Beaune, In The Heart Of Burgundy

What if you have a trip in mind but not a destination?

A best-kept secret known by many seasoned travelers is that smaller towns and villages offer a far greater bargain than the major cities. Plus, the pace is more leisurely and the people friendlier. Crowds, in general, are fewer and it’s easier to plunge into the local culture.

In applying that strategy, the three of us – husband, wife, and college-age daughter- spent a delightful week in Hoorn, a small town about 45 minutes north of Amsterdam, in the Netherlands. Sometimes, simply picking up where one left off on the last trip can produce what feels like an extended vacation. So last year, we decided to try it.

Our original goal, following, was to find a place to stay in the south of France or, at least, south of Paris. Initially, we considered Dijon because of some fond memories from 35 years ago. But, as we researched it, Dijon turned out to be much larger than I remembered. So we decided to find someplace a little smaller.

A call to Rick Steves’ travel organization to check on Eurail passes led us to decide to purchase point-to-point tickets while on the Continent instead of the passes. But, in the course of the conversation, one of Steves’ very helpful travel counselors suggested Beaune, an absolutely delightful town (population 25,000) in the heart of Burgundy. After a little investigation using the Internet, we decided that Beaune it was.

We chose to fly into Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport and spend the night there to freshen up before taking the train to Beaune. Amsterdam was our departure point last year so the trip became almost a continuation of where we had left off a year ago. As in the states, all airports aren’t equal. It is common knowledge that Schiphol is the busiest airport in Europe. Don’t be put off by that, however, as Schiphol is easy to navigate and very user-friendly. It also boasts a train station, offering connections to the rest of Europe.

Modern European high-speed trains are a marvel. Several years ago we had taken Eurostar, which runs through the Chunnel connecting London and Paris. This time, we found ourselves aboard Thalys, which took us from the Netherlands, through Belgium, and into Paris.

In Paris, we had to change stations to catch TGV, the French high-speed train, to get to Dijon. Changing stations in Paris can be intimidating. The quickest and cheapest way is to take the métro, but it can take awhile to familiarize yourself with its labyrinth. Pickpockets are a real possibility and traveling with luggage makes one feel very vulnerable.

Still, with my daughter’s near-fluency in French, and my survival French, we made the connection with time to spare. A local train took us from Dijon to Beaune, traveling through increasingly hilly terrain, with cultivated fields, most of them vineyards, along the way.

Arriving in Beaune, we were initially chagrined that our hotel, the Alésia, seemed to be far removed from the city center. It turned out, however, that it was only about a mile and the distance ended up being a good thing. We were far enough removed from the downtown that we had a supermarket and a discount-clothing store directly across the street.

Most days, we purchased our breakfast and, occasionally, lunch and dinner at the supermarket at prices far below the trendy markets, convenience stores, and restaurants located in the center.

Although some of the locals turn up their noses at supermarket fare, the quality seemed higher than what one finds in U.S. supermarkets. A 10-pack of pain au chocolate packed in cellophane, for example, seemed as good as what one would find in a specialty bakery here. Canned cassoulet and herbes de Provence were also on the shelves at very reasonable prices.

SPAN>Beaune is a medieval town, with the city center ringed by an ancient fortress-like wall. A large hospice, now a museum, built in the 14th century and a working hospital until 1971, sits in the center, its spire rising high above the town. The center includes many shops and restaurants, as well as caves, or wine cellars, where local wine makers and merchants offer their wares. 
We visited one that, for a fee, offered a tasting of 18 of its wines, with little pressure to buy. Others offer free tastings but with the expectation that a sale will result. We also spent a day touring the surrounding countryside and vineyards with, of course, yet another wine tasting.

Those wonderful high-speed trains again: some of our fellow tour-goers took a morning train out of Paris to visit Beaune (about two hours from Paris and 25 minutes from Dijon) as a day trip, returning to Paris that same evening.

Wines produced in and around Beaune are of high quality, all intended to be aged for a number of years, including the whites. Prices start at 8 to 10 euros a bottle (about $8 to $10 U.S.) and, from there, the sky’s the limit. Our little supermarket offered eminently drinkable table wine, however, for as little as .71 and .79 euros a bottle.

A tip: among the cognoscenti, the word is out. The 1999 vintage from Burgundy, already difficult to find, is considered possibly the best vintage … ever.
Interspersed with our supermarket purchases, we did manage to sample some of the haut cuisine of Burgundy. One particularly interesting shop, Maison du Colombier, offered an opportunity to sample boeuf Bourguignonne and coq au vin in the cave (cellar), and – despite the best prices in town – included complementary wine. The proprietor, Jean-Jack Titren, and his wife, Jocelyne, who owns an art gallery across the street, were friendly, helpful, and eager to please.

Jerome Gremeaux, the young and personable manager at our hotel and his assistant, Françoise Dorange, who had attended college in the U.S., were also extremely hospitable. Madame Dorange recommended we try La Ciboulette, a restaurant in the center, where we had a marvelous four-course meal starting with asparagus soup and ending with crème brûlée. The pièce de résistance, however, was the entrée, a truly memorable tarragon chicken.

When we checked out of the hotel, Monsieur Gremeaux presented us with a bottle of Bourgogne Passetoutgrain, vintage 1999. On top of a 53 euro per night rate for the three of us, in a room with private bath, who could ask for more?

Without a car and relying on the European railroads, day trip possibilities were too numerous to take advantage of them all. We did, however, spend a day shopping in Dijon – and, of course – returning with a quantity of mustard. Another day trip, on TGV, took us to Lausanne, Switzerland. Provence, Arles, and Avignon were saved for another trip as was Italy, which would have been possible as an overnight.

Returning home, we flew out of Charles de Gaulle Airport, in Roissy, near Paris. Next time, that is probably where we’ll fly into. What we don’t do on one trip we now consider a good starting point for the next. There was enough that we didn’t get to do this time that the next trip may have already planned itself. And Beaune was such a delight that we would hope to return there as well someday.

Author’s Note: We didn’t find the hotel and restaurants mentioned above in any of our guidebooks. Yes, I’m sure they are listed in some but not in the ones we used so it was serendipitous that we found them. If you’re planning a visit to Beaune, be sure to jot them down as each is worthy of a recommendation.

Bonjour Paris is pleased to have Dawson Mills as a contributor.