After having already visited the Besancon and Dijon areas of this WHS in July 2013 and May 2015, in June 2020 I decided to visit the area around Beaune. Of the three areas, the latter is definitely a highlight and should not be missed.

Even if you're not a vineyard enthusiast, a visit to Beaune's iconic Hotel-Dieu alone is worth the trip. For those of you who decide to travel by car, the easiest indoor parking option is Parking St Etienne. After the Covid-19 lockdown measure, in June 2020 the Hospices de Beaune's Hotel-Dieu (photo) re-opened to the public for free (till the end of the month) which meant 9 euros each saved.

Perfectly preserved since the end of the Middle Ages, it was built in 1443 by nicholas Rolin, Chancellor of the Duke of Burgundy Philippe le Bon. At the end of the Hundred Years' War, Beaune suffered from misery and famine. Three quarters of the town's inhabitants were destitute. To redeem their salvation, the Chancellor and Guigone de Salins, his wife, decided to create a hospital for the poor. They endowed it with an annual income (from the Salins saltworks!) and with their own resources (vines among others), and called on many artists to decorate it. This hospital is considered a jewel of Burgundian medieval architecture with its glazed tile roofs which have become a characteristic of Burgundy. Without interruption from the 15th to the 20th century, the Sisters of Beaune's Hotel-Dieu welcome and cared for several generations of sick people. From 1971 onwards, its medical functions were transferred to a modern hospital, with the exception of an old people's home (separate private rear entrance from the museum). Hotel-Dieu is truly a Palace of the Poor and still houses some unique works of art such as the Polytych of the Last Judgement and the beautiful thousand flowers and the St Francis of Assisi tapestries.

Had the nomination dossier focused more on the role of this hospital also adding the surrounding cultural landscape, it would be more deserving of a place on the WH list. Instead we have yet another vineyard WHS which in my opinion is not on par with the others in France itself or in Italy for example. While visiting the nearby vineyards, make sure to opt for the Route des Grand Crus on the D18 road.

Even though there are very pretty villages such as Savigny-les-Beaune, Aloxe-Corton (home to another glazed tile highlight Chateau Corton), Nuits-St-Georges, Vougeot (home to the Clos de Vougeot castle and the Clos Blanc de Vougeot tower and Grand Cru vineyards). There are UNESCO signs in every other village and along the scenic roads, but two identical marble UNESCO inscription plaques can be found outside the Hotel-Dieu and the Clos de Vougeot. Even though Burgundy is home to some of the most expensive wines, we couldn't leave the Hotel-Dieu without a bottle of red wine from the Hotel-Dieu gift shop (much more than the 18 euros saved from the entrance tickets!).

About 200 million years ago, incredibly the region was part of a vast, tropical sea. Time transformed the seabed into limestone soils which are the "secret" behind the zesty minerality that is the hallmark of Burgundy wines. If you venture into the vineyards, you can find chunks of limestone or marl (limestone mixed with clay), that contain fossilized sea creatures. The inscribed area includes the wine-growing areas of Dijon, and the Cote de Nuits and the Cote de Beaune known together as the Cote d'Or. Each of these wine-growing areas contains several climats which produce Burgundy wines with different denominations (or appellations in French). “Climat” is the specific term used in Burgundy for a wine-growing plot or parcel of vines with their own name, history, taste and place in the hierarchy of wines. There are more than 1000 climats stretching out from Dijon to Santenay, south of Beaune. Winemakers will tell you that Burgundy wines are unique because of the Burgundy “terroir” which is the symbiosis of grapes, soil, climate, vineyard placement, and human touch all rolled into one word! 

The Balades en Bourgogne app is quite useful for a guided walk or bike ride along the hiking trails of Burgundy's inscribed “Climats”. This time we focused mainly on the area between Clos de Vougeot and the Corton Hill were it is relatively easy to take in beautiful vineyard views, and explore specific elements such as some grand cru/premier cru cellars. Some of the more famous climats have monumental entrance gates and are separated by meurgers (stone walls). The hiking trails and the Hotel-Dieu are the best assets of this WHS.