We will be spending 2 days in the Burgundy wine region of France. I am hoping I can get some insight into the differences between Beaune and Dijon...we have found nice hotels in each city.

We will spend one full day doing a wine tour with "Wine and Voyages" and then would like to explore a bit on our own the second day before returning to Paris to finish our 9 day trip.

So, pro's and con's or personal experiences from either city would be highly appreciated! Other hotel options would be welcome as well.

THANK YOU in advance!

We loved Beaune, and since you're also a wine lover it's really no contest. Beaune is a wine village and The Hotel Dieu is a real treat. Dijon has a bigger city feel and didn't cut the mustard for us.

Dijon is a large city, with many places of cultural interest--especially the former ducal palace that now houses the Museum of Fine Arts. Beaune, on the other hand, is smaller and more charming. Its focus is, of course, wine, but any visitor will want to see the famous Hospice (Hôtel Dieu), which has a classic Burgundian roof in brilliant colors. Either would be an interesting experience--make no Beaunes about it.

Good one 39steps -- "didn't cut the mustard for us".

And Underhill too. What is this --the late night comedy hour???

I have never ben to Dijon and make no Beaunes about it. But I loved Beaune and had a few special days there.

I have heard that Hotel Le Cep is a good hotel in Beaune. 39 Steps, What is it that you like about Hotel Dieu?

Does anyone have any other recommendations?

Everett - sorry if I misled you, but the Hotel Dieu is not a hotel, it dates backs to 1443 and was once a hospital and is now a museum. The roof is awesome and it really is well worth a visit. Another wine lover must is the Marche aux Vins which does an interesting wine tasting in a cave around candlelit barrels - you can drink yourself silly.

We stayed at the Hotel de la Poste which is on the ring road. It was good, but the Hotel Cep looked like a better splurge and was more in the heart of the old city.

Dijon is a city. Beaune is a small town.

That said, Dijon is my favorite city next to Paris. It's not so big you get lost in it. The Beaux Arts in the Palais des Ducs is a very nice art museum. The old town section is small enough to really enjoy. There are lots of nice restaurants in the area. They have a very impressive Triumphal Arch. There's good shopping and the people, in general, are very friendly. If you're looking for gifts, there are lots of cute mustard shops too!

Beaune is the perfect medium-sized town. We usually stay in Beaune and make a day trip into Dijon. Beaune is easy in, easy out so it's great for visiting the general area. The center of town is compact and very interesting . . . lots of history there.

The Hotel Dieu was a working hospital until 1976. It is now a museum and very well done. As Underhill mentioned, it has a spectacular Burgundian roof. If you don't want to go in (which would be a shame), you can go around and walk into the gated parking lot and get great photos of the roof.

There are horse and carriage tours of Beaune and when we took one, the spiel was in French, but he was so enthusiastic we enjoyed it even though we only understood every third word. It's a great way to get your bearings. One tour and you really know where everything is.

There are wine tastings all over town and plenty of wonderful restaurants.

This is my personal opinion, but if I only had two days in the region and one day was already taken up with a tour, I would stay in Beaune simply because it is more relaxing. You can see most of Beaune in one day. You can't do that in a city. However, if you really like museums, Dijon has seven of them and certainly would keep you busy!

When we stay in Beaune, we stay at the Hotel Grillon. Mme. Grillon speaks very good English and although her husband does not, he's a very kind and personable man. You can look at their web site at http://www.hotel-grillon.fr

Hope this helps a little. You have a tough decision! Whichever you choose, you will undoubtedly have a good time.

A couple of other highlights - we really liked cruising the Cote D'Or vineyards around Meursault by car. If you're into great Burgundy's like Montrachet it's pretty cool to see where it all starts. You can continue on to the Chateau de la Rochepot which has a great setting and colorful roof. And finally, for a special meal, try the Jardin des Remparts set just outside the medieval wall. A splurge, but well worth it. Beaune Appetit!

Well, Beaune it is!

