A 13th-century keep towering over an elegant 18th-century château near the Vingeanne.
€215one way from Beaune with a private driver
Private driver from Beaune: 1 h 01 by road (76 km), €215 one way for the whole car.
Coming by train or plane? Transfers from stations and airports →
Near the old border between Burgundy and Franche-Comté, the Château de Talmay surprises with two very different buildings side by side. A square medieval keep about 50 metres high rises above an elegant classical house of the 1760s. Classified as a historic monument, it is still lived in by descendants of its 19th-century owners.
Around 1250 Guillaume de Champlitte, lord of Pontailler, built a fortress at Talmay. His family played a part in the history of the dukes of Burgundy for two centuries, and Guy III de Pontailler became a Knight of the Golden Fleece, the order founded by Duke Philip the Good, in 1433. The great square keep is the only part of this first castle still standing.
In 1692 Pierre Fijan, a master of the Chambre des comptes in Paris, bought the barony. He gave the keep its pyramid roof with a small bell turret and panelled its rooms. His grandson Pierre II Fijan, a councillor at the Parlement of Burgundy, laid out French gardens in 1753 and then built the present château at the foot of the keep, to plans by the architect d'Aviler.
In 1824 the château was bought by Pierre-Auguste Floret, an ironmaster from Pesmes in Franche-Comté. He left it to his niece, the wife of Baron Paul Thénard, and the present owners descend from this family. The château, its outbuildings, entrance gate and garden were classified as a historic monument in 1993. The owners open their home to visitors every summer and host receptions in the orangery.
The keep is square, about 12 metres on each side, with mullioned windows, firing openings at the top and eight overhanging bretèches, all original. The classical château forms a U of large yellow stone blocks, with a sculpted pediment and double stairways front and back. A monumental stair guarded by two stone sphinxes leads to the French garden. Outbuildings include stables, an orangery, a mill and an ice house.
Guided tours start at 14:00, 15:30 and 17:00.
Checked on on the official site.
In July and August the château opens Wednesday to Sunday, with afternoon guided tours by the owners lasting about 45 minutes, and you can explore the gardens on your own with a plan. Groups can visit all year by appointment. Credit cards are not accepted.
What to combine with Château de Talmay on the same day, nearest first.
Château de Talmay is about 1 h 01 from Beaune by road (76 km). With a private driver, the trip from Beaune starts at €215 for the whole car, up to 4 guests.
Did you know? When Pierre II Fijan built his new château in the 1760s, he chose to keep the medieval keep, which is why a 13th-century tower still rises beside an 18th-century house.
Sources
€215 one way from Beaune · up to 4 guests
