7 Best Sights in Beaune, Burgundy

Philippe le Hardi, the son of the king of France, was the illustrious owner of this majestic 9th- to 16th-century castle. The surrounding estate—one of the largest in Burgundy—has 237 acres of vines, and a visit to it culminates with a tasting of four wines. The award-winning St-Aubin "En Vesvau," matured and aged in wooden casks, is a must-try, as is the Clos Philippe le Hardi and AOP Aloxe-Corton "Les Brunettes et Planchots." There are three classic wine tastings (from €10) and, by appointment only, two high-end wine tastings that include a tour of the cellar that ends with either two white wines and three reds (€25) or three whites and three reds, including at least two Premier Cru and one Grand Cru (€55). 

With its steep, gabled roof colorfully tiled in intricate patterns, the famed Hospices de Beaune is this city’s top attraction—and one of Burgundy’s most iconic sights. Better known to some as the Hôtel-Dieu, it was founded in 1443 as a hospital to provide free care for the poor after the Hundred Years' War. The interior looks medieval but was repainted by 19th-century restorer Ouradou (Viollet-le-Duc's son-in-law); it centers on the grand salle, more than 160 feet long, with the original furniture, a great wooden roof, and the super-picturesque cour d'honneur. The Hospices carried on its medical activities until 1971—its nurses still wearing their habitlike uniforms—and the hospital's history is retraced in the museum, whose wide-ranging collections contain some odd medical instruments from the 15th century. You can also see a collection of tapestries that belonged to the repentant founder of the Hospices, ducal chancellor Nicolas Rolin, who hoped charity would relieve him of his sins—one of which was collecting wives. Outstanding are both the tapestry he had made for Madame Rolin III, with its repeated motif of "my only star," and one relating the legend of St-Eloi and his miraculous restoration of a horse's leg.

But the showstopper at the Hôtel-Dieu is Rogier Van der Weyden's stirring, gigantic 15th-century masterpiece The Last Judgment, commissioned for the hospital's chapel by Rolin. The intense colors and mind-tripping imagery were meant to scare the illiterate patients into religious submission. Notice the touch of misogyny; more women are going to hell than to heaven, while Christ, the judge, remains completely unmoved. The Hospices own around 150 acres of the region's finest vineyards, much of it classified as Grand or Premier Cru.

Bouchard is one of the major domaines and négociants in Beaune. Its unparalleled legacy of 50,000 bottles from the Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits appellations includes a unique collection of rare vintages dating back to the 19th century. The guided visit, which needs to be reserved in advance, takes you through the 15th-century cellars and ends with a tasting. The Virtuose option (€129) ends with a tasting of eight wines, including five Premier Cru and three Grand Cru wines while Prodigio (€239) ends with three Premier Cru and five Grand Cru wines. 

A miraculous Meursault has been produced at this elegant spot since the 7th century. Walk up the Allée des Maronniers through the vines to the château's cour d'honneur. Visits to cellars dating from the 14th and 16th centuries and an art gallery are part of the guided tour, which includes a sommelier-aided tasting of eight wines (€49). More elaborate theme-based guided tours are available by appointment.

A series of tapestries relating the life of the Virgin hangs in Beaune's main church, the 12th-century Romanesque Collégiale Notre-Dame. They are on public display from Easter to mid-November.

The liquid highlight of many Burgundian vacations is a visit to the Marché aux Vins, where you can sample a tongue-tingling, mind-spinning array of regional wines in an atmospheric setting made up of barrel-strewn cellars and vaulted passages. Opt for eight wines which include two Premier Cru wines (€35) or the Grand Cru tasting (€59); no need to reserve in advance. There is another Beaune tasting house at Caves Patriarche on Rue du Collège.