--- title: "Château de Bussy-Rabutin: Visit, Opening Times and History" description: "Exiled from Louis XIV's court, Roger de Bussy-Rabutin covered his rooms with portraits and mottoes. See them and the gardens, private driver from Beaune." url: https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-de-bussy-rabutin lang: en updated: 2026-10-01 generated: 2026-10-08 image: https://www.cote-privee.com/og/chateaux/chateau-de-bussy-rabutin.png --- # Château de Bussy-Rabutin > Château de Bussy-Rabutin: the home of a disgraced courtier in exile, painted wall to wall with portraits and mottoes. Château de Bussy-Rabutin is in Bussy-le-Grand (Côte-d'Or), 1 h 05 by road (83 km) from Beaune. Opening hours: 15 May to 14 September: every day, 9:15 to 13:00 and 14:00 to 18:00; 15 September to 14 May: every day, 9:15 to 12:00 and 14:00 to 17:00 · Admission: Adults €9 · 15th to 17th centuries · Private driver from Beaune: €230 one way for the whole car, up to 4 guests. Bussy-Rabutin stands in the countryside of the Auxois, about 75 minutes from Beaune. It is famous for its interiors, which Roger de Bussy-Rabutin covered with portraits and sharp mottoes during his long exile from court. Today the château is a national monument run by the Centre des monuments nationaux, with formal gardens and a large park. ## Key facts - Type: Renaissance château - Location: 65 km north of Beaune · Côte-d'Or - Coordinates: 47.5592, 4.5240 - 1 h 05 from Beaune - Open to visitors, all year - 15th to 17th centuries - Commune: Bussy-le-Grand · Côte-d'Or - Style: Renaissance and 17th-century château - Heritage: Listed historic monument - Official website: [chateau-bussy-rabutin.fr](https://www.chateau-bussy-rabutin.fr/) - From Beaune: ≈ 1 h 05 · 83 km - €230 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 05 by road (83 km), €230 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 medieval castle stood here first. It was transformed in the early 16th century, when Renaissance galleries were added, and again in the 17th century. Its most famous owner, Roger de Bussy-Rabutin, was born in 1618 and became one of the most colourful courtiers of Louis XIV. He was also a cousin of the letter writer Madame de Sévigné, and a gifted writer himself. Around 1660 Bussy wrote the Histoire amoureuse des Gaules, a mocking account of love affairs at court. When it was printed without his consent in 1665, the scandal sent him to the Bastille. The king then exiled him to his Burgundy estate, where he spent about seventeen years. He passed the time decorating his rooms with portraits and allegories. The State bought the château in 1929, and it has been a listed monument since 1862. ## Architecture Bussy grew out of a medieval castle, and Renaissance galleries were added in the 1520s. The real treasure is the 17th-century decoration inside. The Salle des Devises is painted with Latin mottoes and views of royal châteaux, and the Cabinet de la Tour Dorée has a richly painted and gilded ceiling. Other rooms are lined with portraits of the kings of France, great military commanders and ladies of the court. ## Opening hours and tickets - Opening hours: - 15 May to 14 September: every day, 9:15 to 13:00 and 14:00 to 18:00 - 15 September to 14 May: every day, 9:15 to 12:00 and 14:00 to 17:00 - Closed: 1 January, 1 May, 1 November, 11 November and 25 December - Admission: Adults €9 Last entry is one hour before closing, and guided tours in French start at set times from April to September and in the school holidays. Checked on 1 October 2026 on [the official site](https://www.chateau-bussy-rabutin.fr/visiter/informations-pratiques). ## Visiting Visitors tour the painted rooms, then walk in the formal gardens, traditionally attributed to André Le Nôtre and labelled Jardin remarquable, and in the wooded park. Temporary exhibitions are held in some years. Allow 1.5 to 2 hours. Bussy combines well with Flavigny-sur-Ozerain or Alise-Sainte-Reine. ## Did you know? More than 300 paintings cover the walls of Bussy-Rabutin, from the kings of France to the ladies of Louis XIV's court. Beneath many portraits, Roger de Bussy-Rabutin added short and often biting captions. ## Around Château de Bussy-Rabutin What to combine with Château de Bussy-Rabutin on the same day, nearest first. ### Châteaux - [Château de Frôlois](https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-de-frolois) (9 km away): A stern medieval castle on a rocky spur, with warm period rooms that open in summer. - [Château de Lantilly](https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-de-lantilly) (11 km away): The 'château of a hundred windows', with 18th-century interiors and a celebrated flowering kitchen garden. - [Château de Marigny-le-Cahouët](https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-de-marigny-le-cahouet) (12 km away): A moated castle of the plain, with towers, a drawbridge and a Gothic Revival gate. ### Things to do - [MuséoParc Alésia](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/museoparc-alesia) (5 km away): The battlefield where Caesar defeated Vercingetorix, with a modern museum, Roman siege works and a Gallo-Roman town. - [Flavigny-sur-Ozerain](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/flavigny-sur-ozerain) (5 km away): A walled hilltop village of stone lanes, medieval gates and aniseed sweets, facing the Alésia battlefield. - [Église Saint-Genest de Flavigny-sur-Ozerain](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/eglise-saint-genest-flavigny) (5 km away): A village church with galleries on two levels, a carved Gothic tribune and a hundred statues, now under restoration inside. ## Questions about Château de Bussy-Rabutin ### How far is Château de Bussy-Rabutin from Beaune? Château de Bussy-Rabutin is about 1 h 05 from Beaune by road (83 km). With a private driver, the trip from Beaune starts at €230 for the whole car, up to 4 guests. ### Can you visit Château de Bussy-Rabutin? Yes, Château de Bussy-Rabutin 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 Bussy-Rabutin? 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:bussyrabutin): €230 one way from Beaune · up to 4 guests ## Sources - - - - --- Canonical page: