Opening hours and tickets
- Grounds opening hours
- 1 July to 31 August: every day, 13:00 to 19:00
- Admission
- Free entry
- Booking
- Not needed
Checked on on the official site.
Château de Vinzelles
Two neighbouring castles above Vinzelles, linked by a vat house with great wooden wine presses.
- Wine château
- 1 h 19 from Beaune
- Park or grounds to visit, 1 July to 31 August
- 13th to 17th century
€285one way from Beaune with a private driver
At a glance
- Commune
- Vinzelles · Saône-et-Loire
- Style
- Medieval castle restored in the 17th century
- Heritage
- Registered historic monument
- Official website
- chateaudevinzelles.fr
Getting there
Private driver from Beaune: 1 h 19 by road (109 km), €285 one way for the whole car.
Or add it to our full-day wine tour plus two hours, €700.
Coming by train or plane? Transfers from stations and airports →
About the château
On the slope above Vinzelles, in the Pouilly-Vinzelles vineyards, stand two castles side by side: the old castle of Vinzelles and the château of Layé. A long vat house over vaulted cellars links them. The whole estate has been listed as a historic monument since 2003.
History
The Vieux-Château of Vinzelles dates from the 12th and 13th centuries. It was restored in 1621 after several attacks, then fell into ruin in the 18th century when it was left to tenant farmers. Its five-sided plan, gun loops and a great hall with remains of painted hunting scenes still recall its past. A second castle, Layé, was built nearby in the 13th century.
Layé passed through many hands. The Bullion family of Mâcon bought it in 1545, and it was rebuilt around 1640, when the family included Claude de Bullion, superintendent of finances under Louis XIII. In 1688 it was sold to Emmanuel Chesnard, a royal secretary. After a fire, Count Humbert de Grille had its lodgings rebuilt in the 19th century, and the estate later passed to other families.
Architecture
Layé forms a rectangle of three lodgings and a wall around a courtyard, with strong square towers under tall roofs of flat tiles, and dry ditches on three sides. Its gateways have rusticated frames, one bearing the arms of the Comte de Grille. Between the two castles stands the long vat house over vaulted cellars, which shelters great-beam presses, one of them dated 1716 or 1776.
Visiting
Tips for your visit
The two castles are private, and their interiors are not open. In July and August, and on the European Heritage Days in September, the estate opens its grounds every afternoon for a free self-guided visit, with numbered panels and QR codes that lead to explanations on its website.
Around here
What to combine with Château de Vinzelles on the same day, nearest first.
Questions
Château de Vinzelles is about 1 h 19 from Beaune by road (109 km). With a private driver, the trip from Beaune starts at €285 for the whole car, up to 4 guests.
Did you know? The great hall on the first floor of the old castle of Vinzelles still keeps traces of medieval wall paintings showing hunting scenes.
Sources
Château de Vinzelles with a private driver
€285 one way from Beaune · up to 4 guests