Beaune Overview

Beaune (bone; pop. 23,000) encapsulates the France that nearly every tourist longs for—winding cobblestone roads filled with boulangeries, restaurants serving regional delicacies, and an approximate wine-bottle-to-person ration of 10 to 1. However, the atmosphere in Beaune is decidedly bourgeois, and the prices at the restaurants and hotels can make it inaccessible for budget travelers. Those unwilling to splurge are best off spending an hour or two here for a presentations at the Musée du Vin before renting a bike and putting their newfound knowledge into practice on the Route du Vin.

• Trains: Av. de Lyonnais. Info office open M-F 10am-noon and 2-7pm. Ticket office open M-F 5:30am-8:30pm, Sa 5:45am-8pm, Su 6:15am-8:30pm. To Dijon (20-35min.; 26 per day, 3 TGV; €6.40-8.10), Lyon (1-2hr., 10 per day, €21), and Paris (2hr., 14 per day, €45-55).
• Buses: TRANSCO (☎03 80 42 11 00). To Dijon (1hr., 2-7 per day, €6.30) from several stops, including the train station. Schedule at the tourist office.
• Taxis: Allô Beaune Taxi (☎06 11 83 06 10). 24hr.
• Car Rental: ADA, 26 av. du 8 Septembre (☎03 80 22 72 90). ½ a block down from the train station. From €55 per day with 250km included. 21+; must have had license for 1 year. Open M-F 8am-noon and 2-6pm, Sa 8am-noon and 2-4pm. MC/V.
• Bike Rental: Bourgogne Randonnées, 7 av. du 8 Septembre (☎03 80 22 06 03; www.bourgogne-randonnees.com), near the station. English-speaking staff offers free maps, free luggage storage, great advice on routes, and wonderful private tours of nearby vineyards. Bikes €4 per hr., €17 per day, €32 per 2 days, €90 per week; credit-card deposit. Open M-Sa 9am-noon and 1:30-7pm, Su 10am-noon and 2-7pm. MC/V.

Orientation And Practical Information

Streets run in concentric rings around the Collégiale Notre Dame. Most sights lie within the circular ramparts enclosing Beaune’s vieille ville. To get there from the station, head straight on av. du 8 Septembre, which becomes rue du Château. Turn left onto rue Thiers and follow it as it becomes rue Poterne and then rempart Madeleine. Turn right onto rue de l’Hôtel-Dieu, which leads to the Hôtel-Dieu and the tourist office’s automated branch, 1 rue de l’Hôtel-Dieu.

• Tourist Office: 6 bd. Perpreuil (☎03 80 26 21 30; www.ot-beaune.fr). From the train station, turn left onto bd. Jules Ferry and continue straight when it becomes bd. Perpreuil; the office is on your left (5min.). Staff provides maps and lists of caves, reserves rooms, and sells the Pass Beaune, which provides discounts to most of the town’s major attractions. Open from Apr. to mid-Nov. M-Sa 9am-7pm, Su 9am-6pm; from mid-Nov. to Mar. M-Sa 9am-6pm, Su 10am-12:30pm and 1:30-5pm.
• Police: 5 av. du Général de Gaulle (☎03 80 25 09 25).
• Hospital: 120 av. Guigone de Salins (☎03 80 24 44 44), northeast of the centre-ville.
• Internet Access: Baltard Café, 14 pl. des Halles (☎03 80 24 21 86), next to Hôtel-Dieu. €1 per 15min. Wi-Fi. Open daily 7am-9pm.
• Post Office: Bd. St-Jacques (☎03 80 26 29 50). Currency exchange available. Open M and W-F 8am-6:30pm, Tu 8am-12:30pm and 1:30-6:30pm, Sa 8:30am-12:30pm. Postal Code: 21200.

Accommodations And Camping

Visitors swarm Beaune from April to November; reserve at least a week ahead and beware that there are no true budget hotels within the vieille ville.

• Hôtel le Foch, 24 bd. Foch (☎03 80 24 05 65), on the other side of the ramparts from the train station. Rooms with TVs and sinks. Breakfast €6.50. Reception 7am-9pm. Singles and doubles €28, with shower €33-38; triples €45; quads €48. MC/V.
• Hôtel Rousseau, 11 pl. Madeleine (☎03 80 22 13 59). 50-year-old hotel retains an antique ambience. Some rooms face a quiet courtyard. Breakfast included. Shower €3. Reception 7:30am-11:30pm. Singles €30, with toilet €40, with bath €52; doubles €38/48/55; triples €55-62. Cash or check only.
• Camping les Cent-Vignes, 10 rue Dubois (☎03 80 22 03 91), 500m from the centre-ville . From pl. Monge, walk away from the centre-ville on rue Lorraine. Signs point the way as you walk down rue du Faubourg St-Nicholas and turn left on rue Dubois; the campground is on your right. Popular with both rugged bikers and those who want to relax in the vieille ville. Gravel or grass sites separated by hedges. Grocery store, laundry, restaurant, ping-pong, and tennis available on-site. Reception 8am-noon and 1-9:30pm. Open from mid-Mar. to Oct. €3.60 per person, under 7 €1.80; €4.40 per car. Electricity €3.70. MC/V.

