Dijon, la belle

Where viticulture and mustard meet, history and nonchalance, elegance and cheese, the differences between northern and southern cultures become blurred. The result: perhaps the northernmost city of the Mediterranean region. And one of the most interesting ones.

When you change trains at Basel station, you often don't just change trains. At the very back of the station, there is a magical threshold that invisibly teleports you to France within a few meters. We are clearly not the only ones here on this national holiday weekend. Understandable, because traveling to France is always a good idea.

We are on our way to Burgundy, or more precisely to the capital of this French region, Dijon. Located directly on the TGV route towards Paris and Marseille, it's not far from Basel and we wonder why we didn't head for Dijon much earlier. And we'll be asking ourselves that more often.

Arriving at Dijon station, both the sun and our Swiss home base seem far away. Southern vibes, definitely. French casual, elegant, well-groomed, lively. We take a leisurely stroll through the old town and decide it's time for a leisurely lunch. Boeuf Bourgignon seems appropriate and doesn't promise too much - it proves once again that it's not that easy to eat badly in France. On the Place de la Libération, there are so many things happening around us at the same time that we have to stay seated longer because of all the people-watching. It's amazing, this Mediterranean serenity, over 400 km from the Mediterranean after all.

We continue to explore the old town, add mustard and wine tasting to our to-do list and admire the mix of Gothic styles, half-timbered houses, colorful roofs and, in the midst of it all, more modern buildings that, unlike many other cities, are not unpleasantly conspicuous.

In the evening, we are still well-fed from our extensive lunch, so we only have a small, thin, flat, but burning snack in a chic crêperie called Suzette, where the name says it all. The evening ends in what is probably one of the liveliest places in Dijon, the Place du Théatre, where Mediterranean scenes take place and where we are greeted spontaneously in the bar with “Bonjour, les Amis”. Sometimes it's the small scenes that make a great show.

Casual, elegant, great show.

 

The next morning gets off to an obscene start. How do French bakers manage to consistently conjure up such wonderful croissants, pains au chocolat and other larger and smaller baked goods from their ovens? Inspired by these pastry dreams, we make another discovery and end up in the Dijon market hall. And market halls are one of those things.

Market halls are an integral part of the tourist program in many cities, especially on Europe. They are often interchangeable “food courts”, but rarely are they really a living market for locals. And that is exactly what Dijon has retained. The city dwellers examine the goods inside and outside the hall, inspect the asparagus, discuss (presumably) the prices of the tomatoes and, above all, get stuck in the center of the action, namely in the market hall's own bar called La Buvette des Halles.

There, it is not only accepted, but even planned, to eat the snacks you have just bought at the stalls. Depending on the time of day, they serve coffee, something cold or perhaps a pastis. Rustic, fast, genuine - we watch the spectacle a little longer than necessary and decide to return the next morning.

 

A glass of wine, pastis or rather a coffee?

Our next destination is the Cité internationale de la gastronomie et du vin, something of a small global epicenter of sophisticated French gastronomy, but above all of local viticulture. We stroll through the various small stores, peruse cookbooks and menus and finally end up in the Cave de la Cité, where many of the local wines are available for tasting - accompanied on request by a cheese platter of unprecedented quality. Mon dieu, it's not even 1 p.m. and we are extremely satisfied.

With all the crêpes, Chablis and café noir, the wonderful old town of Dijon has almost faded into the background. No problem, we equip ourselves with a small brochure at the Office de Tourisme, which shows us the way to the sights of the old town using owl symbols. We visit one stop after another, stocking up on mustard and chocolate along the way, and after stop 22 of 22 we are ready for a short break before dinner.

Opposite the market hall, we are taken with a small restaurant that gives Burgundy's cuisine a fresh coat of paint. We are satisfied (again) as we end the day over a crème brûlée.

Part of the cityscape: la 2CV.

The day of our departure has arrived, but we are actively implementing our plan from the previous day to have another long coffee in the market hall, take another stroll through the old town and, in addition to the small streets, discover enchanted courtyards full of charming, gracefully ageing Citroëns.

We make plans to visit Dijon again - soon!

Colorful: Dijon is a successful mix that continues to blend.

---

Good to know

Dijon is located on the TGV route between Zurich/Basel and Paris - depending on the booking situation, it can be reached in around 2.5 hours from Zurich without changing trains. The TGV train station is on the edge of the old town, and most accommodation is a short walk away. If you have more luggage, you can also use a free shuttle bus (“City” line) within the old town.

We opted for the Hotel Des Ducs, a simpler hotel with very good value for money. The rooms are nice, the only problem is one factor that is not the hotel's fault: On weekend evenings, unofficial acceleration tests of tuned cars apparently take place on the street in front of the hotel - even with the windows closed, it is quite loud.

 

In view of the Cité internationale de la gastronomie et du vin, Dijon is something like the world capital of gastronomy, and rightly so.

Our highlights:

- BHV on the Place de la Libération, with fine food and a great setting;

- Crêperie Mon amie Suzette, for its eponymous flaming delicacies;

- Trinidad Bar by the theater, a particularly colorful and friendly place;

- Cave de la Cité, for a relaxed wine tasting (and that cheese!);

- Paulette, Burgundy cuisine with a twist;

- La Buvette des Halles, bar in the market hall

 

We recommend the “owl tour” to get an idea of the interesting spots in the old town - a tour lovingly put together by the Office de Tourisme. Please note: you need a reservation to climb the “Philippe le Bon” observation tower. Spontaneously, we were too close to it. Another reason to come back!