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When in Dijon, do as the locals do and whenever you walk past the church of Our Lady, be sure to touch the little stone owl clinging to the wall, worn smoothed by centuries of loving care. He is the town’s lucky charm and you’ll meet him again pointing the way along the heritage trail, set in brass on the paving stones.

Dijon is full of surprises. Did you know that among her illustrious sons are the philosopher Bossuet, the engineer Gustave Eiffel and the sculptor François Rude who carved the Marseillaise for the Paris Arc de Triomphe? Or that the old town centre claims one of the country’s largest conservation areas, protecting some 3000 buildings from different historical periods? Long poised at the crossroad of trading routes between the Seine and the Saône rivers, Burgundy’s capital has a rich if somewhat turbulent past, reaching a first golden era in the 14-15th centuries under the Great Dukes of Valois, descendants of the French kings, and a second after the Duchy was returned to the Crown in 1477.

Palace of the Dukes and the States of Burgundy
The Burgundians are duly proud of their palace. They paid for it twice, when it was rebuilt in the 17-18th centuries, much of it by royal architect Mansard on the Versailles model, and when the Council bought it back from the State after it was confiscated during the Revolution. Today the palace remains the city’s hallmark, wrapping its classical elegance around the original medieval chambers and still topped by the incongruous tower of Great Duke Philip the Good, which the inhabitants refused to pull down. Wander through the courtyards or join a guided tour to dream of the sumptuous lifestyle of the Ducal Court whose patronage of the arts carried its fame far beyond the borders. See the Bar Tower, the oldest section, named after a noble prisoner, the Fine Arts Museum, its extensive and varied collections, the magnificent Gabriel Staircase, the six fireplaces in the kitchen, each one big enough to roast an ox. There are paintings and bas-reliefs, carved angels and weepers guarding the Dukes’ cenotaphs, unexpected rococo decorations and in the Flora Chamber, walls painted like marble. The old Chamber of States, where clergy, nobles and commoners met every three years, recalls the degree of autonomy retained after annexation. But for many visitors, the most exciting moment is the dizzying climb to the top of Philip the Good’s tower, 52 metres and 316 steps, worth every gasp for the spectacular bird’s eye view of the city.

The Old Town
At your feet, the lovely classical crescent of the Place Royale, now Libération, spreads in front of the palace with stylish arcades, cool fountains and café-terrace. The main street, renamed rue de la Liberté, was designed at the same time and all around, Dijon unwinds in an intriguing mix of medieval lanes and 19th century boulevards, churches and monastic buildings, lush gardens and here and there, a sprinkling of glistening multicoloured roofs, one of the town’s most enchanting features.

With so many architectural gems spanning hundreds of years, you can’t explore Dijon in a hurry. Here’s a fairytale turret, a half-timbered medieval façade, a stone lion guarding a doorway, a shrine or an old meridian line indicating ‘midday’, there a spiral staircase of honey-coloured stone, Corinthian columns, Caryatids, a sculpted flower garland framing a window, a wrought iron sign illustrating an ancient trade. Look out for the ‘Burgundian cabbage’, an ear of corn draped in acanthus leaves, often adorning the Renaissance façades and if you can peep through a half open gate, you might just catch a glimpse of a hidden courtyard or secret garden. Among the most notable medieval buildings are the Maison Millière and House with Three Faces, while magistrates’ and parliamentarian mansions include the Renaissance Fyot de Mimeure and Law Courts, former House of Parliament, the beautiful 17th century Hotel de Vogüé and the sober neo-classical Hotel Bouhier de Lantenay, now the Préfecture and the largest to be built between courtyard and garden.

Gourmet Treat
Need a break to top up your energy levels? You are in the right place. There’s far more to Dijon than the famous mustard and with over 100 restaurants, you are spoilt for choice. A popular venue is the square Emile Zola where you can feast under the trees on authentic beef bourguignon, coq au vin, garlic snails, fresh asparagus in season, pungent but delicious Epoisse cheese, Napoleon’s favourite, and much more. The bigger your appetite the better for even in ‘nouvelle cuisine’, the Dijonnais expect a generous serving. Add a chunk of genuine gingerbread if you dare, rock hard but ‘a slab of good health’, and your choice of Burgundy wines from renowned cellars on the city’s doorstep.

