Today our group spent the day in the city of Beaune. In the morning our tour guide took us to a beverage distributor named JF Hillebrand. The logistics company focuses on the distribution of wine and spirits and has locations across the world. JF Hillebrand was started in the mid-1800's by a German man and the business began entering new countries in the 1970s. Led by a team of three company managers we were given an educational tour of the JF Hillebrand warehouses. We were allowed to discuss business topics with our hosts and ask questions about employment, labor law, and the company's basic operational strategies.
Following the company tour we took our tour bus to the heart of Beaune for a short lunch. Beaune is home to the Hospices de Beaune,one of the oldest standing hospitals in France built in the 1400's. The well-preserved monument was established by a duke and maintained by the contributions of wealthy residents who, many times, made large donations while on their deathbeds. Also interesting is the fact that during World War II the Nazis occupied the city of Beaune and made the hospital their main quarters because of its spaciousness and strategic location in the middle of the city.
After our short visit to Beaune's medieval hospital we took the bus to Chateau Roche Pot, a castle located in the middle of Beaune's wine country. At the chateau we were allowed to take pictures of the restored facility and the surrounding area. Unfortunately, hundreds of years ago the castle was taken apart stone by stone because of the value of its limestone bolders and bricks. It wasn't until 1880 that a French colonel was given the ruins and the estate was meticulously built back to its original splendor. See the pictures below.
To end the trip we stopped at a small winery for a tasting. The winery, owned by our tour-guide's brother-in-law, had cellars over six-hundred years old and the wines we tasted were traditional Burgundy varietals, Pinot Noire and Chardonnay.
Beaune Pictures:
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