City Walk Dijon: The Owl’s Trail

City walk Dijon: a walk through the old town. Follow the triangular markers with the little owl, the mascot of this famous trail.

At each point of interest, you’ll find a square plaque with a number and the little owl, the mascot of the Dijon city walk. The descriptions and explanations are available in the guidebook from the Office de Tourisme, which costs €3.50. The route is easy to follow without the guidebook, but if you want to learn more about the history at each numbered stop, it’s worth buying one.

Dijon, the capital of Burgundy

Dijon is not only the capital of Burgundy but also of the Côte d’Or department. The grand and beautiful Palais des Ducs once housed the dukes, as the name suggests. Walking through the charming shopping streets, you’ll notice the stunning architecture of the city. Don’t forget to look up at the rooftops — many still feature the distinctive glazed tiles typical of Burgundy.

Start of the Dijon City Walk

The Owl Route begins in the “Jardin Darcey.” My starting point was the polar bear statue, designed by the animal sculptor François Pompon. This artist was born in Saulieu, where the François Pompon Museum is also located. François Pompon. This artist was born in Saulieu,where the François Pompon Museum is also located. 
From the polar bear statue, walk out of the park. Immediately after the gate, you’ll see the first marker of the Owl Route. Here you need to cross the tram tracks, so be extra careful. This is a busy traffic area, with buses and cars passing by.

Arc de Triomphe 

This triumphal arch, “Porte Guillaume,” was built between the city walls. At the end of the 19th century, the city walls were demolished, leaving the arch standing on its own.

In line with the arch is a shopping area. The street Rue de la Liberté is mostly car-free. Turn left along the route toward the post office on Place Grangier. On market days, there is a small flea market here — always fun to browse a bit.

If you follow the Owl Route on a market day, the markers around the market hall may be harder to spot due to the many market stalls. Continue along Rue Odebert toward Place François Rude, the square with the traditional French carousel. From there, the triangular owl markers are easy to follow again.

The Owl Route

The next interesting sight is the Notre Dame church. Inside, you’ll find a wooden statue of Notre-Dame de Bon-Espoir, Our Lady of Good Hope, also called the Vierge Noire, the Black Madonna. The church is definitely worth a visit.

After passing the church, turn right into the narrow Rue de la Chouette — the Owl Street. Here, you’ll find the statue that gives the route its name.

Legend says that touching the owl statue with your left hand brings good luck, because it’s closer to your heart. The statue was seriously damaged in 2001 but has since been restored. Cameras now monitor it constantly.

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Continuing the Dijon City Walk

Rue de la Chouette leads to a district full of antique shops. Sight number 10 on the route is the “Maison Millière,” an authentic medieval craftsman’s house. The cat on the roof dates back to the early 20th century.

The Owl Route includes three side paths. The first, the Jean-Jacques Rousseau route, I didn’t take — I stayed on the main Owl Route. Pay attention to where the side paths begin, as the owl markers indicate them. Having the booklet is useful here since it includes a map.

Zola Side Path

The second side path is Zola, which I did take. Along this path, you’ll pass two museums: the Musée d’Art Sacré (Museum of Sacred Art) and the Musée de la Vie Bourguignonne (Museum of Burgundian Life).

Following the owl markers again, you eventually reach Rue de la Liberté near the Porte Guillaume arch. Here is another side path: the Moise route.

To explore Dijon fully, it’s nice to follow the route in whole or in part. You’ll see the city’s main sights. Even though I know the city reasonably well, I still discovered streets I had never walked before.

For a combination of the city walk, museum visits, and the market, Friday mornings are best. On Tuesday mornings, there is also a lively market, but almost all museums are closed.

Practical Information

There are several parking garages in the city center. Compared to the Netherlands or other large French cities, parking is reasonably priced.

Parking options include Tremouille Marché (market exit), Darcey, Grangier, and Dauphine.

If you arrive by train, it’s a short walk to the starting point of the city walk. There are almost no elevation changes, making this an easy walk.

Wear sturdy shoes, as the streets are mainly cobblestones. The route is well-marked, but sometimes you need to look carefully at the ground to spot the markers. For example, near the Musée des Beaux-Arts, the paving was renewed, and in July 2021, there were no triangular owl markers visible.

After the Opera building, turn right into the square and then left into the museum courtyard. Many buildings are decorated with various details, such as the colorful rooftops typical of Burgundy.