by Wendy
Beaune is a beautiful walled city in the French region of Burgundy, about 2 1/2 hours from Paris by train. Besides the vineyards, Beaune’s tourist attractions include the Hotel Dieu, or Hospices de Beaune, a charity hospital from the 15th century founded by a wealthy aristocratic couple. Its brightly tiled roof is striking, refurbished in the early 1900s.
As Jack and I checked into our Beaune hotel, it was one of the first things the concierge mentioned. “You’ve noticed our famous roof?”
We hadn’t, but nodded politely, and sought it out the next day. We spent about an hour touring the hospital and interior courtyard situated in the middle of the ancient town. Since 1859, the hospital holds a charity auction for the exclusive wine produced from its acres of donated vineyards.
Our hotel had its own history and view. The Hotel Abbaye de Maizieres was a former 12th century abbey. To get to our room on the third floor, we had to climb a narrow, winding staircase.
As we entered, we noticed the bathroom and small sitting room with desk and chairs on one level – and a loft bedroom accessible by steps so steep they were essentially a ladder. This was slightly bewildering after having been without sleep for almost 24 hours, after red eye flight to Paris, bus to Gare du Lyon, train to Dijon, transfer to 20 minute train to Beaune, and 15 minute walk to the hotel which had an unmarked door it took us another 10 minutes to find.
As we looked out the tiny windows Jack wondered if much of the skyline had changed over the centuries. Against the slate blue sky we spotted a tiled tower of the famous hospital roof. There was an unmistakable beauty to this impractical hotel.
Our visit to Beaune was brief, so all we can offer are initial impressions of this beautiful dignified city. There appeared to be a subtle dismissal of trendiness paired with an evolving connection to tradition. Where a hospital from the Middle Ages is linked to storied vineyards. Where there is an elegance and solidity from a proud legacy as one of the world’s most renowned wine regions.