Food 

The restaurants around place Madeleine and place Carnot serve the cheapest menus. There is a Casino supermarket at 28 rue du Faubourg Madeleine (☎03 80 26 25 25; open M-Sa 8:30am-7:30pm, Su 9am-noon) and a Petit Casino on rue Carnot (open Tu-Sa 9am-7:30pm, Su 8am-12:30pm). There is an open-air market on place de la Halle Wednesday and Saturday mornings.

• Relais de la Madeleine, 44 pl. Madeleine (☎03 80 22 07 47). A cut above the rest. Large portions of specialties like pistachio duck pâté, peppered trout, and mousse au chocolat —all of which can be sampled as part of a 4-course menu. Menus from €14. Open M-Tu and F-Su noon-2pm and 7-10pm, Th noon-2pm. AmEx/MC/V.
• L’Incontournable, 29 rue Carnot (☎03 80 26 14 95). Channels the spirit of the local wine caves with its intimate basement seating area and stone walls. Lunch menu (€13) comes with plat du jour, dessert, glass of wine, and espresso. Menus from €22. Open Tu-Sa noon-1:30pm and 7-10:30pm. MC/V.
• Le Goret, 2 rue Maizières (☎03 80 22 05 94). Specializes in everything pig—from regional pork dishes to the pig dolls in the windows. Offers a few meat-free options, such as the deliciously thick tomato soup (€6). Plats and meal-size salads €7-10. Open Tu-Sa 11am-2pm and 7pm-1am. Kitchen open until 10pm. Bar open until 2am. MC/V.

Sights

 Hôtel-Dieu. In 1443, Nicolas Rolin, chancellor to the duke of Burgundy, built the Hôtel-Dieu as a hospital to help the city recover from the famine that followed the Hundred Years’ War; patients were treated here until 1971. In the courtyard, visitors ogle the tiled rooftops; inside, they marvel at the Salle des Pôvres, a room that once held dozens of patients. The Hôtel-Dieu’s treasures are its 16th-century tapestries—which tell “the story of the human condition”—and Roger van der Weyde’s The Last Judgment —a polyptych, or work consisting of connected carved panels. Most info placards are in English. (2 rue de l’Hôtel-Dieu. ☎03 80 24 45 00. Ticket office open daily from late Mar. to mid-Nov. 9am-5:30pm; from mid-Nov. to mid-Mar. 9-11:30am and 2-5:30pm. €6, students €4.80, ages 10-18 €2.80, under 10 free. With Musée du Vin and Musée Beaux Arts €10/6.60/4.10/free. Tours in French July-Aug. 4 per day, €1.80. Call for times.)

 La Moutarderie Fallot. Fallot Mustards presents a hands-on historical presentation of the famous yellow condiment. In an hour-long tour, professional guides, animated films, and audio recordings explain the mustard-making process. Finish the visit by mixing your own mustard and comparing it to flavors of the Fallot brand. (31 Faubourg Bretonnière. ☎03 80 26 21 33; www.fallot.com. Tours M-Sa 10, 11:30am. Extra afternoon visits July-Aug.; call the tourist office for times. €10, available at the tourist office.)

Other Sights. Beaune is packed with wineries offering dégustations and tours, but some of the best value for your money can be found at Patriarche Père et Fils. The largest of the caves, Patriarche Père et Fils offers 1hr. tours and tastings for €10. (5-7 rue du Collège. ☎03 80 24 53 78 Open daily 9:30-11:30am and 2-5:30pm. All proceeds to charity.) For those wondering what to taste for, Sensation Vin offers a range of interactive wine courses in English and French. (1 rue d’Enfer. ☎03 80 22 17 57; www.sensation-vin.com. 30min. courses €9, 1hr. €19, 2hr. €35. Open daily 10am-7pm.) Inside the 15th-century Hôtel des Ducs de Bourgogne, the Musée du Vin offers a detailed analysis of the Côte’s terroire (land), from the angle of sunlight to the composition of the soil to the location of individual vineyard plots and their characteristics. Winemaking instruments, third-century Gallo-Roman wine goblets, and even sheet music for drinking songs are on display. Detailed information is presented in French only, but each room has summary cards in English. (Rue d’Enfer, off pl. Général Leclerc. ☎03 80 22 08 19. Open Apr.-Nov. daily 9:30am-6pm, last entry 5:30pm; Dec.-Mar. M and W-Su 9:30am-5pm. €5.40, students €3.50.)

Festivals

• Festival International d’Opéra Baroque (☎03 80 22 97 20; www.festivalbeaune.com), in July. Hosts operas and concerts every weekend. €12-80, students €10-68.
• La Fête de la Vente du Vin, 3 days in late Nov. Beaune’s moderate level of wine intake swells to a spirit-soaked party during a celebration of the wine harvest. This family-oriented event promises live music, theatrical performances, and wine booths throughout the pedestrian district. The festival once encouraged drinking sans modération but has since shifted its focus from quantity to quality.