Dijon or Dusseldorf?

Neither city is a beach destination, and both send swimmers to a lake. Dijon has Lac Kir, a reservoir on its western edge with a supervised lawn-and-sand bathing area in summer.

Düsseldorf has Unterbacher See to the south-east and gravel-pit lakes around the region, because the inviting sandy banks of the Rhine are dangerous for swimming. The Dutch North Sea is a long day's journey away and cool even in July, while Dijon is several hours from any coast.

Dijon has the stronger claim on serious eaters. It sits at the head of Burgundy's kitchen, with boeuf bourguignon, jambon persillé, snails and gougères, its own mustard, pain d'épices and cassis, and Les Halles stocked with Bresse poultry and Époisses. Above all, the vineyards begin just south of town, so wine bars pour village Burgundies you rarely find by the glass anywhere else.

Düsseldorf offers two contrasting sides. One is the Altstadt brewhouse, with Altbier topped up until you cover your glass, sauerbraten and the Halve Hahn. The other is the Japanese quarter around Immermannstrasse, with ramen counters and izakaya. That gives it more variety than Dijon's strictly French regional table, but less depth.

Dijon is the place for historic streets. The Palace of the Dukes houses the Musée des Beaux-Arts and the carved Valois tombs, and around it lies a web of half-timbered houses, Renaissance mansions and the gargoyled Notre-Dame with its lucky owl, all part of the UNESCO listing with the Burgundy vineyards. Add Sluter's Well of Moses at Champmol and you have two or three full days.

Düsseldorf's strength is modern art: Klee at K20, the net under K21's glass dome, the Kunstpalast, and the galleries that grew from its art academy. Wartime bombing left little old fabric, though, so its best historic sight is Benrath Palace, out in the suburbs.

Düsseldorf is far ahead here. The Altstadt crams a few hundred pubs and brewhouses between the Rhine and Heinrich-Heine-Allee, and on weekends the lanes become a street party well past midnight, stag groups included. Cocktail bars in Carlstadt and the Medienhafen offer something quieter, and Carnival takes over the whole city for days.

Dijon's evenings depend on its students. Rue Berbisey and the terraces around Place Émile Zola are good for wine, beer and a late dinner, but there are only a few clubs, and outside term time the streets are quiet by midnight.

Both offer gentle country with no mountains, but the landscapes differ. Dijon has the more varied terrain close to town. The limestone combes to the west have trails and climbing cliffs, the canal towpath gives flat cycling, a signed route runs through the vineyards to Beaune, and the granite hills of the Morvan are about an hour and a half away.

Düsseldorf's outdoors centres on the river. Grassy Rhine meadows carry long cycle paths to Kaiserswerth, Grafenberg forest and the Neandertal give shaded walks, and the Bergisches Land hills begin within half an hour.

Both make excellent bases for day trips, but for different kinds of outing. From Dijon you head into wine country and Cistercian heritage: Gevrey-Chambertin, Clos de Vougeot and walled Beaune to the south, Fontenay Abbey, Semur-en-Auxois and Alésia to the north-west. Most of the vineyards are easiest by car, bike or small tour.

From Düsseldorf you go city-hopping by train. Cologne cathedral is under half an hour away, with Bonn, the Brühl palaces, Zollverein, Aachen and Maastricht all on fast, frequent lines, and the Middle Rhine castles make a longer day.

Düsseldorf gives children much more to do. The Aquazoo combines an aquarium with natural history, deer and wild boar come close in the Grafenberg game park, the Rhine meadows have playgrounds and river beaches, and Phantasialand and Movie Park are both within about an hour.

Dijon is safe, small and calm, with a planetarium at the Jardin de l'Arquebuse, the lawns of the Parc de la Colombière and paddling at Lac Kir. Beyond that, its tastings and fine-art museums are mostly for the adults.

Both centres are compact and easy on foot, so the difference lies in their reach. In Dijon the station, Les Halles, the palace and the cathedral are minutes apart, two tram lines cover the outskirts, and regional trains run to Beaune. For wine villages away from the railway, though, you will need a car, a bike or a tour.

Düsseldorf adds trams, underground light rail and an airport just minutes from the centre by train. Its network is part of a regional system reaching Cologne and the Ruhr, so you can go a long way without a car, once you have worked out the fare zones.

Düsseldorf is the clear choice for shoppers. The canal-lined Königsallee has luxury flagships, jewellers and arcades, Schadowstrasse and the Kö-Bogen cover the mainstream, and the trade-fair fashion business shows in its department stores. Flingern's design shops and the Japanese quarter's stationery and homeware add character.

In Dijon you mostly shop for things to eat and drink: mustards in dozens of flavours, crème de cassis, cellars of Burgundy and cheese around Les Halles. Rue de la Liberté has a department store and chains, but little for fashion.

Dijon is easier on the budget. Hotel rooms are moderately priced for France, bistro set lunches are a fair way to eat well, and wine by the glass is cheaper than in most of the country. The bill climbs only once you add serious restaurants, cellar tastings and good bottles.

Düsseldorf's hotels are expensive for a city its size, and during the big trade fairs rooms become scarce and cost several times the usual rate. Brewhouse meals and Japanese noodle bars help, but overall it costs what a wealthy Western European city does.

Düsseldorf has the deeper programme. The Deutsche Oper am Rhein stages opera and ballet by the Hofgarten, the symphony orchestra plays in the domed Tonhalle, and the Schauspielhaus is a leading theatre, though mainly for German speakers. As the birthplace of Kraftwerk, it also has a place in electronic music history, and its summer jazz festival fills the old town with stages.

Dijon's Opéra is good for a city its size, with the Grand Théâtre and the acoustically fine Auditorium. Its season follows the academic year, however, and thins to outdoor events in summer.

Düsseldorf has more for anyone who wants a proper soak. Saunas in public pools are part of local routine, mostly mixed and without swimwear, large thermal complexes lie within about an hour, and Aachen's hot springs are a little further. The Hofgarten and the Japanese garden in Nordpark add quiet walks.

Dijon has no bathing culture, and its spas amount to a few hotels, some offering grape-based treatments. Its rest comes from long lunches and slow afternoons among the vines.