I love finding smaller locales to enjoy no matter where I travel. Beaune is a walled town in the Burgundy wine region, and the town is considered the capital of the region since it is surrounded by Côte d'Or vineyards.
Robert had to return early from this trip abroad, but the rest of. us spent four wonderful days here. If you missed Part 1 of our trip to France, you can read all about it.
The train from Paris to Beaune was a about a 3. hour ride. It was an easy and uneventful time to relax and rest before hitting the streets again and walking, and biking, as much as we could!
We arrived and checked into Hôtel de la Poste, a small locally owned hotel with an amazing courtyard to enjoy a drink or meal.
Not sure why I didn't get a picture during the day. They are finishing major renovations, so I can only imagine how wonderful the place is now.
From. our hotel, we easily walked into downtown Beaune, which was full of wineries, shops, and restaurants.
Our first stop was a wine tasting at Domaine Debray. We tasted 6 wines, visited the cellars, and were given a tutorial on the wine making process. Thought I didn't get any pictures from this stop, the tour was nice, and we ordered some wine to be shipped home!
Speaking of wine, our big event for Beaune was a private wine tour to various places in the countryside. For this tour, we had a wonderful guide named Pieter Smits of JoliSoleil Wine Tours. He drove us all day to some of the most beautiful and famous wineries around.
This stop was my favorite because we were in this lady's home. Below us was a wine cellar that housed wines that were kept hidden from the Nazi's during WWII.
That was one stop of four that we made throughout the day. Each one brought more tastings and more purchases. Pieter took care of consolidating our purchases to be one wine shipment. He was perfect all the way around. From conversation to his love of the region and its wine, he was the perfect host for our day.
Another day, we decided to ride bikes through the vineyards, which is a very common thing to do. It wos so relaxing and beautiful! No. I am lying. It was not relaxing at all because Mom insisted we not get the electric bikes...Vineyards = hills. This was beautiful country, but dang, I had to take many breaks when riding. And Campbell's bike kept loosing its chain.
This sums up our ride.
But it sure was beautiful! Next time, I will enjoy it on an electric bike.
One of the unique things to see in Beaune is the Hospices de Beaune. The Hospices de Beaune was founded in 1443 and was a charitable almshouse or a hospital for the poor.
As much as I enjoyed our hotel grounds, I loved taking off and wandering the streets of Beaune. It felt like a cozy neighborhood, and I just wanted to soak up that feeling as much as I could.
People had their dogs everywhere. I also loved that.
Norte Dame de Beaune Collegiate Basilica
Another special place in Beaune is Maison Patriarche, established in 1780. It houses over 3 miles of vaulted cellars and 2 million bottles. It was a long winding walk under the streets of Beaune.
Oh, streets of Beaune, I love you.
I love this town and all of its outdoor seating and the window boxes.
Food in Beaune
We enjoyed some first class cuisine while in Beaune. From beef bourguigone and escargot, Beaune's cuisine offers something for everyone.
We enjoyed an immaculate dining experience at Caves Madeleine in the outdoor courtyard, choosing to trust the chef and do the chef's surprise tasting menu. We sat through each dish; each time more pleased than the last. It started to get dark, so some of our pictures aren't the best, but the beef tartare here had to be where the dish became famous. It was incredible!
And this oyster. Tarte and buttery perfection.
We also completely enjoyed Le Petit Paradis. It's also a small spot running behind the main street. The food was equally incredible and served as the perfect spot to end our time in France.
From little bakeries to big Michelin -starred restaurants, this place is amazing. I loved every single bit of this town.
Here's to another successful trip to Europe!
I will leave you with some images of my best things. Happy Travels! If you want to find something like this for your next trip, I am the advisor for you!
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