--- title: "Château de Bourbilly: Visit, Opening Times and History" description: "Home of Saint Jeanne de Chantal and the Marquise de Sévigné, with an 1869 park by Alphand. Guided tours mid-July to August, private driver from Beaune." url: https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-de-bourbilly lang: en updated: 2026-10-01 generated: 2026-10-08 image: https://www.cote-privee.com/og/chateaux/chateau-de-bourbilly.png --- # Château de Bourbilly > Château de Bourbilly: the Serein valley home of Saint Jeanne de Chantal and the Marquise de Sévigné, still lived in today. Château de Bourbilly is in Vic-de-Chassenay (Côte-d'Or), 1 h 07 by road (86 km) from Beaune. Guided tours only: 14 July to 30 August: Tuesday to Sunday, tours start between 13:30 and 18:30 · Guided tour: Adults €10 · 14th and 19th centuries · Private driver from Beaune: €235 one way for the whole car, up to 4 guests. Bourbilly lies in the valley of the Serein near Semur-en-Auxois, about an hour from Beaune. This castle, inhabited since the 14th century, is linked to two famous women: Saint Jeanne de Chantal and her granddaughter, the letter writer Madame de Sévigné. The same family has owned it since 1813 and opens it in summer. ## Key facts - Type: Medieval fortress - Location: 65 km north-west of Beaune · Côte-d'Or - Coordinates: 47.4553, 4.2350 - 1 h 07 from Beaune - Open to visitors, 14 July to 30 August - 14th and 19th centuries - Commune: Vic-de-Chassenay · Côte-d'Or - Style: Medieval castle restored in the Romantic style - Heritage: Registered historic monument - Official website: [bourbilly.fr](https://bourbilly.fr/) - From Beaune: ≈ 1 h 07 · 86 km - €235 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 07 by road (86 km), €235 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 A modest fortress stood here in the early 13th century. Between 1375 and 1379 Marguerite de Beaujeu had the castle rebuilt, including its chapel. In 1467 Jeanne de Montagu brought Bourbilly to her husband, Hugues de Rabutin, and the Rabutin family held it for generations. Jeanne de Chantal, who married into the Rabutin-Chantal family and was later venerated as a saint, lived here. Her son Celse-Bénigne de Rabutin-Chantal was born at Bourbilly. Celse-Bénigne was the father of the Marquise de Sévigné. She inherited Bourbilly, came here several times, and passed it to her daughter, Madame de Grignan. In 1813 the estate was bought by the family that still owns it. Between 1867 and 1871 Charles de Franqueville restored and redecorated the castle in the Romantic taste. The chapel, damaged by fire in 1952, was then rehabilitated with modern works of art. ## Architecture The medieval castle was restored and redecorated between 1867 and 1871 in the Romantic taste of the Second Empire. Inside, the library has Gothic-style woodwork and the salon holds a set of nine Venetian glass chandeliers. In the chapel, a series called Paradisus shows portraits of thirty owners of Bourbilly, painted by Edouard de Crépy. The park, crossed by the Serein, was designed by Alphand in 1869. ## Opening hours and tickets - Guided tours only: 14 July to 30 August: Tuesday to Sunday, tours start between 13:30 and 18:30 - Guided tour: Adults €10 Outside the summer opening, visits are by appointment only, and payment is by cash or cheque. Checked on 1 October 2026 on [the official site](https://bourbilly.fr/). ## Visiting From mid-July to the end of August the park opens in the afternoons, every day except Monday, with guided tours of the rooms and chapel. Outside that period visits are by appointment. Allow about an hour. Bourbilly combines well with Époisses and Semur-en-Auxois. Dogs are not allowed inside the grounds. ## Did you know? Bourbilly's park was designed in 1869 by Alphand, the engineer who worked with Baron Haussmann and created Paris parks such as the Buttes-Chaumont and Montsouris. ## Around Château de Bourbilly What to combine with Château de Bourbilly on the same day, nearest first. ### Châteaux - [Château de Bierre-lès-Semur](https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-de-bierre-les-semur) (6 km away): Once called the 'little Versailles of Burgundy', an 18th-century estate now slowly coming back to life. - [Château d’Époisses](https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-d-epoisses) (8 km away): A double-walled fortress in the cheese village of Époisses, home to the same family since 1661. - [Donjon de Semur-en-Auxois (Tour de l’Orle d’Or)](https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/donjon-de-semur-en-auxois), 8 km away: Four huge towers of the dukes of Burgundy's castle still guard the old town of Semur. ### Things to do - [Collégiale Notre-Dame de Semur-en-Auxois](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/collegiale-notre-dame-semur-en-auxois) (8 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) (8 km away): A fortified town on a pink granite spur, looped by the river Armançon and guarded by great towers. - [Pierre-qui-Vire Abbey (Abbaye Sainte-Marie de la Pierre-qui-Vire)](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/abbaye-de-la-pierre-qui-vire), 17 km away: A living Benedictine monastery deep in the Morvan forest, beside a legendary rocking stone. ## Questions about Château de Bourbilly ### How far is Château de Bourbilly from Beaune? Château de Bourbilly is about 1 h 07 from Beaune by road (86 km). With a private driver, the trip from Beaune starts at €235 for the whole car, up to 4 guests. ### Can you visit Château de Bourbilly? Yes, Château de Bourbilly 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 de Bourbilly? 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:bourbilly): €235 one way from Beaune · up to 4 guests ## Sources - - - --- Canonical page: