--- title: "Château de Germolles: Visit, Opening Times & History" description: "Margaret of Flanders' country palace from about 1380, with late 14th-century wall paintings. Tours often led by the owners, by private driver from Beaune." url: https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-de-germolles lang: en updated: 2026-10-03 generated: 2026-10-08 image: https://www.cote-privee.com/og/chateaux/chateau-de-germolles.png --- # Château de Germolles > Château de Germolles: the best-preserved residence of the Valois dukes of Burgundy, a country palace made for a duchess. Château de Germolles is in Mellecey (Saône-et-Loire), 33 min by road (32 km) from Beaune. Guided tours only: 15 March to 11 October, tour times vary with the season · Guided tour: Adults €10, reduced €5 · 14th century · Private driver from Beaune: €120 one way for the whole car, up to 4 guests. Germolles stands in quiet countryside just west of Chalon-sur-Saône. Around 1380 Duke Philip the Bold gave this old fortified farm to his wife, Margaret of Flanders, who turned it into a refined country palace. Today it is the best-preserved residence of the dukes of Burgundy, and its owners still guide visitors themselves. ## Key facts - Type: Medieval fortress - Location: 25 km south of Beaune · Côte Chalonnaise - Coordinates: 46.8055, 4.7517 - 33 min from Beaune - Open to visitors, 15 March to 11 October - 14th century - Commune: Mellecey · Saône-et-Loire - Style: Medieval ducal residence - Heritage: Listed historic monument - Official website: [chateaudegermolles.fr](https://www.chateaudegermolles.fr) - From Beaune: ≈ 33 min · 32 km - €360 for a [half-day wine tour](https://www.cote-privee.com/wine-tours/half-day) plus one hour, from Beaune, up to 4 guests ## Getting there - [Private driver from Beaune](https://www.cote-privee.com/private-driver): 33 min by road (32 km), €120 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 Lords who took their name from Germolles held the site from the 13th century. Their fortified house, whose vaulted cellar and low chapel still survive, stood at the centre of a growing estate. The last of the line fell into debt, and around 1380 Philip the Bold, first Valois duke of Burgundy, took the property. He gave it almost at once to his wife, Margaret of Flanders. Margaret made Germolles her favourite country home and called in the artists of the ducal court. The master mason Drouet de Dammartin reshaped the buildings, while the sculptors Jean de Marville and Claus Sluter and the painter Jean de Beaumetz worked on the decoration. The duchess also ran the estate as a model farm, with a large rose garden and a sheepfold. King Charles VI stayed here in February 1389. After the death of Charles the Bold in 1477 the estate passed to the French crown, which pledged it to a series of families. It was sold as national property during the Revolution, and parts of the building were lost through neglect and fire. Bought at the end of the 19th century, Germolles has remained in the same family ever since and has welcomed visitors since 1970. ## Architecture Germolles shows how a 13th-century stronghold became a palace. The vaulted cellar and the low chapel mix late Romanesque and early Gothic carving. A wide spiral staircase greets visitors, and the main lodging keeps tall windows, Gothic fireplaces and rare wall paintings from the end of the 14th century. In one small room the initials P and M, for Philip and Margaret, still run across the walls among painted thistles. ## Opening hours and tickets - Guided tours only: - 15 March to 30 April: Tuesday to Sunday, tours start between 14:00 and 17:00 - 6 April: tours start between 14:00 and 17:00 - 1 May to 30 June: Tuesday to Sunday, tours start between 10:00 and 11:00 and between 14:00 and 17:00 - 1 July to 31 August: every day, tours start between 10:00 and 11:00 and between 14:00 and 18:00 - 1 September to 11 October: Tuesday to Sunday, tours start between 10:00 and 11:00 and between 14:00 and 17:00 - Guided tour: Adults €10, reduced €5 Guided tours of about an hour and a quarter start on the hour, and the park is visited on your own. Checked on 1 October 2026 on [the official site](https://www.chateaudegermolles.fr/visite-du-chateau.php). ## Visiting Visits of the château are guided, often by the owners, and last about an hour and a quarter. Tours are offered in French and English, and the park can be explored on your own afterwards. The main season runs from spring to mid-autumn, with visits