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It's interesting to realize that sleepy Burgundy was once one of the richest and most powerful regions in Europe. Today, the region's reputation is essentially gastronomic, but its countryside is strewn with evidence of its former secular and religious wealth and power. Throughout the Middle Ages, Burgundy's capital, Dijon, was a duchy that led a separate existence from the rest of France, culminating in the rule of the four "Grand Dukes of the West" between 1364 and 1477. During this time, the city prospered as one of Europe's greatest centers of art, learning and science. From the 17th-century on, Dijon continued to flourish under French rule and today it remains Burgundy's major city - the only one, in fact, with more than 100,000 inhabitants. Home to several universities, no less than 10 museums and a lively arts community, 20th-century Dijon remains a cultural center to this day. The Palais des Ducs, the city's leading testimony to its former glory, is now home to one of France's major art museums, the Musee des Beaux-Arts, where a rich collection of medieval objects, Renaissance furniture and Impressionist paintings surrounds the tombs of two of the Grand Dukes - Philip the Bold and John the Fearless. Burgundians love to eat well, and the number and variety of Dijon's restaurants reflect this. Local specialties include mustard, cassis (blackcurrant liqueur) and escargots. Game, freshwater trout, goat cheese, coq au vin and mushrooms make up the basis of the region's cuisine. And then there's the wine. Burgundians have produced the stuff since Roman times and the vineyards south of Dijon are among the world's most distinguished and picturesque. Today, locals celebrate the elixir with festivals, tastings and even a university, Institut Jules Guyot, dedicated to the "science of the grape."