On my recent trip to France I focused most of my stay on Paris, but I knew that I wanted to experience a smaller town as well. That was what led me to Beaune, the heart of wine country in the Burgundy region that can be reached by train from Paris in less than three hours. I went into my visit without too much pre-planning, and I ended up being pleasantly surprised by how many interesting things there were to do in Beaune.
I stayed in Beaune for four days. In that time I did one full-day wine tour of the Burgundy region (the first activity on my list below), took one day trip to a nearby city (more on that at the end) and spent two full days exploring the town of Beaune itself. I had enough time to visit almost all of the attractions in Beaune, so below I will share my thoughts on all of them!
A Full-Day Burgundy Wine Tour
Burgundy is famous for its wine, and Beaune is considered to be the heart of wine country. So, there was never any question that I would take a wine tour from Beaune… the question was simply which one to choose.
After hours of research I finally signed up for this Burgundy Day Trip with 14 Wine Tastings. Admittedly it was on the high end of what I would typically spend on a group day trip. However, there were more than 300 positive reviews for this tour across the different sites I looked at, and I trusted that if people were spending that much money and leaving such great reviews that they believed they got their money’s worth.
Note: I paid in full for the tour and didn’t disclose that I was a blogger!
It ended up being my best day in Beaune and the first activity that I would recommend to other travelers. Although they advertised 14 wine tastings, we had many more spread across three tasting stops (four if you count lunch!). You can read my full review of the tour, and the wines, in this review.
It was possible to buy the wines that we tasted, and everyone else on the tour did except for me (I was just starting my summer trip to Europe and didn’t want to carry bottles around with me).
The tour also included several stops at beautiful and famous vineyards around the region, including the Romanée Conti fields with their famous cross and a viewpoint of the Clos de Vougeot Castle . Lunch was not included but the restaurant chosen by our guide was very affordable and full of locals enjoying typical regional lunches.
Overall I think this tour was the best way to see the vineyards of Burgundy from Beaune, and the best way to try a lot of different Burgundy wines to figure out which ones you like best. If you do it at the start of your trip to Beaune then you’ll be well-prepared to order wine by the bottle and by the glass for the rest of your stay.
Book with Get Your Guide | Book With Viator
Hôtel-Dieu – Hospices in Beaune
The iconic symbol of Beaune (aside from a glass of red wine) is the Hôtel-Dieu – Hospices de Beaune. One of the best examples of medieval architecture in the region, this former hospital is now a museum showcasing the history of the region and of the health care that was delivered here to impoverished residents of the surrounding region. A huge highlight of any visit to the Hospices de Beaune is a chance to visit its tranquil courtyard, where you have the best view of the roof made from polychrome glazed tiles.
To understand what you’re seeing at the hospital I recommend getting the audioguide, which will explain both the architectural features and the healthcare activities of each room that you walk through. Your tour ends with a visit to the hospital’s museum, where the main draw is The Polyptych of the Last Judgment. Plan to spend between one and two hours here, depending on your level of interest.
I purchased the ticket that included admission to the Hôtel-Dieu, the Museum of Wine and the Museum of Fine Arts for €17. This is a new initiative that they are rolling out, and if it’s not offered during your visit then a regular admission ticket can be purchased for €12. Normally I would recommend buying tickets online before you go, but I seriously can’t figure out their website so instead my recommendation is to go in the morning, as there’s often a queue in the afternoon
La Moutarderie Fallot
I was staying just around the corner from this historic mustard factory so I had to squeeze in a visit during my trip to Beaune! La Moutarderie Fallot is the last independent, family-owned mustard manufacturer in Burgundy, having been in operation on this site since 1840.
This is the only place they produce their mustard, and they offer tours and tasting seven days a week. I recommend going on Monday to Friday, though, as those are the days their production lines are in action. You can visit on the weekend to see the factory but the manufacturing staff won’t be at work.
A visit to Moutarderie Fallot costs €12 for adults (less, or free for kids, depending on age) and takes about an hour. At the end you’ll be given two small jars of mustard to take with you, and you exit through their on-site shop that has a self-serve tasting bar as well.
The only thing I will say as a negative here is that you can find their products for less at the local supermarkets, especially the Casino shop in the historic center. You might pay an extra €1 or so to buy in the shop here, but they also have the best selection of unique flavors.
Notre Dame Basilica
It’s hard to miss this 12th-century church as you’re walking through Beaune’s historic center. It’s free to pop inside to see the ornately-painted chapels, the detailed stained glass windows and the Black Madonna carved from walnut.
Beaune hosts an annual opera festival in July and Notre Dame is frequently used as a concert venue. To get dates and details about the upcoming festival next summer check the official website.
Museum of Fine Arts (Musée des Beaux-Arts)
I didn’t think it was worthwhile to take a picture inside this museum as they only run temporary exhibits, so what I saw might not be what you can see when you visit Beaune.
At the time of my visit the temporary exhibit featured the works of English sculptor Paul Day, who is best known for his sculpture “The Meeting Place” in St. Pancras Station in London. I believe this exhibit will be here until September 2025, but they haven’t yet announced what will show next.
Maison des Climats
The Maison de Climats is located in the same building as the Museum of Fine Arts and it’s free to visit. This is a large exhibit space centered around a seven-minute panoramic movie (available in English and French) about the importance of the different climats, or vineyard plots, throughout the Burgundy region.
Climats are unique to Burgundy, and are unrelated to the English word “climate”. I first learned about them on my full-day Burgundy wine tour, but this is also a good place to get to know this regional term. You’ll learn about the soil, sunlight and other geographical features that make one vineyard completely distinct from the vineyard across the road (or so they say…).
