Travelling south on the N74 from Dijon takes you through the famous vineyards of the Côte d’Or to Beaune, centre of the Côte de Beaune. This historic town of wine is surrounded by 14th Century ramparts which are mostly intact.
The famous Hôtel Dieu, better known as 'les Hôspices de Beaune', was founded in 1443 as a charitable hospital. The building is renowned for its striking tiled roof and courtyard which is open to the public. The 3rd Sunday of November each year sees a wine auction with proceeds going to the upkeep and running of the Hospices, a tradition dating back to its foundation.
18 km south west of Beaune, stands the rebuilt château of La Rochepot with its array of pepper pot chimneys and a fancy Burgundian tiled roof which can seen for some distance.
For more tourist information and history, see Premier Pages (Wine Regions, Places of interest)