"In Beaune proper, don’t miss the town’s most famous attraction, the magnificent Hospices de Beaune. Not that you’d guess from its elaborate Gothic architecture and colorfully glazed tile roof, but it was built as a hospital in 1452 and treated patients until the 1970s, before being turned into a museum. Probably unlike your local ER, however, it also owns several grand and premier cru vineyards, whose wines are sold under the Domaine Hospices de Beaune. You’ll need to find a wine buyer to take you to the institution’s annual Hospices de Beaune Wine Auction (held in November) to get your hands on the best bottles, but the building is open for tours year-round that take you back through its rich history." - Eleanor Aldridge