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Home > Travel France > France Destinations > Dijon
Dijon
France, officially the French Republic, is a country whose metropolitan territory is located in Western Europe and comprises various overseas islands and territories which are located in other regions. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean. At 674,843 square kilometres, France is the world's 40th-largest country after Myanmar. France is a member of The European Union and Paris is the capital of this nation. The sole official language of France is French. Since prehistoric times, France has been a crossroads of trade, migrations, and invasions.
Dijon is a city in eastern France, the prefecture or administrative capital of the Cote-d'Or departement and of the Bourgogne region. Dijon is the historical capital of the province of Burgundy. As of 1999 the population of Dijon was 149,867 for the commune and 240,000 for the greater Dijon area.
Dijon began as a Roman settlement called Castrum Divionense, located on the road from Lyon to Mainz. Saint Benignus or Saint Benigne, the city's patron saint, introduced Christianity to the area before being martyred. This province was home to the Dukes of Burgundy from the early 11th century until the late 1400's and Burgundy was a place of tremendous wealth and power and one of the great European centers of art, learning and science. Dijon is located approximately one hour and 40 minutes southeast of Paris by the TGV,Train à Grande Vitesse, high-speed train.
Dijon’s main attractions include the St. Benigne, Notre-Dame, St. Etienne, and St. Michel, the crypt of Cathedrale Saint-Begnine dates from 1000 years ago, the Musee des Beaux Arts in the old part of the Ducal Palace, contains some fine sculptures, ducal kitchens of the mid- 15th century, and a collection of European paintings from the early Renaissance to the Impressionistic periods, the Ducal Palace or the Palais des Ducs et des Etats de Bourgogne, is an example of the Capetian period in the region and the curious carving of an owl, on the church of Notre Dame on the rue de la Prefecture.
France today is one of the most modern countries in the world and is a leader among European nations. There's a term for their seductive lifestyle, Douce France or Sweet France and you'll find yourself using it often. Douce France taught the world just how sweet life should be.
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