Hôtel Dieu

Located at the heart of the Burgundy wine region, take time to walk the narrow old streets of Beaune, the wine capital of Burgundy. Today the most important landowner in the region is the Hospices de Beaune, a charitable organization founded in 1443 by Nicolas Rolin, chancellor of the Duke of Burgundy. Every year they hold a wine auction at the Hôtel Dieu—it is one of the wine trade’s most important events. Built as a hospital, the Hôtel Dieu is so elegantly decorated that it seems more like a palace. You will want to take a guided tour of this lovely building which is an exceptional example of medieval architecture whose rooms house an incredible collection of furnishings, art, tapestries, and the incredible exhibit, the Last Judgement by Rogier van der Weyden.