Darcy square and Guillaume gateway

The Place Darcy and the Porte Guillaume, in Dijon

The Place Darcy and the Porte Guillaume mark the western entrance of the historic centre of Dijon. The Dijon audio-guided tour stops here to evoke this lively square and its majestic triumphal arch, the gate of honour of the town.

The lively square and the triumphal arch

The Place Darcy is one of the liveliest squares of Dijon, which marks one of the entrances of the historic centre, at the end of Rue de la Liberté. In its centre stands the Porte Guillaume, a majestic triumphal arch of classical style. This gate was built in the eighteenth century, on the site of a former medieval gate of the ramparts of the town. It was erected in honour of a prince of Condé, governor of Burgundy, and constituted a monumental gate of honour into the town. Today, the arch stands proudly in the middle of the square, a major landmark and a symbol of welcome. Lined with cafés, brasseries and hotels, lively and busy, the Place Darcy is an important crossroads and a place of life, a stone's throw from the Darcy garden and the old centre. The Place Darcy and the Porte Guillaume are an emblematic gateway of Dijon.

What to see

You admire the majestic Porte Guillaume, a classical eighteenth-century triumphal arch erected on the site of a former gate of the ramparts, in honour of a prince of Condé, in the centre of a lively square lined with cafés and brasseries, at the entrance of the historic centre. The Place Darcy and the Porte Guillaume are an emblematic gateway of Dijon. It is a must-see stop, to be explored on foot.

Practical information

The Place Darcy and the Porte Guillaume lie at the entrance of the historic centre of Dijon, at the end of Rue de la Liberté, reachable on foot and by public transport, including the tram. They are open-air public spaces, freely accessible; the cafés and brasseries have their own hours. You discover them as soon as you arrive in the centre.

What is the Porte Guillaume in Dijon?

A majestic triumphal arch of classical style, built in the eighteenth century on the site of a former medieval gate of the ramparts, in honour of a prince of Condé; it stands in the centre of the Place Darcy, at the entrance of the historic centre.

Where are the Place Darcy and the Porte Guillaume?

At the entrance of the historic centre of Dijon, at the end of Rue de la Liberté, in France.