I was surprised to find no mention of Dijon in Ricks France Guide. He lists nearby Beaune as a base for the Burgundy area, but Dijon might be better since it is on the direct train line from Lyon to Paris and has more cultural sites.
Thanks for your advice,
Bruce
Bruce, advice about what? Dijon? Many guidebooks describe it, if you are interested.
I would not presume to give a "Rick Steves" perspective on the place, but there is a reason he picks towns like Beaune. The charms of Burgundy are in small towns and in the countryside.
I found Dijon interesting but also sprawling and not terribly accessible. Better (again just my opinion) to get a taste of Burgundy in a place like Beaune, which is also on a train from Lyon to Paris, though a slower one.
But if you are curious about the place, get a few books and see for yourself. MK Fisher's memoirs of Dijon make a nice companion to the standard guidebook.
We are heading down to Dijon from Frankfurt in March - I was wondering the same thing. We were trying to decide whether to stay in Beaune or Dijone and were also wondering whether it was worth one night or two before we head up to the Champagne area. We are trying to decide whether to stay in the countryside or the city. That time of year we rarely make reservations and have always found some good places to stay. If anyone has any good ideas we are open to suggestions.
You've hit upon one of the weaknesses of Rick Steves' books in general. He ommits entire regions of most countries in Europe. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, because I have a feeling that if he tried to write a comprehensive guide to a particular country, it would probably water down the result. However, if you are traveling for a reasons other than pleasure (business, for example), you may need to supplement your reading with another guidebook.
But back to Dijon. If you decide to visit here, you can probably get a good handle of the city in about a day. The medieval street plan is a nightmare to drive but a delight to walk. Don't miss the Duccal palace.
Hello Bruce. Dijon is one of France's pre-eminent provincial cities. Read about Dijon in the travel guide book "THE ROUGH GUIDE TO FRANCE". I like the tenth edition of that book (2007).
Thanks to all for great feedback.
I'll be arriving to Dijon from Lyon.
I guess I'll either rent a car for a day and take the guided road tour that Rick suggests from Dijon, or rail to Beaune for the day. One day for Dijon, one day for Beaune,(and wine) and then on to Paris.
Merci,
Bruce
As someone said in this column, The very essence of Burgundy is in it's extraordinary villages, the canals, the wonderful winding back roads, the vineyards, the people , and the culture.My husband and I have photographed in Burgundy for over 15 years and you really need to get off the train, get a car, pack a picnic, grab some wine,and drive to the Burgundian villages like Montreal ( a fabulous gite and B and B there ), Flavigny, Vandenesse en Auxois, Chateauneuf-en -Auxois,Nitry, Avallon, the Morvan national park, Semur-en Auxois, and the villages go on and on.This October we even found a whole new area of Burgundy west af the A6 and the hills, and the cows , and the scenery, and the food, and the wine , and the chateaus are to die for. We stayed in the Chateau Vaulx south of Charolles, in St. Julien de Civry.
