--- title: "Palace of the Dukes of Burgundy, Dijon: What to See" description: "Home of the Valois dukes and the Estates of Burgundy, now town hall and museum. Courtyard free, state rooms on guided tours. Driver from Beaune." url: https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/palais-des-ducs-dijon lang: en updated: 2026-10-02 generated: 2026-10-08 image: https://www.cote-privee.com/og/things-to-do/palais-des-ducs-dijon.png --- # Palace of the Dukes and Estates of Burgundy (Palais des Ducs et des États de Bourgogne) > Palace of the Dukes and Estates of Burgundy: the seat of Burgundy's dukes and later of its Estates, now Dijon's town hall and museum. Palace of the Dukes and Estates of Burgundy is in Dijon (Côte-d'Or), 44 min by road (48 km) from Beaune. Allow 1 to 2 hours · UNESCO World Heritage · Private driver from Beaune: €120 one way for the whole car, up to 4 guests. The Palace of the Dukes and Estates of Burgundy fills the heart of Dijon. Behind one classical front stand the medieval home of the Valois dukes and the later seat of the Estates of Burgundy. Today it houses the town hall, the Fine Arts Museum and the tourist office, around the semicircular Place de la Libération. ## Key facts - Type: Heritage - Location: 35 km north-east of Beaune · Côte-d'Or - Coordinates: 47.3217, 5.0415 - 44 min from Beaune - Allow 1 to 2 hours - UNESCO World Heritage - Where: [Dijon · Côte-d'Or](https://www.cote-privee.com/villages/dijon) - Official website: [destinationdijon.com](https://www.destinationdijon.com/comment-visiter-le-palais-des-ducs-de-dijon/) - From Beaune: ≈ 44 min · 48 km - €120 one way from Beaune with a [private driver](https://www.cote-privee.com/private-driver) - Or add it to our [full-day wine tour, €560](https://www.cote-privee.com/wine-tours/full-day). ## Getting there - [Private driver from Beaune](https://www.cote-privee.com/private-driver): 44 min by road (48 km), €120 one way for the whole car. Coming by train or plane? [Transfers from stations and airports](https://www.cote-privee.com/transfers) Estimates per vehicle for up to 4 guests, tolls included. Your price is confirmed when you book. ## History Philip the Bold received the duchy of Burgundy in 1363, settled in Dijon and soon began rebuilding the old palace of the Capetian dukes. The Tour de Bar was begun in 1365. In the 15th century his grandson Philip the Good added vast kitchens, a new ducal lodging with a great hall for feasts, and the tall lookout tower that still rises above the city. The palace was one of the seats of the rulers of the Burgundian state. After the death of Charles the Bold in 1477, Burgundy passed to the French crown and the palace became the King's Lodging, used by the governors of the province. In the late 17th century the Estates of Burgundy settled here. Jules Hardouin-Mansart, Louis XIV's first architect, unified the buildings behind one classical front and designed the Place Royale, now Place de la Libération. Jacques Gabriel's grand staircase followed in the 1730s, and the town hall moved in during the 19th century. ## What you will see Walk into the Place de la Libération, the former Place Royale, now a pedestrian square with fountains set into the paving. The Cour d'honneur opens straight onto it. Inside, the ducal kitchens and the great hall with the dukes' tombs are part of the free Fine Arts Museum. From the tourist office on rue des Forges you can step into the richly decorated 18th-century Chapelle des Élus, and book the climb up the Tour Philippe le Bon. ## Planning your visit The square and the Cour d'honneur can be seen freely. The Salle des États, the Gabriel staircase and the Salle de Flore open during cultural events or on guided tours run by the tourist office. The Chapelle des Élus is reached through the tourist office and is free. Check the official website for opening times and tour dates. ## Did you know? The Place Royale was laid out to frame a bronze equestrian statue of Louis XIV. After decades of delays it was unveiled in 1725, and it was destroyed in 1792. ## Around Palace of the Dukes and Estates of Burgundy What to combine with Palace of the Dukes and Estates of Burgundy on the same day, nearest first. ### Villages - [Dijon](https://www.cote-privee.com/villages/dijon) (1 km away): Burgundy's historic capital, city of the Valois dukes and northern gateway to the Route des Grands Crus. - [Marsannay-la-Côte](https://www.cote-privee.com/villages/marsannay-la-cote) (7 km away): Gateway to the Côte de Nuits and Burgundy's only village appellation making red, white and rosé. - [Fixin](https://www.cote-privee.com/villages/fixin) (10 km away): A quiet wine village with Napoleon in the woods, a Romanesque church in the vines and firm reds. ### Châteaux - [Château de Montmusard](https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-de-montmusard) (1 km away): The surviving wing of a daring neoclassical pleasure house designed by Charles De Wailly. - [Château de Fontaine-lès-Dijon (Maison natale de saint Bernard)](https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-de-fontaine-les-dijon), 3 km away: The hilltop birthplace of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, overlooking Dijon. - [Château de Marsannay](https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-de-marsannay) (7 km away): A modern wine château at the northern gateway to the Côte de Nuits. ### Things to do - [Tower of Philip the Good (Tour Philippe le Bon)](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/tour-philippe-le-bon), 1 km away: Climb 316 steps up the dukes' 46-metre tower for a sweeping view over Dijon's rooftops. - [Place de la Libération](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/place-de-la-liberation-dijon) (1 km away): Dijon's half-moon royal square, laid out by Louis XIV's architect in front of the Palace of the Dukes. - [The Owl’s Trail (Parcours de la Chouette)](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/parcours-de-la-chouette), 1 km away: Follow bronze owl arrows set in the pavement on a self-guided walk through old Dijon. ### Restaurants - [Loiseau des Ducs](https://www.cote-privee.com/restaurants/loiseau-des-ducs-dijon) (1 km away · 1 MICHELIN star): The