Travelling through Dijon, France with your dog? I stayed here for 2 weeks at the end of October. Dijon in general had a much more relaxed feeling towards dogs in parks and gardens compared to some other French cities. Most of green spaces were open to dogs on leash and there were lots of free baggy stations around the old town (yes, France gives out free bags to pick up after your dog). You’ll find a map with all locations at the bottom of this post.

Parc de la Colombière

There’s a very large Parc on the south end of town — about a 30 min walk from the old town that’s around 6 acres of trees, grass, dirt paths and even a mini zoo. This gets extremely busy with families on the weekend afternoons but during the week or in the mornings, it’s very easy to find a long path to yourself — where you can unofficially let your furry friend off for a bit.

Cours du Général de Gaulle & Cours du Parc

The best part of Parc de la Colombière is the wanderlust road you take to get there. From the old town, make your way to Place du Président Wilson and head south on Cours du Général de Gaulle, through Rond-Point Edmond Michelet, continuing on Cours du Parc (basically a straight line South). On both sides of the road (double the walking space) is an extra-wide sidewalk (divided for people and bikes) lined with trees, plus an extra chunk of grass that runs along the row of fenced homes. The road itself is very quiet with rare car traffic so you can stroll straight for 40 min with only 2 crosswalks that require a small amount of your attention. This was my favourite spot for walking the dog at night — if your pup stays close — I had no issues letting Meeka roam on the grass section between the fenced homes and the bike/human sidewalk. You’ll likely run into a few other dog walkers on the way doing the same thing.

Jardin Darcy

This park has a few quiet corners and a large stone fence surrounding the parameter creating a nice barrier before the road. There’s a gorgeous fountain in the centre and large trees. This was a great stop on my morning route when there’s fewer people. If you’re there earlier enough, before 8:30 AM there’s usually another dog and owner playing in the park. I was here in October when the trees were primed for autumn, radiating oranges and reds.

Jardin de l’Arquebuse

This is a botanical graden that’s part of the Natural History Museum]. The back South section of this park has a large open spaces and was almost always empty — even in the afternoons, I could easily toss a few sticks or a ball around in the fields hidden behind a row of bushes.

Courtyard Musée archéologique

There’s a fenced in courtyard behind the Museum and Cathedral if you come from Rue du Docteur Maret. This area is a little bit hidden from the main foot traffic so was often empty or had another dog and owner taking advantage of the space.