Liberty street, Pedestrian shopping street in Dijon, France

The Rue de la Liberté is the main pedestrian shopping street of Dijon's historic centre, running from Place Darcy and its garden to the Palais des ducs et des états de Bourgogne on Place de la Libération, past Place François-Rude. Most of the buildings lining it date from the 15th to the 18th century and are classified as monuments historiques. At its Place Darcy end stands the Porte Guillaume, a city gate completed in 1788, built of light beige masonry with a wide central arch, a projecting cornice, carved relief panels above the arch and tall patterned lanterns on the piers.

Before the Revolution the street was split in two: the section from today's Place Darcy to Rue Bossuet was Rue Porte-Guillaume, the rest Rue Condé. That second part was cut through between 1721 and 1725, and the name Liberté, taken from the republican motto, was first given under the Revolution. The street became pedestrian in 2012, when buses and cars were banned.

The name comes from the French Republic's motto, adopted during the Revolution. At no. 32, the Maille mustard shop, formerly Grey Poupon, has stood since 1777 and displays old faience mustard pots. The Coin du Miroir crossroads takes its name from a 13th-century stone house with ogival bays, demolished in 1767.

The street is flat and easy to walk, making it comfortable for leisurely strolling and shopping without hills or slopes. Be prepared for crowds during busy hours, especially on weekends, when foot traffic increases significantly.

The name Coin du Miroir comes from the Maison du Miroir, a 13th-century stone house with large ogival bays on its first floor and a four-crenellated top. Acquired in 1413 by the monks of the Champmol charterhouse, it was demolished in 1767. Its name likely derives from the Latin mirari, to look, for its position as an observation point at the crossroads.