Beaune

Beaune (French pronunciation: [bon] ; in Burgundian: Beane) is a town in eastern France widely considered the wine capital of Burgundy, in the Côte-d'Or department. It is between Lyon and Dijon. Beaune is one of France's key wine centers and a major hub of Burgundy wine production and business. The Hospices de Beaune's annual wine auction is the primary wine auction in France. The town is surrounded by some of the world's most famous wine villages, such as Meursault or Puligny Montrachet, while the facilities and cellars of many producers, large and small, are in the historic center of Beaune itself, as they have been since Roman times. With a rich historical and architectural heritage, Beaune is considered the "Capital of Burgundy wines". It is an ancient town on a plain by the hills of the Côte d'Or, with features from pre-Roman and Roman eras through the medieval and Renaissance periods. Beaune is a walled city, with much of the battlements, ramparts, and moat having survived in good condition. The central "old town" within the walls is extensive. Historically Beaune is intimately connected with the Dukes of Burgundy. The 15th-century Hospices de Beaune, in the town center, is one of Europe's best-preserved Renaissance buildings. Other landmarks in Beaune include the old market (les Halles), the Beffroi (clock tower), and the collegiate church of Notre Dame. Beaune is the main center of the region's "Burgundian tile" polychrome Renaissance roofing style. Because of its historical importance in wine production and the unique system of terroir in the region, the town of Beaune was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2015 as part of the Climats, terroirs of Burgundy site.