Northern tourists who take the "autoroute du soleil" south skirt the Burgundy vineyard's climate classification zone, and it would be a shame not to stop there. This is what many of my friends do, because, coming from Belgium, Beaune is located halfway between Belgium and Provence. Enough to make the most of it...

As for us, we had already been to Dijon and Beaune several times but never with the UNESCO classification as the theme of our visit. This is what we did in May 2025. We first visited Dijon and its emblematic buildings in the city center: le Palais des ducs, Place de la Liberation, the municipal library, etc. then wandered in a mobile home along the roads of the Côtes de Nuits. Be careful, the map that delimits the classified areas is not clear on the UNESCO portal; in Dijon it is relatively small and can be discovered on foot very quickly. On the return trip on the same route, we completed our trip with a visit to Beaune and the Côtes de Beaune.

By car, the ideal is not to take the D974 national road but the small departmental road that connects the wine-growing villages of Gevrey-Chambertin, Vougeot, Nuits-St-Georges, etc. All these names of great wines are obviously dreamy. This road is passable for a 6 m long mobile home like ours. We made a small detour on foot to the summit of Mont de Sène to have an overview of the AOC vineyards of Santenay which form the southern limit of the site. There is a small parking lot below which is very convenient.

On the way back, we stopped in Beaune for one night and visited the unmissable hospice and its magnificent altarpiece by Rogier Van der Weyden, which is not to be missed under any circumstances. A visit to the Hôtel-Dieu is worthwhile not only for its typical Burgundian architecture, which is in very good condition, but also for the specificity of its function. It should be noted that there are only a few examples of this type left in France and Belgium today, including Notre-Dame à la Rose in Lessines, which is on the indicative list. Don't hesitate to wander aimlessly around the town, as you will soon discover a noble inner courtyard hidden from view, or a barn where a wine press is stored.

The best thing to do is to escape the city and lose yourself in the vineyards, from climate to climate clearly demarcated by dry stone walls and announced by a small gate (the introductory photo), Beaune, Beaune Premier Cru and Côte de Beaune. This is possible either on foot or by bike. The Tourist Office gave us good advice on this subject. It was a beautiful and pleasant walk which has the merit of giving full meaning to the site's classification. I believe that one does not go without the other; visiting Dijon or Beaune alone is not enough.

To conclude, although the landscapes and wine villages are beautiful, they did not seem exceptional to me, nor did the medieval architecture of the cities of Dijon and Beaune, as there are so many others in France and Europe. The Hôtel-Dieu is to be set apart, of course. Ultimately, in the city, it reeks of tourism promotion and wine marketing... You have to want to play the game... There is a mixture of feelings of frustration but of fulfillment in the countryside once you escape the commercial appetite!