Château de Beaune
Louis XI's fortress in the Beaune ramparts, now home to the Bouchard Père & Fils wine house.
- Medieval fortress
- In Beaune itself
- Tastings on site
- 15th, 16th and 19th centuries
€290for a half-day wine tour starting here, up to 4 guests
At a glance
- Style
- Royal fortress with a 19th-century manor
- Heritage
- Registered historic monument
- Official website
- bouchard-pereetfils.com
Getting there
Coming by train or plane? Transfers from stations and airports →
About the château
The Château de Beaune is the royal fortress built into the town walls after Louis XI took Burgundy. Its great towers still stand on the ring of ramparts. Since the early 19th century they have served as wine cellars for Bouchard Père & Fils, whose manor house stands inside the old walls.
History
In 1477 Duke Charles the Bold died at Nancy, and Louis XI moved to take Burgundy for the French crown. Beaune resisted, and the king besieged the town in 1478. To hold it, he had a fortress built into the town walls. The first towers faced inward, toward the town itself. Two great towers facing the countryside were added later, and the work was completed in 1527 under François I.
The fortress was partly demolished between 1602 and 1606, and its town-side towers were cut down. The site was later removed from the royal domain and sold at auction in 1780. In the early 19th century the Bouchard family turned the two big eastern towers into cellars and the moats into gardens. Bernard Bouchard bought the château in 1820, and the firm has had its headquarters here since 1872.
Architecture
The fortress was laid out as a pentagon with five towers about 17 metres high, built in dressed stone with rusticated facing. The two big towers facing the countryside survive intact, while the town-side towers were cut down to one or two levels. All of them hold vaulted rooms that now serve as cellars. Inside the walls stands a 19th-century manor with a roof of glazed Burgundy tiles.
Visiting
Tips for your visit
Bouchard Père & Fils now receives visitors at the château for guided tours of its cellars, through the old underground galleries and bastions where the house's wines age, followed by a tasting. Visits are for small groups and by reservation only: book by phone well ahead, and ask for the current days, times and prices. The great towers can also be seen at any time from the public walk along the Beaune ramparts, an easy stroll to combine with the old town and the Hospices.
Around here
What to combine with Château de Beaune on the same day, nearest first.
Beaune
1 km awayChorey-lès-Beaune
3 km awayPommard
4 km away
- Culture
Mois des Climats
Each year over several weeks in late spring and early summer, usually ending in early JulyBeaune - Wine festival
Beaune Saveurs de Vignes
Usually Ascension Thursday, in May, with staggered departures from late morningBeaune - Music
Festival international d’opéra baroque de Beaune
Usually four consecutive weekends in JulyBeaune
Guides about Château de Beaune
Questions
Yes. Château de Beaune is a wine estate that receives visitors for tastings, usually by appointment. We can help you book it as part of a wine tour.
Did you know? The cellars hold old vintages, the oldest from 1846. Two towers of the old fortress have been listed as historic monuments since 1937.
Sources
From Château de Beaune into the vineyards
Half-day wine tour from Beaune: €290 for the car, up to 4 guests