Hôtel-Dieu

Take a look around. On your left, you have the charming Canal des Tanneurs, and on your right, the impressive Hôtel Dieu of Dole. This former hospital was built in the 17th century and it’s a fine example of Franche-Comté Renaissance architecture. It was expanded several times over the centuries, with the first floor housing the poorest patients who could not be cared for in their own homes. The second floor accommodated the nuns, while the first floor housed services such as the winery, bakery, kitchen and apothecary. The apothecary still displays a fine collection of earthenware pots typical of the Dole region. In 2000, the Hôtel Dieu was transformed into a magnificent media library. You are welcome to enter this impressive building, listed as a historical monument since 1928, to discover its beautiful decor and unique interior architecture, as well as its apothecary, which showcases medical objects and instruments dating back centuries.