Dijon Travel Guide

The foundation of the city goes back to ancient times. Dijon used to be the capital of the duchy of Burgundy. It is only 310 km far from Paris and 190 km far from Lyon. It is a town you definitely need to go to.

Population : 152 071 inhabitants

Population Density : 3763 inhab/ km2

Area : 40,41 km2

Demonym : Dijonnais, Dijonnaise

Region : Burgundy

Postcode : 21000.

Traveling to Dijon is very easy, it’s like the city is at the heart of Europe.

BY CAR

Leaving from Paris, first take the A6 to Lyon and change for the A38 to Dijon/Autun/Pouilly-en-Auxois. After a 3h15 journey and a €17,90* bill (thank you tolls..), you can finally relax and enjoy the former capital of Burgundy.

Once in town, you won’t have to worry about where you should leave your car. With 4125 parking spaces, there has to be one for you!

The city car parks are divided into sevral zones. The average price for one hour is €1* and if you stay between 1h30 and 4h, the average price is €2,80*, depending on the car park you chose.

To get more information, please click here

BY TRAIN

Many trains stop at Dijon. If you leave from Paris, go to Gare de Lyon and hop in a TGV. The journey lasts 1h35. Leaving from Paris Charles-De-Gaulle or Lyon, the journey lasts 1h35 as well; 3 hours from Lille and 2h25 from Zurich.
Should you want to book tickets, please click here.

BY PLANE

For those who travel by plane, you will arrive at Dijon-Bourgogne Airport, which is only 15 km away from the city center. Many shuttles operate 24/7 from and to the airport.

For more information, please click here

Going around the town

By bus and tram

The public transport network is well-developed, meaning that getting around Dijon is very easy. You can catch a bus every 3 to 10 minutes and a tram every 5 to 7 minutes. As you don’t to wait that much, you will have plenty of time to visit the city.
As for the pricing, a Pass-1h costs €1,20*. You can use it on the entire network for an hour. If you plan to take the bus/tram more than once or twice a day, you should take the Pass-24h for €3,60*; it allows you to travel on the entire network for 24 hours.
To find the best bargain, please visit the DIVIA website.

By bike

If you don’t want to miss a thing, get on your bike. There are 40 stations and 400 bikes scattered around town : take it easy with the Velodi network! If you won’t travel that much, you should try the Formule Liberté. You need to subscribe to a 7-day contract for just 1€. You will pay €0,50* every 30 minutes and after 2h, you will pay €1* every 30 minutes.

To get more information on the pricing, please click here.

- February :

• Sport en scène : You like sports ? Then go to the Palais des Sports. Many sporting events, mostly performed by famous champions, will take place during the day. At first, there were only athletes coming from Dijon, but today, many international champions participate in this major event. All sports are represented, so do not hesitate to go there.
  Cherry on the cake : everyone gets in free*.
• Les artisanales de Dijon : This Art Fair is organized by the Lions Club Dijon Argo in favour of Dijon’s Children Hospital and Le Trèfle à 4 Clowns charity. Around 30 craftmen and women are invited to present their work and perform live.
  A ticket costs €3* and it’s free for children under 14.

• Italiart : Many artists come to Dijon to celebrate the Italian culture and gastronomy. During this festival, you can attend art exhibitions, Italian cuisine tasting, concerts, live shows etc.
• Florissimo : This is the place you need to be. Florissimo is a floreal exhibition that is worth to see. You can marvel at flora samples coming from the 5 continents without leaving Burgundy. This huge event is enhanced by a spectacular sound and light show.
  As for the pricing :
  • Full price : €20*
  • Young people from 12 to 25 and over 65s : €17*
  • Children from 5 to 11 : €6*

• the World Sacred Music Festival is in town for a couple days. Every year, one country has the place of honour, like Qatar, Pakistan or India. Discover a new culture through art exhibitions, concerts and live performances.

• The Christmas Market, located on the Place de la Liberté, welcomes more than 60 chalets. On the Place Darcy, you can hop in the little train and see the city shining like a diamond. If you’re bold enough, put your ice-skate on and challenge the skating rink located on the Place de la République.
  To admire the town from above, please have a seat in one of the Ferris wheel’s basket.
  
• The town likes to give other cultures the place of honour. This openmindedness led to a peculiar exhibition : the Cellier de Clairvaux welcome 150 nativity scenes coming from all the world.
  A ticket costs 2€ and children under 12 get in for free.

Traveller information

Office du tourisme : http://www.visitdijon.com/en/

Emergency number: dial 112 (European number)

Fire brigade: dial 18

Ambulance / Paramedics: dial 15

Police: dial 17

Missing children: dial 116000

National center for emergency calls for people with hearing problems: dial 114

Museums and Places to be

L’ Imaginarium:
http://www.imaginarium-bourgogne.com/index.php?lg=en

Le Palais des ducs et des Etats de Bourgogne:
http://mba.dijon.fr/musee/site-palais-ducs/l-histoire-palais

La Chartreuse de Champmol et le Puits de Moïse :
http://www.burgundy-tourism.com/to-do-to-see/heritage/MONBOU02100079/detail/dijon/chartreuse-de-champmol-et-puits-de-moise?page=7

Packages

Dukes and gastronomy:
http://www.visitdijon.com/en/dijon-visite-ducs_et_gastronomie.htm

Between heritage and wine:
http://www.visitdijon.com/en/dijon-visite-dijon_entre_patrimoine_et_vin.htm

Dijon City Card :
http://www.visitdijon.com/en/dijon-visite-city_card.htm

Pass Dijon Côtes de Nuits:
http://www.visitdijon.com/en/dijon-visite-pass_dijon_cote_de_nuits.htm

Quirky Dijon

Segway rides:
http://www.visitdijon.com/en/dijon-visite-balades_en_segway.htm

Visite de la fromagerie Gaugry :
http://www.visitdijon.com/en/dijon-visite-fromagerie_gaugry_visite_libre_avec_degustation.htm

Accommodation

If your budget goes over €100 : you will stay in sophisticated hotels, apartments and B&Bs.

click Take a look at our website to find a place to stay in Dijon.

