July 13th 2023

Before leaving Lyon i had the chance to take another stroll through the city and got to take a few shots of the old town and the old pedestrian bridge crossing the Saòne,

And now I was finally here, after a comfortable train ride from Lyon, partly along the Saòne river.

Beaune offers a delightful blend of culture, gastronomy, and natural small town beauty. It has a picturesque old town amidst vineyard-clad hills, and world-class wines to go with it. It has been on by bucket list for many years.

After having checked in to my hotel in the old town, I decided to just wander around aimlessly this first afternoon.

I also checked out the central basilica. The Basilique Notre-Dame is a magnificent Gothic church with breathtaking stained glass windows.

It also had a nice and small quiet garden connected to the basilica.

Equally hard to miss is the charming cobbled streets of the old town. A world of small – albeit a bit touristy – shops, picturesque squares, and beautiful half-timbered houses.

I also had my first wine tasting here. Beaune is right in the centre of the Burgundy wine district, known for its Pinot Noirs but also for exquisite white Chardonnay wines. I got the opportunity to taste wines from Maison Champy.

This is the oldest one still in production in Beaune. They had an interesting tour that included explaining how Louis Pasteur worked with this winery when he developed the pasteurisation process.

They also showed an old massive barrel that is now turned into a private dining area.

We then had a tour in the cellar, where we saw barrels, large bottles that they only do by pre-order, and then the secret vault where the really old bottles are kept. He also showed the Portugese cork they use as the French oak is not up to the same quality.

We tasted five wines, two white and three red. I fell for the Pernand-Vergelesses En Caradeux Premier Cru from 2021. Will need some time to develop.

For dinner i had booked a table at 21 Boulevard, which is a restaurant in a large underground converted barrel vault. I wanted to order everything on the menu!

However, I settled with Bourgogne snails in garlic, followed by a really good Bœuf Bourguignon made from beef cheek.

The old town was perhaps even more picturesque after dark, I took a few pictures before sitting down at a cozy cafe at the main square.

Tomorrow is Bastille day, so expect some celebrations to happen somewhere in the city. However, much of the town seems to be open even though it is a national holiday. The tourism is probably to blame/thank.