What to do · Beaune
Hôtel-Dieu de Beaune, the 1443 Hospital with the Coloured Roof
Information
- From
- €12 person
- Duration
- 1 h
- Season
- All year, every day
- Who it's for
- Everyone; children have their own audio guide
The Hôtel-Dieu is the visit that justifies the trip to Beaune. It was founded in 1443 by Chancellor Nicolas Rolin and his wife Guigone de Salins as a hospital for the poor, and worked as such for more than five centuries. Today it is the museum of the Hospices de Beaune, the institution that each November auctions the wines of its vineyards.
What you see
You enter through a sober slate façade and, on reaching the courtyard, the roof of glazed tiles in yellow, green, red and black diamonds appears. Inside you walk through the Hall of the Poor, with red-canopied beds in a row under a painted wooden vault, the chapel at the end, the kitchens, the pharmacy with its jars and albarelli and the rooms that tell the life of the nursing sisters. The most valuable piece is the Last Judgement polyptych by Rogier van der Weyden, seen in a room of its own with a magnifying glass.
The self-guided route, called Sur les pas des fondateurs, is done with an audio guide, included in the ticket: there are ten languages for adults, Spanish among them, and four versions for children.
Opening hours, prices and guided visits
In 2026 it is open every day: from 1 April to 15 November from 9:00 to 19:30, and the rest of the year from 9:00 to 12:30 and from 14:00 to 18:30. The ticket office closes one hour earlier, which is how long the visit takes. General admission costs €12.50. If you arrive by regional train, show your TER ticket to Beaune from less than 48 hours ago and they apply the reduced rate.
The online ticket office also sells guided visits: an express 20-minute tour at 10:00 and 17:00, in French and English, and a one-hour visit of the areas not normally shown, in English at weekends from April to mid-November at 11:00. Buy online in high season and in the week of the auction.
Getting there
It is in the centre, at 2 rue de l'Hôtel-Dieu, about fifteen minutes on foot from the station. If you come by car, leave it in the car parks on the boulevards surrounding the rampart: the old town is small.
Tips
- Go in at nine First thing the courtyard and the Hall of the Poor are almost empty and the light hits the roof.
- Keep your train ticket With the TER ticket from less than 48 hours ago you pay the reduced rate.
- Ask for the children's audio guide Children have their own, shorter version.
Frequently asked questions
How much is entry to the Hôtel-Dieu de Beaune?
General admission costs €12.50, audio guide included.
Is there an audio guide in Spanish?
Yes, among the ten languages for adults.
Is it open every day?
Yes, all year, with split hours from mid-November to March.
How long do I need?
One hour for the self-guided route.
As a familyWith teenagers
