Musée des Beaux-Arts

Housed in the eastern wing of the Palais des Ducs, these sprawling galleries make up one of the most outstanding museums in France. The rooms themselves are works of art and a special chance to be inside this monumental building.

The star is the wood-panelled Salle des Gardes (Guards’ Room), once warmed by a gargantuan Gothic fireplace. It houses the ornate, carved late-medieval sepulchres of dukes John the Fearless and Philip the Bold (by Jean de Marville, Claus Sluter and Claus de Werve), as well as three impossibly intricate gilded Gothic retables from the 1300s. Rogier Van der Weyden’s portrait of Philip the Good hangs here as well.

The modern and contemporary art section, with works by Manet and Monet and sculptures by Matisse and Rodin, harbours a particular delight: the Pompon Room. Tucked off a back staircase, this room is packed with stylized modern sculptures of animals by François Pompon (1855–1933). Born in Saulieu, Burgundy, Pompon was an assistant to Auguste Rodin; but his own sculptures including the famous L’Ours Blanc (White Bear, 1920) and a fantastic orang-utan in black marble, beautifully capture his unique vision of wildlife. Note that the modern and contemporary art galleries close daily from 11.30am to 1.45pm. Schedule your visit accordingly if you want to be sure to see pieces by Rodin, Rouault, Manet and Matisse.

Other highlights include a fine collection of primitives that give you a good sense of how artistic and aesthetic sensibilities varied between Italy, Switzerland and the Rhineland in the 13th and 14th centuries; a smattering of old masters such as Lorenzo Lotto; and quite a few naturalisticsculptures by the Dijon-born artist François Rude (1784–1855).

In the courtyard, the ducal kitchens (1433) often host exhibitions of works by local artists.