Dijon or Innsbruck?

Neither city has a coast, but Innsbruck has the better summer swimming. The small lakes on the plateaus above town, the Lanser See and Natterer See, warm up to bathing temperatures in high summer, and the clear, cooler Achensee is beautiful for a day out.

In Dijon, the choice is Lac Kir's supervised lawn-and-sand area on the western edge of town, or a pool.

Dijon is the clear winner for eating and drinking. Boeuf bourguignon, jambon persillé, Époisses cheese and Bresse poultry from the iron halls of Les Halles, plus mustard, cassis and grand cru wine from just south of town, make food a reason to go in itself. It also has a proper fine-dining scene.

Innsbruck's cooking is hearty and comforting: Gröstl, Kaspressknödel and Kaiserschmarrn. It tastes best at a mountain hut after a walk. In town, the choice is narrower and there is no market culture, though the coffee houses are good for strudel.

Both cities fill two or three days, and Dijon has slightly more depth. The Palace of the Dukes houses one of France's oldest museums, with the Valois tombs and their carved mourners. Around it is a medieval and Renaissance centre that is UNESCO-listed together with the vineyards, and Sluter's Well of Moses adds a major piece of sculpture.

Innsbruck's heritage is Habsburg. The Golden Roof and the arcaded old town are the postcard sights. Its single best sight is Maximilian's tomb in the Hofkirche, with its ring of bronze giants, and Ambras Castle has an early cabinet of curiosities. Its modern funicular stations and ski jump add an architectural side that Dijon lacks.

Both have small, student-driven evening scenes, and Innsbruck's runs slightly later. Its bars and small clubs in the brick arches under the railway viaduct stay open into the early hours at weekends. In winter, much of the partying moves out to après-ski in the resorts.

Dijon's evenings mean wine bars and pubs along Rue Berbisey and terraces on Place Émile Zola, usually after a late dinner. The streets tend to empty around midnight.

The gap here is wide. Innsbruck has high peaks rising straight from its streets. The Nordkette ridge is reachable by cable car from the old town, the Karwendel park lies behind it, and glaciers, ski areas and mountain bike trails cover the valleys around it.

Dijon's countryside is gentle: limestone combes with short trails and climbing cliffs, the flat Burgundy Canal towpath, and the vineyard bike route to Beaune. The granite hills of the Morvan are the wildest landscape within reach.

Both are excellent bases, and Dijon has a slight edge because its best trips share one theme. The Route des Grands Crus leads through Gevrey-Chambertin and Vougeot to Beaune, and Fontenay Abbey, Semur-en-Auxois and Vézelay fill longer days. Many of the villages are easiest by car, bike or on a tour.

Innsbruck's trips cover more ground. Hall in Tirol is ten minutes away by train, Munich and Salzburg each take a little under two hours, and over the Brenner Pass lie Bolzano and Merano. By car, Neuschwanstein makes a long day.

Innsbruck has more to offer children. The Alpenzoo's ibex, bears and lynx are on the funicular route, and the mountains have adventure trails and playgrounds by the huts. In summer there are lake swims, and in winter there are ski schools on gentle slopes. Rainy days take more planning.

Dijon is safe and easy to walk with a pushchair. Beyond the planetarium at the Jardin de l'Arquebuse, the Colombière park and Lac Kir, though, little is aimed at children.

Both have small, walkable centres and don't need a car in town. Innsbruck has a slight edge because its transport reaches the mountains. The Hungerburg funicular starts at the old town, trams run to Igls and the Stubai valley, and ski buses run in winter.

From Dijon, regional trains reach Beaune and the TGV gets to Paris in under two hours. Its two tram lines mainly serve the outskirts, and the wine villages away from the railway need a car or bike.

Neither is a fashion destination, and both are best for regional specialities. Dijon is about food and drink: mustard in dozens of flavours, pain d'épices, cassis, Burgundy from the wine merchants, and cheese around Les Halles, with antiques in the lanes off Rue de la Liberté. Innsbruck sells loden jackets, dirndls, woodcarvings and Speck, and its outdoor and ski shops are excellent.

Dijon is the cheaper stay. Hotels are moderately priced, the bistros' set lunches are good value, and wine by the glass costs less than in most of France. The bill rises with fine dining, tastings and good bottles.

Innsbruck adds an Alpine premium to Western European prices, which is steepest in ski season and around the Christmas markets. Cable car tickets add up on an active trip, though the city cards help. Spring and autumn are noticeably cheaper.

The two are evenly matched, each with a solid provincial programme that is worth checking for your dates. Dijon's opera divides its season between the old Grand Théâtre and an Auditorium known for its acoustics, and much of it stops in summer.

Innsbruck has the opposite rhythm. The Landestheater and the Tyrolean Symphony Orchestra fill the winter, but its highlight is the summer Festival of Early Music, held in settings such as the Spanish Hall at Ambras. Folk evenings with yodelling and brass add a local touch.

Innsbruck is the better place to unwind. The hotels in Igls and on the surrounding plateaus have proper spas with mountain views, the large thermal complexes of the Ötztal and Zillertal are about an hour away, and a sauna after a day outdoors is part of Alpine life.

Dijon offers rest of a different kind: long lunches, quiet squares and slow afternoons in the vineyards. Its spa choice is limited to a few hotels, some offering grape-based treatments.