Formule 1 Dijon Nord

A walk by the river in DOLE...

by Rob47

A walk by the river in DOLE and a cold beer.

Dole was capital of Franche-Comté until the 17th century. As a city of art and history, it leads visitors through history in a 27-acre preserved district. Many historical monuments witness the past of this prestigious renaissance city.
The town is full of private mansions and fountains that show what it was like in the 18th century.

Be Sure to Visit the Chartreuse de Champmol

by hquittner

The Chartreuse (Charterhouse) of Champmol, or more precisely what is left of it, stands about 1 km west of the Pl. Darcy on the grounds of a psychiatric hospital. It is said that permission needs to be requested from the concierge to view the sites but nobody was around when we visited. What remains of Philippe le Hardi's early 15C mausoleum is the complete portal with the devotional statues of Philipe le Hardi (left) and his wife Marguerite de Flanders (right) both kneeling and praying to the Virgin and Child on the trumeau between the double doors. Behind the Duke stands John the Baptist and behind his wife stands St. Catherine (their patron saints). This is one of the two Claus Sluter masterpieces here; the other is the so called "Well of Moses" which stands in the adjacent courtyard. Sluter was a supreme realist and the figures in both works could step off there pedestals and talk to you. The protagonists in this work show their none topleasant personalities on their faces (no biography is needed). The Chartreuse was destroyed during the Revolution (1793), but luckily these works and more (seen in the Musee de Beaux Arts in the Palais in Dijon-see our Tips) were spared because the men with hammers coild not bring themselves to destroy their heritage, no matter what their feelings about the monarchy and church. Note also the carvings of the consoles below the large figures. It is said that Sluter worked from live models in the Jewish community for these and the prophets on the Calvary (Well). A short distance further west is the artificial Lac Kir (described in Tips by others).

Musee des Beaux-Arts

by kathymof

Very nice museum in the center of old town Dijon. The museum is spread over several floors and rooms of the Palais des Etats de Bourgogne. A real plus is that entrance is free. The collections cover the Middle Ages through the 20th Century. One room is devoted to the sculpture of Pompon who is one of my favorite sculptors. The original Ours Blanc of Pompon is there and is actually quite small. After making the small one he was encouraged to make several that were life-size. I have seen three of these. One in in Musee D'Orsay in Paris, and the other two are in parks, one is Place D'Arcy in Dijon and the other is the Middelheim Sculpture Museum (outdoor park) in Antwerp. You can easily spend a few hours here but will not get overwhelmed by the size - it is a pleasant size and an interesting museum.

Old Houses an& Streets: Rue de la Chouette (3)

by hquittner

The Rue de la Chouette (the Owl) runs along the North edge of the Church of Notre Dame, one street north of the palace. Just beyond the apse of the church on the north side of the street is the finest Hotel pariculier in Dijon, the Hotel Vogue. This 17C mansion and grounds can be visited as far as the inner courtyard, It has a roof of the “typical” Burgundy tiles. The multiple entrance archways are elaborately carved. Up the street to the West is the Maison Milliere (#10) which is half-timbered above with carved posts and stone below. Abother unrestoredd half-timbered house sits a little further down the street.. This street alsoaccomodates the apse of the church upon the buttress of which is carved a plump owl (This will be treated in a separate Tip under Customs); it is from this that the street derives its name. Just to the East of the Hotel Vogue, the rue Verrerie leads North. On the right side of that street are two more half-timbered houses with carved posts.

Dijon - more than mustard

by kathymof

"Delightful old town area"

Dijon has a fairly compact old-towm area and some of it is pedestrianized. There are beautiful buildings, some very old, all over the place. There is actually a lot to see in this small area and you can easily keep yourself busy for three days. There are parks, museums, markets, self-guided walks and historic buildings galore.