FRANCE - Europe by Eurail 2015: Touring Europe by Train - page 156

Average Train Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Tourist Information Office: 15 Cour de la Gare, Tourist Pavillon, Place Darcy,
21000 Dijon
Tel: [phone]; Fax: [phone]
www.dijon-tourism.com
E-mail: [e-mail]
Hours: April-September: 0930-1830 Monday-Saturday, 1000-1800 Sunday;
October-March: 0930-1300 and 1400-1800 Monday-Saturday, 1000-1600
Sunday
Notes: Exit through the main doors of the station and bear to the right onto avenue
Maréchal Foch. Average walking time: 5 minutes. Use the Hotel Climat de France
as a landmark. Proceed along avenue Foch for 1 block. As you approach place
Darcy, you will find the tourist information office on the left-hand side of the street.
Say “Dijon” to any American who likes to eat well, and the response will be “mus-
tard.” Mention Dijon to any Frenchman, and his eyes will roll and his hands will fly
as he describes the gastronomic wonders of the Burgundian city's pastry shops,
restaurants, cassis (black-currant liquor), and mustard—but not necessarily in that
order. Dijon, the ancient capital city of Burgundy, has something for everyone. It
sets a fine table, lives its history, and preserves its art.
Dijon is the gateway to France's most famous wine region, the Côte d'Or. Im-
portant historically in 1015 when Robert I, Duke of Burgundy, made it the capital
of his duchy, today it produces more than 40 million bottles each year. The city's
most brilliant era, however, was from the 14th through the 18th centuries, when it
gained most of its art and beautiful monuments.
Dijon cannot be visited in a hurry. An entire day can easily be spent visiting
its Palace of the Dukes of Burgundy and the Museum of Fine Arts, which
is housed in the palace. The museum, founded in 1783, is the most important
in France after the Louvre in Paris. Don't miss the huge banquet room of the
palace, known as the Guards Room. The tombs of the dukes are located here. The
tombs provide some descriptive background as to how the populace rated the four
“Valois” Dukes of Burgundy: Philip the Bold, Jean the Fearless, Philip the Good,
and Charles the Rash. Visit www.dijon.fr .
Modern art has made an entry in the palace in the form of a department housing
an exhibition of Impressionist works from the Granville collection. There's also a
gallery devoted completely to the works of local artists from the Burgundy area.
The city is particularly proud of its artists, among them François Pompon
(1855-1933). Sculptor Pompon began his career as a Burgundy marble cutter. He