5 top reasons to visit the Museum of Fine Arts in Dijon

Visitors adore the Museum of Fine Arts in Dijon as much for its collections as for the building that contains them, the Palace of the Dukes and Estates of Burgundy, one of the most emblematic monuments of Dijon. Transformed over the centuries and fulfilling different uses, the palace is made up of structures from different periods, thus allowing the works to be exhibited in buildings from the same period and giving full meaning to the new chronological tour.

Opened in 1799, the Museum of Fine Arts in Dijon can boast that it's one of the oldest museums in France after the Louvre. Its collection, which includes about 130,000 works of art, enables the museum to present an overview covering over 20 centuries of history, from Antiquity to the 21st century. Divided in eight sequences, the chronological tour offers its visitors a real journey through the ages.

Already beloved by the 19th century, the guard room, where the tombs of Duke Philippe Le Hardi and Duke Jean Sans Peur are located, is the centerpiece of the Museum of Fine Arts in Dijon. It's hard to tell which way to turn first in this spectacular room built by Philippe Le Bon in the mid-15th century: at the funerary monuments dating from the late Middle Ages, the procession of mourners and their draped coats, the carved and gilded wooden altarpieces from the Charterhouse of Champmol, or the imposing fireplace with a flamboyant Gothic style.

Beyond the Museum of Fine Arts, the entire neighborhood has changed. With Place de la Libération revisited by Jean-Michel Wilmotte, the Bar's courtyard transformed into a cultural and gourmet agora, and the creation of Place Sainte-Chapelle which now allows access the museum, you can wander around the pedestrian streets of this arts district lined with antique shops, designer furniture and artisanal treats.

Dijon is a city with many resources! After the Musée des Beaux-Arts, the Cité Internationale de la Gastronomie et du Vin opens its doors to you. Here you can discover the Climats de Bourgogne and other oenological treasures of the region. In the centre of Dijon, follow the Owl Trail, a brochure of which is available from the Tourist Office. In 22 stages, you'll discover old Dijon, its picturesque streets and its famous wish-granting golden owl. It's a great way to discover the city's history and architecture as a family.