River cruise in Burgundy: take a break at the Hospices de Beaune!
Known throughout the world for its vineyards and famous wines, Burgundy is a superb region that you can visit on board a boat or a barge without a permit. On our website, we offer you several routes along the Burgundy waterways. For each river cruise, there are stops where you can stroll around the charming villages. And if you like wine, history and beautiful stones, we recommend you to stop at the Hospices de Beaune. Thus, you can admire this remarkable monument, its museum and also, take the opportunity to stroll around the city. Surrounded by old ramparts, it has a very beautiful heritage and good restaurants where you can taste great wines and regional specialities.
A magnificent historical monument renowned for its wine-growing estate
It was in 1443 that the construction of the Hôtel-Dieu de Beaune began. Also known as Hospices de Beaune, this hospital was created to help the poor by Nicolas Rolin and his wife Guigone de Salins. A charitable institution from the very beginning, Hôtel-Dieu has spanned the centuries and until the 20th century, the sisters took care of the sick. Since 1971, it has no longer performed medical functions - which have been transferred to other hospitals - but is open to the public and hosts a museum. Inside this prestigious building, there is an important collection of works and objects (furniture, tapestries, paintings, sculptures, etc.), including the altarpiece of the painter Rogier Van Der Weyden, the "Polyptych of the Last Judgement". The Salle des Pôvres and its painted and sculpted ceiling, the Gothic chapel and the apothecary are also among the treasures of the Hospices, not to mention its 60-hectare vineyard where the best Burgundy appellations are produced.
By stopping in Beaune during your river cruise, you have the opportunity to learn more about this mythical monument.
The other places to see in this walled city
After visiting the Hospices, do not hesitate to stroll around the city, especially in the older part where there are beautiful Renaissance hotels and half-timbered houses. With its alleys and ramparts, it enjoys an authentic and preserved setting. If you want to immerse yourself in the heart of its history, visit its collegiate church Notre-Dame which was built on the model of the abbey of Cluny, its Burgundy Wine Museum installed in the Hotel des Ducs de Bourgogne, its Fine Arts Museum housing paintings and sculptures from the 12th to 20th centuries, its Saint-Nicolas church which is located in the winegrower's district of the city and of course, take a walk within its ramparts ! And to sustenance yourself, there is no shortage of good restaurants.
So, if you are planning to go on a river cruise in Burgundy, take a break in Beaune! You will see, you will not be disappointed by the splendour of its Hospices and its heritage.
