Beaune, France

Beaune, the regional wine capital of Burgandy, is an eminently walkable little city featuring two squares, interesting shops, abundant restaurants, cafes, and wine tasting opportunities. And how can you say anything bad about a place where every restaurant features amazingly good snails drenched in a garlic/butter sauce?

 

Perhaps the most interesting building in Beaune is The Hotel Dieu des Hospices, a former charity hospital founded in 1443, which did not close its doors until 1971. The exterior of the structure is magnificent, but the interior houses a variety of unique sculptures, ornate ceilings, and beautiful tapestries.The Last Judgment, by Rogier van der Weyden, a noted Flemish artist, is a famed altarpiece.

The beds look fantastic, until you learn that there were typically two patients assigned to each one!