--- title: "Château de La Rochepot: History and Why It Is Closed" description: "Bought by Régnier Pot in 1403, rebuilt by the Carnot family from 1897 to 1927 under glazed tiles. Closed since 2018, seen by private driver." url: https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-de-la-rochepot lang: en updated: 2026-09-29 generated: 2026-10-08 image: https://www.cote-privee.com/og/chateaux/chateau-de-la-rochepot.png --- # Château de La Rochepot > Château de La Rochepot: the Pot family's medieval fortress, rebuilt with glazed tile roofs by the Carnot family. Château de La Rochepot is in La Rochepot (Côte-d'Or), 22 min by road (18 km) from Beaune. Private, seen from outside · 12th to 15th centuries, rebuilt 1897 to 1927 · Private driver from Beaune: €85 one way for the whole car, up to 4 guests. La Rochepot's castle rises on a rocky spur above the village, its glazed tile roofs visible from far away. It takes its name from the Pot family, powerful servants of the Dukes of Burgundy. What you see today is largely a careful rebuilding of 1897 to 1927, and the castle has been closed to visitors since 2018. ## Key facts - Type: Medieval fortress - Location: 14 km south-west of Beaune · Côte de Beaune - Coordinates: 46.9591, 4.6814 - 22 min from Beaune - Private, seen from outside - 12th to 15th centuries, rebuilt 1897 to 1927 - Commune: La Rochepot · Côte-d'Or - Style: Medieval fortress restored in Gothic Revival style - Heritage: Listed historic monument - From Beaune: ≈ 22 min · 18 km - €290 for a [half-day wine tour](https://www.cote-privee.com/wine-tours/half-day) from Beaune, up to 4 guests ## Getting there - [Private driver from Beaune](https://www.cote-privee.com/private-driver): 22 min by road (18 km), €85 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 castle stood here by the 12th century, then known as La Roche-Nolay after the nearby town of Nolay. In 1403 Régnier Pot, chamberlain to King Charles VI and councillor of the Duke of Burgundy, bought it, and the place took his family's name. The Pots held it through the 15th century. In 1644 the Cardinal de Retz sold it to Pierre Legoux de la Berchère, a leading Burgundian magistrate. During the Revolution the castle was seized as national property. In 1799 it was sold and largely demolished. In 1893 Cécile Carnot, wife of President Sadi Carnot, bought the ruins and gave them to her eldest son at New Year 1894. With the architect Charles Suisse, he rebuilt the castle in the spirit of the 15th century. Work began in 1897, paused during the First World War and ended in 1927. The castle was classified as a historic monument in 2014, together with its outbuildings, park and the ruins of the older castle. It changed hands in 2015, when the Carnot descendants sold it to foreign investors. The new owner soon ran into legal trouble, and the castle closed to the public in 2018. In 2026 the courts confirmed its confiscation by the French State, which is expected to sell it. ## Architecture The castle has a triangular plan, with two round towers and a square tower at its corners, and is entered over drawbridges. Its roofs of glazed Burgundy tiles follow local medieval models, and Charles Suisse borrowed details from Châteauneuf-en-Auxois, another Pot family castle. Inside, he designed Gothic Revival rooms down to the floor tiles, and a chapel decorated with paintings by Charles Lameire. ## Visiting The castle has been closed since 2018 and is waiting for a new owner. You can still view and photograph it from outside, from the village and the lanes around it. Allow 20 to 30 minutes for a short walk. Its future is uncertain, so check with the Beaune or Nolay tourist office before you go. ## Did you know? The castle well had been filled in since the Revolution. In 1902 the Carnots brought in miners from Montceau-les-Mines to clear it out again. ## Around Château de La Rochepot What to combine with Château de La Rochepot on the same day, nearest first. ### Villages - [Saint-Aubin](https://www.cote-privee.com/villages/saint-aubin) (2 km away): A valley village just over the hill from Montrachet, where most vineyards are classified premier cru. - [Chassagne-Montrachet](https://www.cote-privee.com/villages/chassagne-montrachet) (4 km away): Montrachet's southern neighbour, a village of great whites, serious reds and pale stone quarries. - [Blagny](https://www.cote-privee.com/villages/blagny) (5 km away): A tiny hilltop hamlet between Meursault and Puligny, with a rare red appellation and celebrated white premiers crus. ### Châteaux - [Château de Gamay](https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-de-gamay) (3 km away): A medieval fortified house in the hamlet that gave its name to the Gamay grape. - [Château de Melin](https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-de-melin) (3 km away): A Renaissance manor in a wooded park, now an organic wine estate with guest rooms. - [Château de la Maltroye](https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-de-la-maltroye) (4 km away): An 18th-century family wine house at the top of Chassagne, with a diamond-patterned tile roof. ### Things to do - [Nolay and Its Medieval Market Hall (Nolay et ses halles médiévales)](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/nolay-medieval-market-hall), 4 km away: A small medieval market town with a 14th-century hall roofed in heavy Burgundy stone slabs. - [Cirque du Bout du Monde](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/cirque-du-bout-du-monde) (4 km away): A limestone amphitheatre near Nolay, with sheer cliffs, a spring-fed waterfall and falcons overhead. - [Mont de Sène (Hill of the Three Crosses), Mont de Sène (Montagne des Trois Croix)](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/mont-de-sene-trois-croix), 4 km away: A 521-metre summit crowned by three crosses, looking over the vineyards of Santenay and the Maranges. ### Restaurants - [Ed.Em](https://www.cote-privee.com/restaurants/ed-em-chassagne-montrachet) (4 km away · 1 MICHELIN star): A starred couple's table in the heart of Montrachet country, with 600 wines to match - [Maison Lameloise](https://www.cote-privee.com/restaurants/maison-lameloise-chagny) (8 km away · 3 MICHELIN stars): Burgundy's only three-star table, in a former coaching inn twenty minutes south of Beaune. - [Auprès du Clocher](https://www.cote-privee.com/restaurants/aupres-du-clocher-pommard) (10 km away · 1 MICHELIN star): Pommard's newly starred table, where the butcher's son cooks beside the church ### Guides about Château de La Rochepot - [Wine tour itineraries from Beaune](https://www.cote-privee.com/guides/burgundy-wine-tour-itineraries) ## Questions about Château de La Rochepot ### How far is Château de La Rochepot from Beaune? Château de La Rochepot is about 22 min from Beaune by road (18 km). With a private driver, the trip from Beaune starts at €85 for the whole car, up to 4 guests. ### Can you visit Château de La Rochepot? Château de La Rochepot is private and not open to visitors. You can see it from the road or the village, and your driver can stop there on the way. ### Can a private driver take us to Château de La Rochepot? 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, €290](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:rochepot): Half-day wine tour from Beaune: €290 for the car, up to 4 guests ## Sources - - - - --- Canonical page: