Free walking tours in Beaune and what to see

Must-sees

Beaune is the wine capital of Burgundy, a walled town in the middle of the Côte d’Or. Its great monument is the Hôtel-Dieu, the hospital founded in the 15th century by Chancellor Nicolas Rolin. You will recognise it by its roofs of coloured glazed tiles forming geometric patterns. Inside you can visit the great Hall of the Poor, with its rows of beds, the kitchen, the apothecary and Rogier van der Weyden’s Last Judgement polyptych.

The old town, ringed by walls and bastions, is pleasant to explore on foot, with the collegiate church of Notre-Dame and its tapestries. Beneath the streets lie merchants’ cellars that can be visited with a tasting. The Cité des Climats et Vins de Bourgogne explains the climats, the vineyard plots recognised by UNESCO. Just outside town begin the vineyards of villages such as Pommard, Volnay and Meursault, and to the north the Côte de Nuits.

Free tours and guided visits

Beaune has no regular free walking tours. On Civitatis you will find a Burgundy wine tour through the vineyards of the Côte with tastings, and tickets for the Cité des Climats et Vins de Bourgogne. The Hôtel-Dieu can be explored on your own with an audio guide, and the cellars in the centre offer visits with tastings.

How long to spend

One day is enough for the Hôtel-Dieu, the old town, the collegiate church and a cellar. With two days you can add the Cité des Climats and a route through the wine villages of the Côte de Beaune. If you also want to reach the Côte de Nuits and Dijon, allow three days. In autumn, after the harvest, the town is very lively.

Where to stay

It is best to stay inside the walls, near the Hôtel-Dieu, where everything is within walking distance and you can taste without driving. Along the boulevards around the centre there are hotels with parking, practical if you are driving. To sleep among the vines, the villages of the Côte have guesthouses, and Dijon offers more choice half an hour away.