If you too are interested in a tour that is both cultural AND tasty, the tour of the Halles Gourmands is THE summer activity for you for 2021!
I am originally from Burgundy and have recently moved to Dijon, so when some friends came to visit from Normandy, it was the perfect opportunity to explore the Halles de Dijon together. The market is open on Tuesdays, Thursdays (indoors only), Fridays and Saturday mornings, and is an experience in itself. The Halles indoor market is a must-see of Dijon, and all the specialities of Burgundy are showcased here.
We met our guide in front of Dijon Métropole Tourist Office, to set off together and learn all about the glorious trading past of Divio, which then became Dijon in the Middle Ages. The history of the town is very interesting because it helps us understand the importance of trade and why the development of this activity is still so important for the town today.
During our tour, the guide also told us about the history of the Halles, from when they were built, up until today, with clarification about Gustave Eiffel, whose name always comes up when we speak about this unmissable place, due to mistaken beliefs.
Once we’ve learnt about the history, our guide took us to meet five local producers so they could share the passion for their products with us. We began with a mushroom producer from Dijon, then a local cellar master/sommelier from “Chai Pierrick”, a cheese and poultry producer, and then the “Gourmet Traiteur” caterer, and finally a bakery called “Les Champs du Destin”. I was delighted to be accompanied by a guide and my friends for this experience because it’s such a busy place, and all the products look so delicious so it’s sometimes difficult to know where to begin!
Once we’ve learnt about the history, our guide took us to meet five local producers so they could share the passion for their products with us. We began with a mushroom producer from Dijon, then a local cellar master/sommelier from “Chai Pierrick”, a cheese and poultry producer, and then the “Gourmet Traiteur” caterer, and finally a bakery called “Les Champs du Destin”. I was delighted to be accompanied by a guide and my friends for this experience because it’s such a busy place, and all the products look so delicious so it’s sometimes difficult to know where to begin!
During the tour, wherever possible, we were also able to talk to other passionate stall holders. You can see that they love being able to sell directly to their customers, and it’s a real pleasure spending time in this atmosphere.
The moment we had all been waiting for, to taste the delicious products, came at the end of the tour. We gathered around a table to taste the products that our guide and the producers had just presented to us.
We really enjoyed our time here and the local products were excellent and of very good quality! Before leaving, we made sure to go back to some of the stalls and took our time choosing products to take home with us.