Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Cost and Hours: €7, includes audioguide, daily April-mid-Nov 9:00-18:30, mid-
Nov-March 9:00-11:30 & 14:00-17:30, last entry one hour before closing; it's dead-center
in Beaune, dominating Place de la Halle; tel. 03 80 24 45 00, www.hospices-de-beau-
ne.com .
Self-Guided Tour: While the audioguide delivers key facts and good informa-
tion, this self-guided tour allows you to prepare ahead and gives your visit more meaning.
Tour the rooms, which circle the courtyard, in a clockwise direction (following Sens de la
Visite signs). To start your visit, enter the courtyard and find a stone bench in front of you.
Courtyard of Honor: Honor meant power, and this was all about showing off. The
exterior of the hospital and the town side of the courtyard are intentionally solemn, so as
not to attract pesky 15th-century brigands who would loot whatever looked most reward-
ing. The dazzling inner courtyard features a colorful glazed tile roof, establishing what
became a style recognized in France as typically “Burgundian.” The tiles, which last 300
years, are fired three times: once to harden, again to burn in the color, and finally for the
glaze. They were redone in 1902. The building is lacy Flamboyant Gothic with lots of de-
cor—and boasts more weathervanes than any other building in France. Now enter the hos-
pice halfway down the courtyard on the left.
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