The capital of Burgundy and the capital of French gastronomy — where the mustard that bears the city's name is made by the last family-run factory in town, the dukes who rivalled the French crown are buried in Gothic splendour, and the wine routes of the Côte d'Or begin at the city gates
Dijon (155,000; metro 390,000) is the historical capital of Burgundy (now Bourgogne-Franche-Comté), France's most celebrated wine region and a city that has defined French culinary identity for centuries. The Palais des Ducs de Bourgogne anchors a compact medieval centre of half-timbered houses and polychrome glazed-tile rooftops (a Burgundian signature); Les Halles market (Gustave Eiffel's cast-iron frame, 1869) fills three days a week with Burgundian cheeses, charcuterie, and Époisses. The Route des Grands Crus wine route begins at the city's southern edge, passing through Gevrey-Chambertin…
Dijon was a Roman fortified camp (Dibio) before emerging as the capital of the Duchy of Burgundy in the 10th century. The Valois Dukes of Burgundy (1363–1477) — Philip the Bold, John the Fearless, Philip the Good, Charles the Bold — built one of the most powerful court cultures in medieval Europe, controlling Flanders, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg while rivalling the French crown; Philip the Good presided over the trial of Joan of Arc as an English ally. Charles the Bold's death at the Battle of Nancy (1477) without male heirs ended the independent duchy; Louis XI annexed Burgundy to Franc…