It has been in the making for a while but in a few months, on 6 May to be precise, the moment will finally arrive. After two years of construction works the ‘Cité Internationale de la gastronomie et du vin de Dijon’ or ‘Dijon’s hub for gastronomy and wine’ will finally be opening its doors in the French city of Dijon in the Burgundy region. What once was the city’s general hospital has been transformed into a cultural center, elegantly combining old and new, open to everyone.
Dijon gives a new future to its past by giving this former hospital site a new life, through a project considering all urbanistic, patrimonial, cultural, touristic, gastronomical and vinicultural dimensions.
François Rebsamen, Mayor of Dijon
With a surface of about 7 hectares, the former hospital site lends itself to a very wide offer of entertainment options. At the center of the project stands, of course, the Cité Internationale de la gastronomie et du vin de Dijon. This particular part of the project will span over 1.700 square meters and will include a wine cellar including 2.500 kinds of wine, accessible to all those who are interested. Big exhibitions are to be expected and the hub will also organize a wide range of activities, from wine tasting sessions to thematic evenings and wine classes. As the center is located only a kilometer from the Route des grands crus, tours will be organized in order to let the public have a taste of the different wines in the region. All of this with one goal in mind: to promote the local cuisine and craftsmanship.
“It’s a global project taken on by the city, probably the most complex and innovating one that has been given to me so far. It reaches further than its undeniable touristic purpose, we want it to be perfectly integrated into our city’s and inhabitants’ daily life. Dijon gives a new future to its past by giving this former hospital site a new life, through a project considering all urbanistic, patrimonial, cultural, touristic, gastronomical and vinicultural dimensions”, says Dijon’s Mayor François Rebsamen.
More than wine
But as we said, the former hospital site is rather big and has a lot of potential. That’s why the rest of the space will be used for different purposes. Visitors will be able to book a room at a 4* hotel on-site, perfect if you want to be able to drink a glass or two without having to worry about how to get home. Your shopping needs will be fulfilled at the 5.000 square meters big commercial center, including several high-end options. Restaurants, the Ferrandi Paris cooking school and several grocery stores make sure to include a culinary option as well. And for those who prefer a more standard form of entertainment, a Pathé cinema complex with no less than nine theaters is foreseen to be present.