by appointment in winter. Photography is not allowed inside the main lodging. ## Did you know? Margaret of Flanders planted a large rose garden at Germolles. Its petals were sent to Flanders to be distilled into rose water, which also brought the estate some income. ## Around Château de Germolles What to combine with Château de Germolles on the same day, nearest first. ### Villages - [Givry](https://www.cote-privee.com/villages/givry) (3 km away): A small wine town of 18th-century monuments, whose red wine is linked by legend to Henri IV. - [Mercurey](https://www.cote-privee.com/villages/mercurey) (4 km away): The largest vineyard of the Côte Chalonnaise, known above all for its reds. - [Rully](https://www.cote-privee.com/villages/rully) (8 km away): Crisp whites, supple reds and a cradle of Burgundy's sparkling wine, below a medieval château. ### Châteaux - [Château de Chamirey](https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-de-chamirey) (3 km away): An elegant 18th-century wine château in Mercurey, at the heart of a 37-hectare family estate. - [Château de Montaigu](https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-de-montaigu) (4 km away): The ruined hilltop stronghold of the lords of Montaigu, above the vineyards of Mercurey. - [Château de Taisey](https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-de-taisey) (6 km away): A graceful house of the 1680s beside an old square tower, on a terrace above the Saône. ### Things to do - [Southern Burgundy Greenway (Voie Verte de Bourgogne du Sud)](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/voie-verte-givry-cluny), 3 km away: A car-free cycle path on an old railway line, running from the Givry vineyards to Cluny. - [Antonin Rodet](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/antonin-rodet-mercurey) (4 km away): A Mercurey wine house founded in 1875, with a tasting cellar in the stables of a 17th-century mansion. - [Maison André Delorme](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/maison-andre-delorme-rully) (8 km away): A Rully house founded in 1942 that helped create Crémant de Bourgogne, with vaulted cellars cut into the rock. ### Restaurants - [Cédric Burtin](https://www.cote-privee.com/restaurants/cedric-burtin-saint-remy) (8 km away · 2 MICHELIN stars): Two stars in a converted mill on the southern edge of Chalon-sur-Saône. - [Maison Lameloise](https://www.cote-privee.com/restaurants/maison-lameloise-chagny) (11 km away · 3 MICHELIN stars): Burgundy's only three-star table, in a former coaching inn twenty minutes south of Beaune. - [Ed.Em](https://www.cote-privee.com/restaurants/ed-em-chassagne-montrachet) (15 km away · 1 MICHELIN star): A starred couple's table in the heart of Montrachet country, with 600 wines to match ### Events - **Saturday, 20 March 2027 (Confirmed by the organiser)** · [Marathon des Vins de la Côte Chalonnaise](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/marathon-des-vins-de-la-cote-chalonnaise): A costumed marathon through the Côte Chalonnaise vineyards, with wine and local food at the refreshment stops. (Sport · Givry) - **A weekend in early April, Friday evening to Sunday; the 2026 market ran from 3 to 5 April.** · [Marché aux Vins de Givry](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/marche-aux-vins-de-givry): Givry's winegrowers pour the new releases under the town's round market hall each spring. (Wine festival · Givry) - **A three-day weekend in early September; the 2026 fête ran from 4 to 6 September.** · [Fête de la Vigne de Givry](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/fete-de-la-vigne-givry): Givry's traditional village fête on the eve of the harvest, with music, a flea market and local wine. (Tradition · Givry) ## Questions about Château de Germolles ### How far is Château de Germolles from Beaune? Château de Germolles is about 33 min from Beaune by road (32 km). With a private driver, the trip from Beaune starts at €120 for the whole car, up to 4 guests. ### Can you visit Château de Germolles? Yes, Château de Germolles 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 Germolles? 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. → [Half-day wine tour plus one hour, €360](https://www.cote-privee.com/wine-tours/half-day) ## Book - [Book a driver here](https://www.cote-privee.com/book?service=wine-tour&option=half&place=chateau:germolles): Half-day wine tour plus one hour from Beaune: €360 for the car, up to 4 guests ## Sources - - - - - --- Canonical page: