|Location: Dijon, Lyon, and Beaune, France|

Burgundy needs no introduction, it’s one of the most famous wine regions of the world most famous for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes.  I’ve been wanting to explore the French Burgundy region for a while and we finally committed to exploring the cutest towns of Dijon, Lyon, and Beaune the other week!  I of course want to go back when the weather is warmer and that shouldn’t be a problem as Dijon is only a 4 hour drive from Stuttgart and Lyon, further south, is 6 hours away.  We explored it by car but I can’t wait to come back when the weather is warmer!

Dijon, France

Dijon is the capital of the Burgundy region and used to house the Dukes of Burgundy.  The architecture was gorgeous and it felt classic French.  Expect a mixture of half-timbered houses with the classic French style buildings mixed with ornate buildings fit for a king.  The town itself is big enough to have everything you’d need, but not too big to be overwhelming.  I loved it!

Visit the Tourist Office to get an Owl Trail booklet and follow the Dijon owl around the city, it takes you to around the town on a tour.  I also highly recommend the Hotel des Ducs, the hotel itself was wonderful and it was a perfect central location next to the huge public library and a lot of cafes that were a popular university meeting place.  Our favorite cafe was Trinidad, which had good music and the decor reminded me of a quiddich match at Hogwarts. 🙂 Just sayin’.

 

Lyon, France

Lyon is a city built between the Rhone and Saone Rivers and has two hills.  The buildings are a mixture of pinks, oranges, and creams and the river banks are lined with trees.  It would be a dream in the warmer months but even in the winter the color palette of the city warmed up the dreary skies.  I can’t wait to experience it in the summer or early fall!

I have to admit that it was bitter cold for most of our time in Lyon but we were able to see some sweet friends of ours who are living nearby so we spent a lot of our time catching up!  Between hanging out with our friends and seeing a concert Saturday night, we left a lot of exploring to be done in the summer months.  Lyon is one place I think will be stunning in the summer and fall when the trees are in full bloom and the sun is shining.  Just another excuse to come back!

We stayed in Vieux Lyon, or the old town at this great airbnb here.  From the old town you can hike up the Fourviere Hill to visit the Notre Dame de Fourviere church and the Roman amphitheater.  Back in the old town, you can grab dinner at Michelin starred restaurants, just make sure to reserve in advance.  Lyon is known for it’s gastronomy and is said to have the best food in the world.  You also have to make sure to eat at a Bouchon, which is Lyon’s version of a home cooked meal.  Check out George’s for a typical bouchon.  Make sure to visit the Museum de Beaux Arts in the city center and in the same square is the Hotel de Ville, both pictured below.

 

Beaune, France

We decided to stop for lunch in Beaune (pronounced Bone) on our drive back to Stuttgart and I’m so glad we did.  The town is just south of Dijon and a popular town to stay when visiting the Burgundy vineyards.  Beaune is the quaint town while Dijon is the larger city (which is still full of charm).  I am so glad we stopped for lunch here as we had a great time and would love to return to explore it more.  Both Dijon and Beaune were fantastic!

Funny story, I picked out a restaurant, Ecrit Vin for us to basically drive to, eat lunch and explore a bit, and then hit the road to drive back to Stuttgart.  When we walked into the restaurant, we ran into our favorite sommeliers from Piemonte, Robert and Leslie of Travel Langhe!   I was so shocked to see them because we really know them from northern Italy, not France!  But good sommeliers know the good wine spots all over the world, so that was when I knew we chose the restaurant well 😉  …well that and when we were enjoying a bottle of Pinot Noir with escargot and some regional specialties.  It was so great to catch up with them and squeeze in exploring a new town, we were smitten!

 

I think our next time to Burgundy will be spent exploring more of the vineyards, but I loved all three towns we visited!  Have you been to the region?  I’d love to hear your thoughts!

xo