch it with your left hand when passing it from the left. There is a dragon hiding in the church window to the left of the owl, which supposedly eats your wish if you the touch the owl passing from the wrong direction. 





Musee des Beaux-Arts de Dijon, is a museum of fine arts opened in 1787 in Dijon. It is housed in the Palace of the Dukes of Burgundy.








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