Wine Tastings in Central Beaune
Although I did a full-day wine tour of Burgundy, I still wanted to visit the wine cellars that I knew were underneath my feet as I was walking around the historic center of Beaune. You can do these in addition to a full-day wine tour, or in place of one if you have limited time in Beaune.
- Maison Champy – The oldest wine company in Burgundy (seriously, they date back to 1720!) offers tastings and tours right in the heat of Beaune.
- Millésimes à la Carte – This wine shop on the outskirts of the city center gets rave reviews for its private tastings featuring seven grand cru and premier cru wines from the region.
- Patriarch et Fils – This winemaker has more than five kilometers of cellars that store more than two million bottles underneath the streets of Beaune.
- Bouchard Aine & Fils – This historic wine house hosts tastings in their eighteenth-century maison particulier.
No matter which tasting you choose, make sure to reserve in advance because literally all of the people in front of me in line were turned away for not having a reservation!
Hotel des Ducs de Bourgogne & The Museum of Wine
As I mentioned earlier, I visited the Beaune Museum of Wine with a combined ticket including the Hospices de Beaune and the Museum of Fine Arts. On its own, this little museum costs €6 for adults and €4 for kids ten and up, though I wouldn’t recommend it for anyone not of drinking age.
The museum here focuses on the history of wine-making, from its earliest years to nearly-contemporary times. Exhibits are spread across two floors in the historic Hôtel des Ducs de Bourgogne, the home to the Parliament of Burgundy from the late 1300s through to the 1500s. A lot of the exhibits in the museum were things I’d already learned about or seen before, but the huge modern tapestry at the end of the tour is still on my mind – wow!
The exhibits in the courtyard are free to visit and open to the public. The main draw outside is the barn filled with large-scale wine-making equipment, and the free public toilets just around the corner. 😉
The Path of Lights
I was in Beaune in July and when I was out walking one night I noticed that the Hotel-Dieu facade was lit up with an animated light show. Curious, a quick Google search led me to discover Beaune’s “Trail of Light”, which takes place after dark during the summer months and occasionally on other important holidays too (ask at Tourist Information for the current schedule!).
Along the Trail of Light, important public buildings and monuments feature projected light shows. I stopped to watch at Hotel-Dieu, Notre Dame Church and the Museum of Wine, but my favorite ended up being at the belfry, where the projection was of a playful cat chasing a beam of light up the side of the building.
Park Bouzaise
Park Bouzaise is a pretty fifteen-minute walk from the historic center of Beaune. This five-hectare park has a lake, canoes to rent, a playground, an English garden, walking trails and a small animal farm. However, the city locks the park at the first sign of a sprinkle of rain, so I found it closed both times I visited mid-afternoon.
Invested in walking, I decided to do a loop around the perimeter of the park on the streets leading out into the vineyards. This was a pleasant stroll (shown in the second picture) and I only encountered one other person while I was out walking. On the main road there was a wide sidewalk and on the narrower roads it was a non-issue because there was zero traffic.
Bicycle Rental in Beaune
Before my trip to Beaune I was a little bit hesitant to rent a bicycle, because I worried about sharing the road with cars. I shouldn’t have worried, because as I saw on the day of my wine tour through the region there is minimal traffic on the roads that cyclists use to travel from vineyard to vineyard and village to village. I noticed two bike rental shops in Beaune:
- Bourgogne Evasion – Located by Park Bouzaise and the beginning of “The Vineyard Way”, they have more than 250 bikes for rent.
- Bourgogne Randonees – Situated a stone’s throw from the Beaune train station, they have a wide selection of eBikes and touring bikes for rent.
It’s also possible to join an organized bicycle tour of the region, including this three-hour guided bike tour with wine tastings and this full-day guided bike tour with tastings. On these guided tours you’ll be led along the best bike trails to local vineyards and wineries, meet with wine producers and have a chance to try Burgundy wines.
Cité des Climats et Vins de Bourgogne
Full disclosure: I did not visit the Cité des Climats et Vins de Bourgogne. It was located about three kilometers outside the center, I didn’t have a car and from the website it seemed quite similar to the Cité Internationale de la Gastronomie et du Vin in Dijon, which I had already visited.
Here, they advertise an 1,100 m² visitor trail where you learn about wine and the Burgundy wine region. At the end of the visitor trail there is an included wine tasting. They also have daily tasting workshops to learn more about the art and science of wine tasting, an on-site wine bar and a dedicated self-guided tour intended for children.
Supposedly you can get to the Cité des Climats et Vins de Bourgogne on Beaune’s Bus #2 and #5, but these run infrequently. You’re much better off going by car or bicycle.
Day Trips from Beaune
Personally, I spent a full day in Dijon and absolutely loved it! If you can, try to visit this city on one of the market days, when the historical center of the city comes alive. Dijon is only twenty minutes by train from Beaune, and you don’t need to purchase your train tickets in advance (so you can come and go whenever you’re ready). You can read my guide to spending one day in Dijon for all the details!
Other day trips from Beaune that you might want to consider include:
- Cluny – 50 minutes by train from Beaune, Cluny is known for its well-preserved medieval center.
- Lyon – The fastest trains can get you from Beaune to Lyon in 90 minutes. I love Lyon and have written a complete travel guide here.
- Besançon – Another 90-minute train ride from Beaune, Besançon is known for its hilltop citadel overlooking the Doubs River.
Of course, you can get to any of those cities in less time if you’re driving! You can also visit any of the small towns around Beaune, like Nuits-Saint-Georges and Santenay, but you’d want to combine several to fill a full day.
If you enjoyed visiting or reading about Beaune, you’ll love similar small towns in the South of France like L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, Saint-Paul de Vence and Saint-Remy-de-Provence.
Planning a trip to France? Pin this post for later!
 |
 |