A City Tour of Beaune




Hotel Le Cep in the Walled City of Beaune

 

The iconic central-city Hotel Le Cep was our headquarters in Beaune.   Beaune is the capital (historically and geographically) for the famous Cote d'Or in Burgundy. Once again, we were treated to an exceptional level of service.  This hotel can sell itself on its location in the heart of the walled city, and the antique nature of its one-of-a-kind rooms.  However the support provided the tourist in residence is its greatest asset. They helped us with every request.

Having dined at Loiseau des Vignes and taken our rest at Hotel Le Cep we greeted the morning in the beautiful old city of Beaune.



Our wonderful, and expert guide, Sherry Thievenot, met us at our hotel to begin a walking tour of the historic city.  Our natural first stop was the Basilica of Notre Dame (our second Notre Dame so far).


Basilica of Notre Dame in Beaune

This historic landmark is a couple of hundred yards from the front door of Le Cep and it is a marvel of history and architecture.  It is a Romanesque artifact of the development of the region and the evolution of western civilization.  Once again, the advantage of a truly expert guide (a kind generally available all over Europe) was telling. I had visited this church twice before.  On this occasion I learned about its history, its architecture and its relation to the region.  The difference is profound.

We continued through the ancient streets of the city seeing the twisted narrow alleys from hundreds of years ago, the courtyards of ancient wineries, and the artifacts of this center of culture, political power, and wine in days of old.

A highlight of Beaune not to be missed is its famous Hospice, the charity hospital which served the region from the 1440s to the late 20th century.  It is hard to imagine that a (recently) decommissioned hospital could be an immense attraction for tourists and scholars, but this is something special. Here again the value of a professional guide can not be exaggerated.  On my own, in the past, this place has been intriguing and beautiful.  In the company of our guide it was a richer and more enjoyable experience. Again and again I marveled at features I had passed by on previous visits. By the way, I am convinced that there is no comparison between Sherry, our guide, and any automated system. Automation has yet to budget your time and answer your questions.  Further, the automated system won't lead you to your lunch destination. We were on our way to a noon appointment at Caveau des Arches.

Here are just a few of the photos of our city tour starting with Sherry, our expert guide:

And then a model of the old walled city and its moats:

 

And a section of the patient beds in the charity hospital.

 

Your should probably visit this place even if you have no interest in wine!