--- title: "Château d’Époisses: Visit, Opening Times and History" description: "Double-walled fortress held by one family since 1661, dovecote of nearly 3,000 nests. Courtyard open all year, rooms in summer, private driver from Beaune." url: https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-d-epoisses lang: en updated: 2026-10-01 generated: 2026-10-08 image: https://www.cote-privee.com/og/chateaux/chateau-d-epoisses.png --- # Château d’Époisses > Château d’Époisses: a double-walled fortress in the cheese village of Époisses, home to the same family since 1661. Château d’Époisses is in Époisses (Côte-d'Or), 1 h 12 by road (96 km) from Beaune. Guided tours only: 1 July to 31 August: every day except Tuesday, tours start between 10:00 and 12:00 and between 15:00 and 18:00 · Guided tour: Adults €11 · 13th to 19th centuries · Private driver from Beaune: €260 one way for the whole car, up to 4 guests. Époisses is best known for its cheese, but the village also keeps a remarkable castle. Two fortified enclosures, moats and bridges protect a residence that has belonged to the same family since 1661. The outer courtyard, with its village church and great dovecote, can be visited all year, and the rooms open in summer. ## Key facts - Type: Medieval fortress - Location: 75 km north-west of Beaune · Côte-d'Or - Coordinates: 47.5076, 4.1711 - 1 h 12 from Beaune - Open to visitors, 1 July to 31 August - 13th to 19th centuries - Commune: Époisses · Côte-d'Or - Style: Medieval fortress with later residence - Heritage: Listed historic monument - Official website: [chateaudepoisses.com](https://www.chateaudepoisses.com/) - From Beaune: ≈ 1 h 12 · 96 km - €260 one way from Beaune with a [private driver](https://www.cote-privee.com/private-driver) ## Getting there - [Private driver from Beaune](https://www.cote-privee.com/private-driver): 1 h 12 by road (96 km), €260 one way for the whole car. Coming by train or plane? [Transfers from stations and airports](https://www.cote-privee.com/transfers) Estimates per vehicle for up to 4 guests, tolls included. Your price is confirmed when you book. ## History Local tradition links Époisses with the 6th century and the Frankish queen Brunehaut. The estate became a lordship in the 12th century under the Montbard family, and the Mello family held it from 1237 to 1421. In 1561 Jacques de Savoie, Duke of Nemours, sold Époisses to the Maréchal de Bourdillon. The tower that still bears his name, the Tour Bourdillon, was restored in his time. In 1661 Madeleine de La Grange d'Arquien brought Époisses to her husband, Guillaume de Pechpeyrou-Comminges de Guitaut. He received many friends here, among them the Marquise de Sévigné, several of whose famous letters were written to the Guitaut family. During the Revolution, the authorities decided that half of the château should be destroyed. The family kept the rest, and their descendants still own and live in it today. ## Architecture The castle is ringed by two walls with moats and bridges. The outer enclosure holds outbuildings, the village church and a large dovecote lined with nesting holes. Beyond the inner moat stand the residence and its towers, including a 13th-century keep and the Tour Bourdillon, restored in 1560. The whole ensemble, with its enclosures, moats and bridges, has been a listed monument since 1992. ## Opening hours and tickets - Guided tours only: 1 July to 31 August: every day except Tuesday, tours start between 10:00 and 12:00 and between 15:00 and 18:00 - Guided tour: Adults €11 - Booking: Not needed The times are for the guided tour of the interior, while the grounds and dovecote are open all year from 9:00 to 18:00 (€3). Checked on 1 October 2026 on [the official site](https://chateaudepoisses.com/visites/). ## Visiting The grounds and dovecote are open all year. Guided tours of the interior run in July and August, every day except Tuesday. From April to June and in September and October, they are offered to groups of at least 12 people by booking. Allow about an hour, and leave time for the village cheese shops. ## Did you know? The dovecote at Époisses contains close to 3,000 nesting holes. Before the Revolution, the right to keep a dovecote was a privilege of the lord. ## Around Château d’Époisses What to combine with Château d’Époisses on the same day, nearest first. ### Châteaux - [Château de Bourbilly](https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-de-bourbilly) (8 km away): The Serein valley home of Saint Jeanne de Chantal and the Marquise de Sévigné, still lived in today. - [Donjon de Semur-en-Auxois (Tour de l’Orle d’Or)](https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/donjon-de-semur-en-auxois), 12 km away: Four huge towers of the dukes of Burgundy's castle still guard the old town of Semur. - [Château de La Roche-en-Brenil](https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-de-la-roche-en-brenil) (14 km away): A moated château on the edge of the Morvan, saved from demolition by the writer Charles de Montalembert. ### Things to do - [Collégiale Notre-Dame de Montréal](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/collegiale-notre-dame-montreal) (11 km away): A small 12th-century church on a hilltop village, with one of the oldest rose windows in France and richly carved Renaissance stalls. - [Collégiale Notre-Dame de Semur-en-Auxois](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/collegiale-notre-dame-semur-en-auxois) (12 km away): A tall, narrow Gothic church whose windows show the drapers and butchers of Semur at work, and one remembers American soldiers. - [Semur-en-Auxois](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/semur-en-auxois) (12 km away): A fortified town on a pink granite spur, looped by the river Armançon and guarded by great towers. ## Questions about Château d’Époisses ### How far is Château d’Époisses from Beaune? Château d’Époisses is about 1 h 12 from Beaune by road (96 km). With a private driver, the trip from Beaune starts at €260 for the whole car, up to 4 guests. ### Can you visit Château d’Époisses? Yes, Château d’Époisses welcomes visitors. Opening days and times change with the seasons, so check its official website before you go. ### Can a private driver take us to Château d’Époisses? Yes. Your driver collects you in Beaune or at your hotel in an electric Polestar 2 (up to 4 guests), waits while you visit and plans the rest of the day with you. The driver speaks English, French, Mandarin Chinese and Arabic. → [Private driver from Beaune](https://www.cote-privee.com/private-driver) ## Book - [Book a driver here](https://www.cote-privee.com/book?service=driver&place=chateau:epoisses): €260 one way from Beaune · up to 4 guests ## Sources - - - - --- Canonical page: