The unique and free to

The unique and free to enter Museum of Burgundy Life in Dijon has an eclectic and rather wonderful mix of objects from giant snail sculptures to a clock in the shape of the Eiffel Tower. The recreations of shops and their contents from the 19th and early 20th Centuries are truly superb. Dine out in Dijon Rest your feet and people watch at Place Francois Rude, encircled by cafés and bars whose tables spill onto the pedestrianised square. A lively place named after the Dijon-born sculptor of “La Marseilleise” which graces the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. The locals call it Place du Bareuzai thanks to the statue of a naked man treading grapes; the name means ”red stockings” (from bas rosé) which the winegrowers had after crushing grapes with their feet. There’s a huge choice of places to eat in Dijon but I really love Les Oenophiles restaurant for its 15th century pigeonnier, 17th century dining room, 100% home cooked food and incredible tasting boeuf bourguignon, the region’s signature dish. A perfect Day in Dijon My perfect day would start with a visit to Dijon market lapping up the atmosphere, followed by coffee in the square with a nibble on a nonette, the local gingerbread cake. Then I'd browse the second hand book stalls, have lunch in the Place Francois Rude and wander the shops and museums in the afternoon. After which I reckon it would be time for an apero at the hipster houseboat Peniche Cancale and then dinner at Les Oenophiles.

The Eiffel designed market at Dijon The beautiful covered market at Dijon was designed by no less than the great Gustave Eiffel, creator of the famous tower in Paris who was born in this city. Burgundians love their food and in this market you will really see, smell and taste the love that goes into preparing it. From bread with little heart shaped ends to snail cake, divine chocolate nibbles and amazing cheese such as Epoisses produced in a little village of the same name - all washed down with locally produced wine such as Chablis. There is a café in the centre of the market that simply oozes joie de vivre as happy customers sit and chat… and eat. Beaune the winetastic town From Dijon you can take a train or tram to Beaune for some serious wine tasting in the home of the famous and really quite magnificent Hospices de Beaune. It’s a pretty town where they take their wine seriously. When one of the locals discovered that robbers had been tunnelling from her wine cellar into the local bank, she called the robbers “idiots” for ignoring her wine collection which she felt was far more worthy than the gold or money in the bank! The Hospices de Beaune was a cutting edge hospital in the 1400s and incredibly parts of it stayed open until the 1990s. It is a fascinating place to visit with a fabulous collection of paintings and THAT roof.