Dijon Property Insight

Dijon is the préfecture of the Côte d’Or department in Burgundy. The city accounts for more than 151,000 inhabitants called the Dijonnais. Dijon is the 18th French most populated city. The city is renowned for its famous mustard: the moutarde de Dijon. Many other assets can be added to the good local gastronomy such as cultural sites, sport facilities, a good location and a pleasant way of life.

Overview

As the administrative centre of the Burgundy region, Dijon is a major cultural, economical, educational and touristy city which has much to offer. It was the capital of the duchy of Burgundy during the 14th and 15th centuries and has a rich architectural and historical heritage. As said before, the town is famous for its fine gastronomy. Dijon is also the major centre of Bourgogne in terms of administration, education, law’s administration and health.

Dijon is located in the worldwide renowned wine-growing area of Côte d’Or, where we can find the famous route des Grands Crus which is highly appreciated amongst wine lovers. Two rivers flow in the city - the Suzon and Ouche Rivers – which has an abundance of green spaces, parks and nature areas in general.

When it comes to economy, Dijon boasts varied activities with food and pharmaceutical industries being well-known. The city is also an important business centre. Indeed, plenty of conferences take place in the area every year. Dijon has a good geographical location in France, it is situated at the heart of the communication network of western Europe with amongst others the high speed LGV Rhin-Rhône train.

Dijon Immobilier and Property Market Trends

With an average price of €2,385/square metre for a property to buy, Dijon has affordable prices on offer in terms of real estate given all its assets and popularity. As regards rentals, it cost about €11.1/sq m/month to rent a property in the city. In May 2009, the average price for an apartment to buy was €2,426/sq m and it was €2,386/sq m for a house.

In 2008, an apartment cost between €1,680 and €2,930/sq m, studio flats being much more expensive than 5-room apartments (€2,240-€2,930/sq m against €1,680-€2,460/sq m). When it comes to new apartments, prices vary between €2,660 and €3,300 / square metre. Prices for houses to buy in Dijon were comprised between €138,000 and €337,400 at the same period (average prices for houses with 3 to 6 rooms).

79.3% of the properties are apartments in the city. More than 54% of the inhabitants are tenants, so there might be good rental opportunities for prospective buyers.

To get updated info about the property prices in Côte d’Or, please browse our French Property Market Reports published in the News Section every month.

6 Reasons to Buy a Property in Dijon

Dijon is a stunning city where life is really pleasant. Here are just a few reasons which investing in this city is worth…

• Tourism – sights: there are plenty of things to see and do in Dijon. The city has are 97 hectares of classified monuments which have been well preserved. All kinds of tourism can be found in Dijon: cultural tourism (visits of museums, monuments, etc), gourmet tourism (food and wine tasting) and business tourism (conventional hall). The greatest sights of Dijon are the following ones: Fine Arts Museum (former Palace of the Dukes of Burgundy), Saint-Bénigne cathedral, Porte Guillaume, archeological museum, museum of life in Burgundy (Perrin de Puycousin), Magnin Museum, Sciences’ Garden. We should not forget the numerous mansions and churches which are real jewels of architecture.

• Wines and alcoholic drinks: Dijon is the capital of one of the most renowned wine-growing area in the world: Burgundy. More than 29,500ha are covered by vineyards in Burgundy, 25,000ha of which are labeled AOC. Dijon is located in the prestigious vineyard of Côte de Nuits, where the best red wines of Burgundy grow. The ‘route des Grands Crus’ enables people to discover many beautiful villages of the area such as Fixin, Gevrey-Chambertin, Nuits Saint Georges and Vougeot and sample fine wines of the region: a must-do when visiting Dijon! ‘Kir’ – an aperitif made of cassis liqueur and white wine - is also appreciated in the area.

• Gastronomy: as said before, the city is a capital of gastronomy. The international and gourmet fair which takes places in Dijon every year promotes the local produce. The city’s most famous produce is the moutarde de Dijon, but the area also offers other fine produce such as ginger bread, escargots, truffles, cream of blackcurrant. Some local dishes are the boeuf bourguignon (beef cooked with red wine served with mushrooms, onions and bacon cubes) and fondue bourguignonne (fried beef).

• Architectural style: Dijon has different architectural styles which testify from its long history. We can find medieval monuments which date from the Roman period. Religious architecture is also important in the city with amongst others Saint-Philibert and Notre-Dame churches. Half-timbered houses and mansions of rich bourgeois originate from the Middle Ages. Flemish and Italian architecture styles are also in Dijon with the Saint-Michel church, hôtel Vogüe, hôtel Chartraire de Montigny and hôtel Bouhier de Lantenay (mansions). The theatre of Dijon was built in a neo classical style. Finally, there are many monuments and buildings which date from the 20th century. So in terms of architecture, there are plenty of things to be discovered in this city.

• Location – transport infrastructure: Dijon has a good location in France and an important transport network. It is one of the most important French railway centres. Dijon is situated on the railway axis Paris - Lyon - Marseille and has trains to Besancon, Belfort, Nancy and also Italy and Switzerland. Two high speed trains TGV Sud-Est and TGV Méditerranée link Dijon to Paris (approx. 1h30), Roissy (1h50), Marseille (3h30), Lille (2h45) and Montpellier (3h30). Dijon is served by several major French motorways (A31, A36, A6, A26, A39…) and its airport ‘Dijon Bourgogne’ has international flights to Ireland, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Greece amongst others. So Dijon is clearly very well linked to the other French big cities, UK and the rest of Europe (Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, etc).

• Return on investment: the city is home to a university which welcomes about 30,000 students every year - Université de Bourgogne – and offers varied courses, comprising vineyard’s science and oenology. There are also many other colleges and graduate business or engineering schools for instance, which result in an important number of students in the city. Thus, there is a sustained demand for properties in the area all year round. Dijon offers a good future return on investment as it is an important touristy area and economic centre.

Property Styles and Architecture in Dijon

• Apartments: as said before, more than 79% of the dwellings in Dijon are apartments. Given the number of students in the city, the choice in studio flats and apartments are really huge. Most of the apartments are located close to the university and superior schools or to the city centre. They belong to housing estate or residences for students. Their size may vary as well as their layout. Apartments are definitely good investment, especially for buy-to-let.

• Farmhouses: these properties are made of stone and have flat tiles or lauze. A particularity of traditional houses in Dijon and its surroundings is that the roof are decorated with coloured tiles forming geometric patterns. You can admire such patterns on the Aubriot house and Vogüe hotel for instance. Farmhouses have large dimensions and come with a large piece of land. They have outbuildings such as barns and offer outstanding views over the area. Such properties are often situated in the countryside.

• Town houses: detached or not, these properties are located close to all amenities and, thus very practical for families. They may come with a garden, a car park, garage and attic. They have several rooms and a practical layout in general. Depending on your criterion, you will for sure find your dream house in Dijon’s town centre at an affordable price.

Click here for more info about the Architecture in Burgundy.