Loiseau signature in Dijon, served beneath the vaults of a sixteenth-century mansion - [La Maison des Cariatides](https://www.cote-privee.com/restaurants/la-maison-des-cariatides-dijon) (1 km away · 1 MICHELIN star): A chef couple from Le Bristol regains a star behind one of Dijon's most ornate Renaissance façades - [CIBO](https://www.cote-privee.com/restaurants/cibo-dijon) (1 km away · 1 MICHELIN star): A starred table in old Dijon that sources everything within 200 kilometres ### Events - **Saturday, 10 October 2026 (Confirmed by the organiser)** · [Show les papilles](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/show-les-papilles-dijon): Dijon's free festival of taste at the Cité internationale de la gastronomie et du vin. (Food & markets · Dijon) - **Sunday, 11 October 2026 (Confirmed by the organiser)** · [Marathon des Grands Crus](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/marathon-des-grands-crus): A marathon on the closed Route des Grands Crus, from Dijon to the Clos de Vougeot and back. (Sport · Dijon) - **Friday 23 – Sunday 25 October 2026 (Confirmed by the organiser)** · [Salon des Vignerons Indépendants de Bourgogne et du Jura](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/salon-vignerons-independants-dijon): Some sixty independent growers from Burgundy and the Jura pour and sell their wines in Dijon. (Wine festival · Dijon) - **Saturday 31 October – Wednesday 11 November 2026 (Confirmed by the organiser)** · [Foire internationale et gastronomique de Dijon](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/foire-gastronomique-dijon): Burgundy's great food fair, held every autumn in Dijon since 1921. (Food & markets · Dijon) - **Usually from the last Saturday of November to the first Sunday of January.** · [Les Fééries de Noël de Dijon](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/feeries-de-noel-dijon): Chalets, vin chaud, an ice rink and a big wheel across the heart of Dijon. (Christmas · Dijon) - **Usually from late November to early December.** · [Les Nuits d’Orient et d’ailleurs](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/nuits-d-orient-et-d-ailleurs-dijon): Dijon's winter festival of music, dance and art from the Orient and beyond. (Culture · Dijon) - **Each year on the weekend after the Saint-Vincent Tournante, usually a Saturday in late January or early February.** · [Saint-Vincent de Dijon](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/saint-vincent-de-dijon): Dijon honours the patron saint of winegrowers with a parade and a tasting village. (Tradition · Dijon) - **Usually a weekend in early June.** · [Grand Prix de l’Âge d’Or](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/grand-prix-age-d-or-dijon-prenois): France's oldest historic motor racing meeting, on the hills just outside Dijon. (Sport · Prenois) - **Every Sunday from late June to late September.** · [Le Brunch des Halles](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/brunch-des-halles-dijon): Summer Sunday brunches cooked by local chefs under Dijon's iron market hall. (Food & markets · Dijon) - **Every two years, in even-numbered years; recent editions were held in early July. The next is expected in 2028.** · [Les Fêtes de la Vigne de Dijon](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/fetes-de-la-vigne-dijon): Dijon's international folk festival, born in 1946 and held every two years. (Culture · Dijon) - **Friday 27 – Sunday 29 August 2027 (Confirmed by the organiser)** · [Golden Coast Festival](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/golden-coast-festival-dijon): Three days of French and international rap in a park on the edge of Dijon. (Music · Dijon) - **Usually a Sunday in mid September.** · [Vélotour Dijon](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/velotour-dijon): A playful bike ride through Dijon that opens places normally closed to cyclists. (Sport · Dijon) - **Usually the third weekend of September, during the European Heritage Days.** · [Fête de la Pressée](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/fete-de-la-pressee-chenove): The dukes' giant wine presses come back to life in Chenôve's old village. (Tradition · Chenôve) - **Usually the last days of September and the first days of October.** · [Tribu Festival](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/tribu-festival-dijon): Dijon's festival of world music, jazz and adventurous sounds, at the turn of October. (Music · Dijon) ### Guides about Palace of the Dukes and Estates of Burgundy - [Beaune or Dijon: where to stay](https://www.cote-privee.com/guides/beaune-or-dijon-where-to-stay) - [Burgundy with children](https://www.cote-privee.com/guides/burgundy-with-children) - [The Climats of Burgundy](https://www.cote-privee.com/guides/climats-of-burgundy-unesco) ## Questions about Palace of the Dukes and Estates of Burgundy ### How far is Palace of the Dukes and Estates of Burgundy from Beaune? Palace of the Dukes and Estates of Burgundy is about 44 min from Beaune by road (48 km). With a private driver, the trip from Beaune starts at €120 for the whole car, up to 4 guests. ### How long does a visit to Palace of the Dukes and Estates of Burgundy take? For the visit, allow 1 to 2 hours. ### When is Palace of the Dukes and Estates of Burgundy open? Opening days and times change during the year, so check the official website (destinationdijon.com) before you go. Your driver can plan the day around them. ### Is Palace of the Dukes and Estates of Burgundy a UNESCO World Heritage site? Yes. Palace of the Dukes and Estates of Burgundy is part of a site inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. ### Can a private driver take us to Palace of the Dukes and Estates of Burgundy? Yes. Your driver collects you in Beaune or at your hotel in an electric Polestar 2 (up to 4 guests), waits while you visit and plans the rest of the day with you. The driver speaks English, French, Mandarin Chinese and Arabic. → [Full-day wine tour, €560](https://www.cote-privee.com/wine-tours/full-day) ## Book - [Book a driver here](https://www.cote-privee.com/book?service=driver&place=sight:palaisducs): €120 one way from Beaune · up to 4 guests ## Sources - - - - --- Canonical page: