Once the capital city in Burgundy, Beaune is an incredibly popular destination in France. The town attracts many tourists every year. This part of the country is well-known for its winemaking traditions – more than ten different varieties of wine are produced in Burgundy. They differ in taste and scent. Hospitable local people are always glad to see new guests. Numerous cafes and restaurants in Beaune offer a broad range of regional delicacies. It would be a mistake not to mention one more thing – there is a mustard factory in Beaune that produces one of the best mustard sauces in the country!
First settlers in the territory of modern Beaune had appeared long before the invasion of Romans who conquered Gaul in the 5th century BC. First of all, they built a shrine in order to honor their god of fast-flowing water, Belenos. Later, a town appeared near the temple. The town’s name was Belena. Saint Martin of Tours brought Christianity to this region in the 4th century. Soon after that, the first small church appeared in the area. The Burgandians started settling in this part of the country in the 6th century. The region’s name that we know now – Burgundy – is derived from the tribe’s name. Christianity became a dominant religion together with the invasion of Burgandians.
The Burgundy Wine Museum is the first landmark that guests of Beaune usually visit. Once, there was a hotel on the site of the museum. It became a historical attraction in 1924. However, a museum exhibition was organized in the building in 1946. The first exhibition dedicated to methods and secrets of winemaking appeared here in 1988. A visit to this exhibition is an excellent way to learn more about local varieties of wine and see how they differ from wine produced in other regions of France. Every visitor will understand how such factors and geology and ecology shape the taste of the popular drink.
A large part of the museum’s exhibition introduces methods of cultivating vine and grapes. There is a bit of history – visitors will learn about methods of winemaking in ancient times and see how technologies were improving with time. Tools, equipment, mashes, barrels of different sizes and configurations – all these items are used in winemaking nowadays or were used in the past. It is also possible to see old glass tools that date back to 1657.
Do you consider yourself a connoisseur of Salvador Dali’s talent? In this case, you will find it interesting to visit the museum dedicated to this great artist. It is located not far from the bell tower. The museum displays a permanent exhibition with numerous works of Dali. It took more than 25 years to collect all items, piece by piece. Visitors can see unique works of the great master – his drawings, numerous lithography works, interesting gravures, and various sculptures created by legendary Salvador Dali himself.
Visitors can explore numerous halls, each of which displays numerous masterpieces of the talented person who worked in different forms of art. Having seen all the exhibits, visitors can attend the gallery shop where they can purchase memorable souvenirs that will remind them of their visit to the museum.
Do you like mustard but have no idea how this popular sauce is made? In this case, you will find it interesting to visit the mustard factory in Beaune. The old manufacture is a family company that specializes in making mustard. Besides production facilities, there is an interesting museum dedicated to mustard, and all tourists are welcome to visit it. During an interesting excursion, visitors will learn more about the peculiarities and secrets of making the world’s popular sauce.
Moreover, each visitor can participate in making their own mustard. Who knows, maybe you can invent a new mustard variety that will conquer the hearts of millions of people worldwide. Each guest can sample different mustard types. Some varieties of mustard are very unusual. For example, there is white and even green mustard. Local masters even make red mustard – the color looks very surprising for unprepared guests.
It is possible to reach Beaune by train from Paris. After three hours and a half, you will reach the destination. Of course, tourists can get to the town from other French cities. For example, it takes only 20 minutes to reach Beaune from Dijon. There are intercity buses, but the ride will last longer in this case – almost one hour and a half. The ride will be so long because buses make many stops in small villages on the way between the cities.
