Auxerre
Auxerre is the capital city of the département of Yonne.  It is located to the southeast of Paris, on the Yonne River.  The town abounds in Gallic and Roman remains.  There is also a museum, a library, a college, and a palace of justice.  The city boasts the 13th century Gothic cathedral of Saint Étienne, the churches of Saint Germain and Saint Pierre, and the Episcopal palace.  Auxerre has been the seat of a bishopric since the 3rd century. 

The town was a duchy of the Carolingian empire, the second dynasty of Frankish kings.  Later, it was ruled by the house of Nevers.  In 1370, the département was bought by King Charles V.  It was ceded, in 1435, to the duchy of Burgundy.  Following the death of King Charles the Bold, It was reunited with France in 1477. 
 

Beaune
Beaune is located on the Bouzaise River, in the département of Côte-d'Or.  The town is a center of tourism and wine marketing.  Wine auctions are held each November.

Beaune was an important town in Roman times.  With the fall of Rome, in the 5th century, its fortunes declined.  Its fortunes revived, with the growth of the wine market, in the 18th century.

Beaune is encircled by a wall reinforced by 13th  and 15th century towers.  Many other historic structures have also survive the years.  The Hôtel-Dieu, which was constructed in 1443, is still in use as a retirement home and a museum.  The 12th century Church of Notre-Dame contains 15th century tapestries depicting the life of the Virgin Mary.
 

Chalon-sur-Saône
Southeast of Paris is Chalon-sur-Saône.  The town is located in the département of Saône-et-Loire, in east central France.  It is a regional commercial center for the Saône Valley.  Chalon has a harbor and is a crossroads for river and rail traffic. 

Chalon owes its significance to its location on the Saône and the canals linking the Saône to the Loire, Marne, and Rhine rivers.  In the 19th century, the completion of this canal system made Chalon an important river port, allowing it to attract a variety of industries.  Before the existence of railroads, travelers from Paris came to Chalon by coach to take the riverboat to Lyon, France
 

Dijon
Dijon, which was known as Castrum Divionense in the 9th century, is located in east central France.  It is the capital of the département of Côte-d'Or.  It is a port city, situated at the confluence of the Ouche and Suzon rivers and the Burgundy Canal.  It is also a shipping center for Burgundy wine and a commercial and manufacturing center. 

Points of interest are: the 12th century city hall that was rebuilt during the17th 18th centurys.  It was formerly the ducal palace, but now houses a museum that has a collection of fine statues by the medieval Dutch sculptor Claus Sluter; the 14th century Cathedral of Saint Bénigne  and the 13th century Church of Notre Dame were both constructed mainly in the Bourguignon Gothic style; the Renaissance Church of Saint Michel, which was built during the 15th century; and the Palace of Justice (15th to16th century), which was once the seat of the Burgundy parliament.  The city also boasts of its own University of Dijon, which was founded in 1722.

Dijon is a splendid city, filled with the great palaces of the old Burgundian nobility.  It possesses a collection of great paintings and sculptures which are located in the Musée des Beaux-Arts.   The Musée was the palace of the dukes of Burgundy.