--- title: "Château de Brancion: Visit, Opening Times & History" description: "Feudal fortress built over five centuries, its tall keep above a car-free village. Open daily April to mid-November, by private driver." url: https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-de-brancion lang: en updated: 2026-10-01 generated: 2026-10-08 image: https://www.cote-privee.com/og/chateaux/chateau-de-brancion.png --- # Château de Brancion > Château de Brancion: a feudal fortress and car-free medieval village on a rocky spur between Tournus and Cluny. Château de Brancion is in Martailly-lès-Brancion (Saône-et-Loire), 57 min by road (69 km) from Beaune. Opening hours: 1 April to 15 November: every day, 10:00 to 12:30 and 13:15 to 18:30 · Admission: Adults €8 · 10th to 14th century · Private driver from Beaune: €200 one way for the whole car, up to 4 guests. Brancion rises on a rocky spur along the Romanesque road between Tournus and Cluny. A fortified gate leads into a car-free village with a 16th-century market hall, a Romanesque church and the ruins of a castle built over five centuries. From the top of the keep the view opens in every direction. ## Key facts - Type: Medieval fortress - Location: 55 km south of Beaune · Mâconnais - Coordinates: 46.5471, 4.7977 - 57 min from Beaune - Open to visitors, 1 April to 15 November - 10th to 14th century - Commune: Martailly-lès-Brancion · Saône-et-Loire - Style: Medieval fortress - Heritage: Listed historic monument - Official website: [chateau-de-brancion.fr](https://www.chateau-de-brancion.fr) - From Beaune: ≈ 57 min · 69 km - €200 one way from Beaune with a [private driver](https://www.cote-privee.com/private-driver) - Or add it to our [full-day wine tour plus two hours, €700](https://www.cote-privee.com/wine-tours/full-day). ## Getting there - [Private driver from Beaune](https://www.cote-privee.com/private-driver): 57 min by road (69 km), €200 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 The castle is first mentioned in the mid-10th century. Two centuries later it belonged to the Gros family, who united the lordships of Uxelles and Brancion and often clashed with the monks of Cluny. In 1250 Josserand de Brancion, a companion of Saint Louis, died at the battle of Mansourah on crusade. His ruined heirs sold their lands, and Duke Hugh IV of Burgundy completed the purchase in 1259. Brancion then became the seat of a ducal castellany with a permanent garrison. Between the late 13th and the 15th century the dukes carried out major works, notably the Beaujeu lodging with its fine windows. After 1477 it became a royal castellany. During the Wars of Religion it held out for the Catholic League, and in 1594 it fell for the first time in its history, to troops of Henri IV. Decline followed until 1860, when Count Victor de Murard de Saint-Romain bought the ruins and began to raise them. His descendants restored the gardens, walls and roofs in the 20th century. Since 2005 the association La Mémoire Médiévale, under a long lease from the owner, has run the restoration work, opened the castle to visitors and organised events on the site. ## Architecture Brancion shows how castle building evolved from the Carolingian era to the Wars of Religion. You can explore the ruins of a great hall from around the year 1000, one of the rare known examples in France, the lordly castle of the 12th and 13th centuries with its towers, and a tall square keep with a panoramic view from the top. The 14th-century ducal Beaujeu lodging keeps elegant lobed windows and monumental fireplaces. ## Opening hours and tickets - Opening hours: 1 April to 15 November: every day, 10:00 to 12:30 and 13:15 to 18:30 - Last entry: 18:00 - Admission: Adults €8 Checked on 1 October 2026 on [tournus-tourisme.com](https://www.tournus-tourisme.com/nos-essentiels/patrimoine-et-jardin-roman/site-medieval-et-chateau-de-brancion/). ## Visiting The castle is open daily from April to mid-November. Visits are self-guided with an audio guide, and families can follow a treasure trail and borrow costumes. Allow time for the church, the market hall and the village lanes. Seasonal events include Easter, a medieval festival in July and Halloween. ## Did you know? The church of Saint-Pierre beside the castle holds the tomb effigy of Josserand de Brancion, who followed Saint Louis on crusade and died at Mansourah in 1250. ## Around Château de Brancion What to combine with Château de Brancion on the same day, nearest first. ### Villages - [Viré-Clessé](https://www.cote-privee.com/villages/vire-clesse) (11 km away): Two neighbouring villages of the Haut-Mâconnais, joined in one appellation for generous Chardonnay. - [Montagny](https://www.cote-privee.com/villages/montagny) (20 km away): A white-only appellation of hillside vineyards around Buxy, with a wealth of premiers crus. - [Givry](https://www.cote-privee.com/villages/givry) (26 km away): A small wine town of 18th-century monuments, whose red wine is linked by legend to Henri IV. ### Châteaux - [Château de Nobles](https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-de-nobles) (1 km away): A manor below Brancion with round towers, cannon ports and a richly carved Renaissance doorway. - [Château de Messey](https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-de-messey) (3 km away): A fortified house near Tournus, reborn as an organic wine estate with rooms and winegrowers' cottages. - [Château de Balleure](https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-de-balleure) (3 km away): Birthplace of the Renaissance historian Pierre de Saint-Julien de Balleure, now a luxury guest house. ### Things to do - [Saint-Martin Church, Chapaize (Église Saint-Martin de Chapaize)](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/eglise-saint-martin-chapaize), 5 km away: An early Romanesque priory church whose tall Lombard bell tower rises over the countryside west of Tournus. - [Mont Saint-Romain](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/mont-saint-romain) (7 km away): A summit of almost 580 metres in the Mâconnais hills, with a rooftop viewing table facing the Alps. - [Cave de Lugny](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/cave-de-lugny) (7 km away): A 1927 cooperative, the leading producer of Mâcon-Villages, with a shop below the Charmes vineyard. ### Restaurants - [L’Écrin de Yohann Chapuis](https://www.cote-privee.com/restaurants/l-ecrin-de-yohann-chapuis-tournus) (9 km away · 1 MICHELIN star): An intimate starred dining room in Tournus, from the chef who helped Lameloise win back its third star. - [Aux Terrasses](https://www.cote-privee.com/restaurants/aux-terrasses-tournus) (9 km away · 1 MICHELIN star): A starred family house in Tournus, now in its second generation. - [La Marande](https://www.cote-privee.com/restaurants/la-marande-montbellet) (11 km away · 1 MICHELIN star): A family-run country house in the northern Mâconnais, starred since 2014. ### Events - **A weekend in mid or late July; the 2025 weekend was held on 19 and 20 July.** · [Week-end médiéval de Brancion](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/week-end-medieval-de-brancion): Knights, archers and falconers bring the hilltop village of Brancion back to the Middle Ages for a weekend. (Tradition · Martailly-lès-Brancion) ## Questions about Château de Brancion ### How far is Château de Brancion from Beaune? Château de Brancion is about 57 min from Beaune by road (69 km). With a private driver, the trip from Beaune starts at €200 for the whole car, up to 4 guests. ### Can you visit Château de Brancion? Yes, Château de Brancion 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 Brancion? 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. → [Full-day wine tour plus two hours, €700](https://www.cote-privee.com/wine-tours/full-day) ## Book - [Book a driver here](https://www.cote-privee.com/book?service=driver&place=chateau:brancion): €200 one way from Beaune · up to 4 guests ## Sources - - - - - - --- Canonical page: