Prepare your palate: new French food and wine museum to open in Dijon

From cooking classes offered by the famed Ferrandi Paris Cooking School to wine tastings drawn from Burgundy vintages, a much-anticipated new center opening soon in France is bound to delight the taste buds of those who want to immerse themselves in the culinary wonders of French food and wine.

The Cité Internationale de la Gastronomie & du Vin in Dijon, a center dedicated to celebrating the "Gastronomic meal of the French", will open to the public after more than a decade of planning on May 6.

The center covers 1,750 square meters of exhibition space in a new building nestled in the heart of town, not far from its Unesco-designated Climate Burgundy vineyards and the Route de Grand Crus, which beckon wine enthusiasts from around the world.

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What will you find in the museum?

Cité Internationale de la Gastronomie et du Vin will offer visitors several avenues to immerse themselves in the world of French food and wine, including cooking courses, wine tastings, restaurants, movies and exhibitions all hosted onsite in cooperation.

It offers four separate exhibition pavilions, including a first-of-its-kind temporary exhibit entitled "It's not cake: the secrets of French pastry" which explores the details of this sweet delicacy and was created with the support of renowned pastry chef Pierre Hermé.

Onsite, the Ferrandi Paris Cooking School will offer classes in English in two laboratories, one for cuisine and one for pastry. It anticipates it will host 110 students from around the world each year.

In the Cave de la Cité wine cellar, you'll find more than 250 different wines available by the glass and wine tasting sessions led by the École des Vins. Selections will come from around the world, but the cellar will spotlight Burgundy wines.

Food-loving bibliophiles will delight in the specialty bookstore, which offers gastronomy-related literature for purchase.

How can I visit the Cité Internationale de la Gastronomie et du Vin?

Located in Dijon in France’s Burgundy region, one of Lonely Planet's 2022 Best in Travel regions, Cité Internationale de la Gastronomie et du vin is located on the site of the former Hôpital Général. It's located about kilometer from the train station in Dijon, which is an hour and a half train ride on the TGV-Lyria from Paris.

Hours vary depending on the part of the Cité you plan to visit so check the schedule in advance of your visit. Online reservations are recommended.

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