The most beautiful towns and chateaux to visit in Burgundy
Burgundy’s history is as rich as its wines. The region’s boundaries were disputed continuously over the centuries, leaving a legacy of fortified border towns behind. During the 14th and 15th centuries, it was also the seat of the Dukes of Burgundy, who bequeathed the area countless cathedrals, castles, and chateaux.
Some of Burgundy’s must-see historical sites are little more than a mooring line’s length from the spots Le Boat canal boats can dock. Others can be reached on bike rides through the vine-streaked countryside that envelops the Saône.
5 of the most beautiful towns and sites in Burgundy
Châteauneuf-en-Auxois
Cresting a hilltop, a 15h 30min cruise along the Canal de Bourgogne from Dijon, Châteauneuf-en-Auxois looks like something from a Brothers Grimm book. Its skyline is dominated by the 15th-century Château de Châteauneuf, with its turrets, pepper pot towers, and wizard hat-shaped rooves.
You can take both self-guided and guided tours of the castle, exploring spaces like the tower keep, courtyard, luxuriously decorated living quarters, chapel and even the latrines. There’s an interactive interpretation centre on site, too, where you can learn about the lords, knights, and noblemen who once called the structure home.
Verdun-sur-le-Doubs
Set at the confluence of the Saône and Doubs, Verdun-sur-le-Doubs is a town of honey-hued buildings and leafy green riverbanks. After mooring your Le Boat cruiser, you can follow the 1.6-kilometre heritage trail that weaves through the town centre, taking in the remains of ramparts and former defensive turrets. Then cross the footbridge over the Petite Saône to Ile du Château (Château Island) – an in-river island made up of gardens. Be sure to make time for a bowl of pôchouse: this river fish stew is the town’s signature dish.
Beze
The river Beze rises in this eponymously named village, a half-hour bus ride north of Dijon (board at the Parc des Sport tram stop). You can follow a plane tree-shaded promenade from its source into the village centre where the waters mirror dozens of dove grey buildings with terracotta tiled rooves and wooden window shutters, ivy-clad bridges, and weeping willow trees. There’s a 7th-century abbey here, too, which is circled by gardens where 300 different types of rose bloom in summer.
Martailly-lès-Brancion
Cloaked in the greenery of the Grosne Valley, Martailly-lès-Brancion is one of France’s 193 ‘Petites Cités de Caractère’ – towns that are recognised for their heritage. Amongst the red-rooved buildings of this hilltop village, there’s a Medieval feudal castle, a 15th-century market hall, and a Romanesque church where the walls are daubed in murals from the 13th century. It takes 45 minutes to cycle here from Taunus, where you can dock during your boating vacation.
Nolay
Half-timbered buildings, a stone church with a 38-metre Gothic spire, and rows of coat of arms-crested merchant houses are just a few of the things that make the half-hour bus journey from Chagny to Nolay worthwhile. At the heart of this town, there’s also a 600-year-old market hall, which is one of the oldest of its kind in France. Book a guided town tour to find out the secrets to its longevity.
Fontenay Abbey: unmissable Unesco
Ensconced in 3,000 acres of woodland, a 35-minute train journey from Dijon, the 12th-century Fontenay Abbey is one of the oldest preserved Cistercian abbeys in the world and protected by Unesco as a World Heritage Site. Visits offer an insight into the secluded and self-sufficient life of the monks who once resided here. Tiptoe through the cloisters, the vaulted chapter house, and the church before exploring the modern gardens, which were designed with meditation and harmony in mind.
The Hospices de Beaune
Part of the Unesco-listed ‘Climats, terroirs of Burgundy’ heritage site, the Hospices de Beaune is worth visiting for its kaleidoscopic tiled roof alone. Built during the reign of Duke of Burgundy, Philip the Good, this half-timbered former hospital became the site of an annual charitable wine auction in the 19th century, and it’s still held today. Head inside to hear the stories of the sick who were treated here and to find out more about how the grand wine fair – which raises as much as $23 million every year – came about.
Must-see chateaux in Burgundy
Château de Ray-sur-Saône
This dual-turreted castle nests on a hilltop in the riverside village of Ray-sur-Saône, where you can moor. Its timeline can be traced back to the 11th and 12th centuries when it first belonged to the Abbey of Saint-Vincent de Chalon-sur-Saône and then the Dukes of Ray. Guided tours take you inside, but the free to see grounds are just as worthy of a visit. The castle is encased in six hectares of terraced gardens topped with trees from around the world.
Château de Germolles
Duke of Burgundy, Phillip the Bold, once slept beneath the sloping mansard roof of Château de Germolles, a 40-minute bike ride from Chalon sur Saone. Guided tours of this 14th-century castle offer an insight into ducal court life in the Middle Ages, taking in areas like the ducal bedroom suite, the tapestry-draped dining room, the chapels, gatehouse and gardens.
Château de Saint-Point
This 12th and 14th century castle was the home of revered French writer and politician Alphonse de Lamartine.. Highlights of a self-guided tour include walking in the shade of the castle’s porticos, padding through the dining room, and climbing the spiral staircase up the turret to Lamartine’s old study, which is all dark wood, marble busts, and leather-bound books. To get here during your cruise in Burgundy, catch the train from Mâcon-Loché or Mâcon-Ville stations and then make the20-minute walk to the castle.
Château d’Arcelot
Built by the marquis of Arcelot in the early 18th century, the Château d’Arcelot was Burgundy’s first neoclassical mansion. Within its walls you’ll find 12 fully furnished rooms that look just the way they were in 1700s and 1800s. Expect to see marble floors, wood panelled walls, oil paintings, chandeliers, mounted stag heads, silk rugs, and polished silver antiques on almost every exposed surface.
Open in July and August. The direct tram journey from Dijon’s Parc des Sport stop takes 20 minutes.
Château du Clos Vougeot
An hour’s bike ride through the vine-lined countryside south of Dijon, Château du Clos de Vougeot puts you at the epicentre of the Cotes de Nuits wine region. Founded in the 12th century, the chateau started life as a 12th-century wine farm, which was used by monks from the nearby Abbey of Cîteaux. Today, you can tour the site to learn about its 900-year history and see spots like the old vat house, wine presses, and Cistercian wine cellar. Visits end with either a tasting of three Burgundy wines or a wine-paired lunch in the chateau’s Renaissance wing. Visits must be booked in advance, see closdevougeot.fr or email visites@closdevougeot.info.
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