Restaurants

From €3 to €9,70 : ‘Want to have a quick and tasty bite ? Go to Bagel Zée, a place loved by all.
Discover many different bagel recipes, delicious hot-dogs and wraps. Prices are teeny tiny, so no second thought here!
(Bagel Zée, 15 rue Bossuet)

From €15 to €30 : Try balanced and tasty recipes at the Cordina They aime at offering a “light and gourmet” cuisine. Even if this restaurant a bit far from the center, it’s definitely worth it.
(Le Cordina, 3C rue Jeanne Barret)

From €30 to €95: Loiseau des Ducs is the best place to go if you want to taste delicious dish. Located not that far from the Musée des Beaux Arts, this gourmet restaurant will make you come back.
(Loiseau des Ducs, 3 rue Vauban)

Over €125 : What can we say about the Chapeau Rouge. This 2-star restaurant is fabulous. The Chef wonderfully cooks tasty recipes that you can eat in the sophisticated room. Bon appétit!
(Chapeau Rouge, 5 rue Michelet)

Culinary specialities

• The Mustard
  Obviously, we can’t talk about Dijon without mentioning the moutarde. This yellow condiment comes from mustard seeds. Those seeds need to be transformed through 5 steps to become the mustard as we commonly know it:
  • First, clean the seeds
  • Soak the seeds in vinegar,
  • Crush the seeds,
  • Sieve them,
  • And finally, pack the condiment.
  Maille opened its first boutique in Dijon in 1845. Located on the Place de la Liberté, this boutique is always full of townies and tourists who want to take a little something back home.
  (32, rue de la Liberté)

• Gingerbread
  Let’s talk about sweet treats, shall we? Gingerbread first appeared in China and arrived in Europe during the Middle Ages. However, its origins go back to ancient times.
  If you wish to take a little bit of sweetness back home, go to the Place Bossuet and enter the Mulot & Petitjean boutique. This magical place looks like it’s been designed by the brothers Grimm.
  (13, place Bossuet)

L’ Imaginarium : Burgundy is famous for its wine. You can visit this quirky place in an original and interactive way to discover how you produce this elixir.
Your journey is divided into 3 parts; it starts with a sound and light show and ends with a wine tasting.
The Imaginarium is a place for the parents as well as the children.
Fees:

• Free* for any children under 12
• Young people from 12 to 17: €5*
• Full price: €8*for the Formule Découverte / €17* for the Formule Prestige

Le Palais des ducs et des Etats de Bourgogne : The palace was the dukes’ residence until 1477 and it is made of several buildings. The first foundations go back to the 14th and 15th centuries.
Today, this palace has turned into the town hall and the Musée des Beaux Arts. During your visit, you’ll have the opportunity to see several rooms and sights such as the Philippe Le Bon Tower (and enjoy a beautiful panoramic view on Dijon) or the Guard Room and its tombs.
As for the pricing, the entry costs €3* for any visitors (€1,50* for students).

La Chartreuse de Champmol et le Puits de Moïse : This former monastery has now disappeared. There used to be a church and several other buildings around the cloister. In the middle of this cloister, you could have seen a majestic fountain: le Puits de Moïse [Moses’s Well].
Malheureusement, les seuls vestiges encore visibles de cette époque sont la base de la fontaine et le portail de l’église.
Unfortunately, the only visible remains are the basis of the fountain and the church gate. Fun fact: To see this religious site, you will have to go to the Chartreuse special hospital.

Packages

Dijon offers several packages that allow you to visit many sites in a minimum amount of time. Why taking one you may ask? You can choose the theme of your package and it’s a good way to not to miss a thing in town.
Cherry on the cake: the price for a one-night stay in the city and dinners at the restaurant are included. Here are two packages you may like.

The Dukes and gastronomy : After a good meal at the Porte Guillaume, restaurant, you will be able to wander in the streets to marvel at the architecture. After that, you will visit the Musée des Beaux Arts and participate in a wine tasting at the restaurant.
On Day 2, you can visit the city by yourself and use this time to buy some souvenirs.

History and wine : If you love History and wine, this package is for you. From the Musée des Beaux Arts to the Puits de Moïse or the Philippe Le Bon Tower, you won’t miss a thing!

The City Card : This nominative card costs only €12* and you can use it for a whole year. You have 12 months to visit 6 must-see monuments and sites for free. You won’t miss a thing thanks to the City Card!

The Pass Dijon “Côte-de-Nuits” This card costs €16* (only €8* for young people between 12 and 18). It works just like the city card but instead of visiting 6 sites, this card allows you to visit 11. It is up to you to choose between the two!

Quirky Dijon

Segway ride : Visit Dijon on this futuristic machine! You can choose between two itineraries :

• The historical center
• The green trail (a pedestrian route along the Ouche)

• €19* for adults (cheaper if you come in groups)
• €8* for young people between 12 and 16

La fromagerie Gaudry : What’s better than enjoying a cheese platter with a good glass of wine? You can do so at the Gaudry cheese factory. You will be able to see all the manufacturing steps for just €5*.

*This travel guide was published in March 2015, prices may then vary.