That was an easy decision - thank you for all of the great advice.

I have looked at Hotel Grillon, it looks very nice.

Does anyone have any other suggestions for nice hotels in Beaune?

As always, THANK YOU in advance!

How about a very nice little hotel NEAR Beaune? When in the area we always stay at the Hostellerie du Vieux Moulin, which is in the nearby hamlet of Bouilland. It's a delightful place in absolutely bucolic countryside--very peaceful, and you can watch the cows go to and return from their pasture up the hill if you want entertainment. The restaurant is excellent, and it has a wonderful wine list with a good number of half bottles. Rooms run from around 90. Bouilland is just a little way from the wine town of Savigny-les-Beaune.

We stayed in Beaune at Tulip Inn Anthanor Centre in Oct. 2002. Great location in center of town, clean rooms, but a distance from the train station. Every Sat. the street turns into a large market...great foods, flowers, market finds! Enjoy a glass of wine for us!

Beaune is a great choice. Easy to get to Dijon & other surrounding areas. We stayed at the Hostellerie Du Chateau de Bellecroix in nearby Chagny. There are two buildings -- one is an 18th century stone chateau complete with turrets and the other is a 13th century stone building. The rooms are spacious and comfortable with high ceilings and extraordinary atmosphere. Our room had a bathroom that was carved out of the stone walls. There are also lovely grounds, with a pool. We also had a delicious dinner there one night. Enjoy your trip!

I spent a summer at the Universite de Dijon and I have been to both Dijon and Beaune several times since then. You cannot go wrong in either place.

Has anyone ever stayed at the Hotel Belle Epoque in Beaune? It was rec . in Wine Spectator....about 70 a night. Merci.

I had a most memorable lunch in Beaune as a respite on our drive from Paris to Marseilles with my father and his wife. The wine was unmatched...

We stayed inbetween the two, and found another place along the wine road that we would stay at next time we are in the area. We stayed at a B&B in Grevey-Chambertain which was quite lovely. We had dinner one night, and would return to for a stay as well as their delightful meals, a friendly little place called Les Paulands -- closer to Beaune, near the vineyards for Aloxe-Corton. Of course we had a car and totally enjoyed touring the area (we stayed 2 nights). We visited Beaune on a Saturday (in May) which may have been a mistake -- it was too busy with tourists and frankly, we were disappointed. On Sunday, we went to Dijon -- and there was an antiques market. It was fabulous and we really enjoyed it. That afternoon we used Rick Steve's book and drove out to visit the fascinating L'Abbaye Bussiere and Chateau Chateauneuf -- which was really magical. Having already spent 10 days in Provence, Lanquedoc, the Dordogne and Lyon, frankly we were greatly disappointed in the burgundy we tasted and drank. The last few releases of burgundy simply do not "live up" to their reputation. We had enjoyed many less celebrated wines on our travels...at a good bit lower prices.

If you are in Burgundy, two sites I recommend are the ruins of the Abbaye de Cluny and the cathedral at Vezelay.

The first is just ruins but it is possible to get an idea of how huge the church must have been been in the time of its heyday. The church rivaled St. Peter's in size.

Vezelay is a prime example of Lombard church construction (which antedated the gothic and is found mostly in the southern European areas).

Another interesting site is the church at Tournus.

We stayed at the Belle Epoque in Sept 2000. I was a great little hotel built around a courtyard. The proprietor was this stereotypical smart alec burgundian and he was hilarious. The breakfast was the best of our trip. They made restaurant reservations and called Avis for us. The only drawback was that our room was on the street side and could be very noisy with diesel trucks idling in front as they waiting for the traffic signal at the ring road (1 block up). Although, this was during harvest, so there may not be as much traffic other times of the year.

Thanks, GrandCru. That is what I'd hoped to hear. I'll try to get a room not on the street. Merci! Do you have any favorite restaurants to recommend? We have reservations at Ma Cuisine. Any thoughts?