Local products are for sale all over town and on the market (Friday/Saturday) held in the restored 19th century Halles. It’s a feast of colours and smells, wild mushrooms and berries jostling for space among walnuts, forest honey, mustard, blackcurrant liqueur and up to 45 types of saucisson. Enjoy the hearty fare and you won’t be surprised to hear that Dijon is home to the European Centre for the Science of Taste and Dietary Behaviour, the Vine Folk Festival(August/ September), the International Good Food Fair (November) and the Order of Cordon Bleu Chefs de France, created by 1920s mayor and gourmet Gaston Gérard.

‘One hundred belltowers’
Once upon a time, the claim was true. The Revolution took its toll but spires, towers and domes still rise defiantly above the rooftops. See St Michael’s and its fine Renaissance west front, St Bénigne’s, the cathedral with a mysterious crypt, polychrome roofs and slender spire, St Philibert’s, once the hub of the ruddy ‘blue bottoms’, the old winegrowing community. St Stephen’s has found new life as Chamber of Commerce and Industry and St John’s as a Theatre, hoping perhaps that Bossuet, who was christened there and disapproved of actors, may change his mind. But closest to the heart of every Dijonnais is the church of Our Lady where the little owl has come to rest. It’s an unusual sort of church sporting minaret-like turrets and a striped spire, fake gargoyles, featuring vices and virtues, the oldest wooden Madonna carved in France, protecting the town, and a unique animated clock. For over six centuries, Jacquemart, the man with the pipe, has struck the hours atop the tower, just as he did in Flanders before Philip the Bold carried it off to Dijon as war trophy. Later the kind-hearted locals gave him a wife and children for company.

One of Dijon’s great losses in the revolutionary aftermath was the Carthusian monastery of Champnol whose Moses’Well and other remains are preserved in the hospital grounds (rue Raines). Also worth a visit are the Museum of Sacred Art in the old St Anne’s church, the Museum of Burgundian Life in the former Bernardine Convent and the Archaeological Museum (Benedictine Abbey) with its Man of Genay, dated 70 000 BC.

Going Green
If you pass through the Rue des Forges, look out for the Chambellan Residence and the little stone gardener climbing up the staircase. The locals are fond of him for Dijon has long been a gardening city, a tradition preserved by a 300 year old Brotherhood and a festival (September) dedicated St Fiacre, patron saint of gardeners. In the old monasteries, fruit and vegetable plots have been turned into velvety lawns and wherever you go, you soon come across a shaded square, a garden or a park, all terraces and waterfalls, flower beds and fountains and maybe a touch of romance in a Lovers’ Temple. Leading down to the river Ouche south of the town centre, the walled grounds of Colombière boast 6000 trees while in the days of the Sun King, the adjacent tree-lined Cours du Parc was said to be the most elegant avenue in the kingdom. But above all, Dijon is proud of the Arquebuse Botanical Gardens, one of the earliest ever designed, now growing over 3000 species, including medicinal plants, and exporting seeds worldwide. Only the ‘Glory of Dijon’ can hope to compete, a fluffy rose, apricot pink, created in 1853 and immortalised in a poem by D.H. Lawrence.

Still looking for a breath of fresh air? Head for the Burgundy Canal, a mere stone’s throw from the railway station. In this quiet unhurried world, gleaming yachts and pleasure barges mingle their reflections in the marina where ducks, herons and swans come to roost on the island. Completed in 1833, the canal skirts the old city, linking the Yonne to the Saône.

Canon Kir
Canon Kir was a remarkable man. A country priest for much of his life, he was elected MP and Mayor of Dijon in 1945, aged 69, and remained at the helm for 22 years. At his first meeting, the Canon presented his dream, he wanted to create a lake to provide water for the town. ‘Mosquitoes, reeds, excessive cost’, objections came thick and fast but the Mayor did not falter. ‘Who’s in favour?’ he finally asked. No one spoke, ‘Motion passed’ he declared. Today Lake Kir is a delightful oasis for wild life and city dwellers. You can sunbathe on a sandy beach, swim or sail, row, canoe, picnic or ramble along the shaded trails, all within walking distance of the bustling streets.

But for many of us, ‘Kir’ means a cool glass of white wine with a dash of blackcurrant liqueur. The cocktail was invented accidentally by a barman who mixed up his bottles but the Canon loved it so much he happily spread the word among colleagues and friends. After all, blackcurrants were a local crop and should be encouraged. Kir has grown into a popular aperitif all over the country and if you mix your liqueur with sparkling wine, it becomes a Kir Royal.

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