--- title: "Château de Lux: History of Henri IV’s Rallying Point" description: "Henri IV gathered his troops here on 5 June 1595 before the battle of Fontaine-Française. Seen from outside only, private driver from Beaune." url: https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-de-lux lang: en updated: 2026-09-29 generated: 2026-10-08 image: https://www.cote-privee.com/og/chateaux/chateau-de-lux.png --- # Château de Lux > Château de Lux: the château where Henri IV gathered his troops before the battle of Fontaine-Française. Château de Lux is in Lux (Côte-d'Or), 1 h 02 by road (77 km) from Beaune. Private, seen from outside · 13th, 16th and 18th centuries · Private driver from Beaune: €215 one way for the whole car, up to 4 guests. Near the river Tille, north-east of Dijon, the Château de Lux is an old fortress reshaped many times. Its long 16th-century main building, towers and chapel stand in a park with remains of the 13th-century castle. On the morning of 5 June 1595, Henri IV gathered his troops here before the battle of Fontaine-Française. ## Key facts - Type: Renaissance château - Location: 60 km north-east of Beaune · Côte-d'Or - Coordinates: 47.4921, 5.2118 - 1 h 02 from Beaune - Private, seen from outside - 13th, 16th and 18th centuries - Commune: Lux · Côte-d'Or - Style: Renaissance château on medieval foundations - Heritage: Registered historic monument - From Beaune: ≈ 1 h 02 · 77 km - €215 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 02 by road (77 km), €215 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 first castle probably dates from the late 12th century, after Duke Hugh III gave the fief of Lux to Guy de Til-Châtel in 1184 on condition that he fortify it. From the late 15th to the early 17th century it belonged to the Mâlain family. Edme de Mâlain, baron of Lux, fought beside Henri IV at Fontaine-Française, where he was thrown from his horse during the first charge. Henri IV chose Lux as the meeting point for his troops on 5 June 1595, before marching to Fontaine-Française. Edme de Mâlain rose to high office but was killed in a duel in 1613. The Prince of Condé owned Lux from 1646 to 1668. In 1683 it came to Charles de Saulx-Tavannes through his marriage, and his descendants kept it until its sale in 1979. ## Architecture The château is mainly a long building of local stone, framed on one side by two small square pavilions and on the other by two towers of unequal size. The door on the park side has fluted pilasters and a sculpted cartouche. Traces of wall paintings survive inside, and work of 1729 to 1731 is recorded. In the park stand two detached towers, a chapel and 13th-century remains. ## Visiting The château is privately owned and not regularly open to visitors, although it has opened for European Heritage Days in some years. Lux lies about 23 km north-east of Dijon, on the way to Fontaine-Française, and it is a natural stop on a day exploring the country where Henri IV fought in 1595. ## Did you know? In January 1613 Edme de Mâlain was killed in a duel with the Chevalier de Guise, and weeks later his only son, aged 20, was killed challenging the same man to avenge him. ## Around Château de Lux What to combine with Château de Lux on the same day, nearest first. ### Villages - [Dijon](https://www.cote-privee.com/villages/dijon) (23 km away): Burgundy's historic capital, city of the Valois dukes and northern gateway to the Route des Grands Crus. - [Marsannay-la-Côte](https://www.cote-privee.com/villages/marsannay-la-cote) (30 km away): Gateway to the Côte de Nuits and Burgundy's only village appellation making red, white and rosé. ### Châteaux - [Château de Beaumont-sur-Vingeanne](https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-de-beaumont-sur-vingeanne) (12 km away): A small 18th-century folly with a clever split-level plan, set in gardens by the Vingeanne. - [Château de Fontaine-Française](https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-de-fontaine-francaise) (12 km away): A classical château near the battlefield where Henri IV won a famous victory in 1595. - [Château d’Arcelot](https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-d-arcelot) (14 km away): Burgundy's first neoclassical château, with a coloured stucco salon and a landscape park. ### Things to do - [Maison Lejay Lagoute](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/lejay-lagoute) (20 km away): The Dijon house behind the original crème de cassis, first perfected in the city in 1841. - [Monument à Sadi Carnot](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/monument-sadi-carnot-dijon) (22 km away): A marble and bronze memorial of 1899 to the assassinated President Sadi Carnot, rising from the fountains of Place de la République. - [Hôtel de Vogüé](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/hotel-de-vogue) (23 km away): An early 17th-century magistrate's mansion with a glazed tile roof, just behind Notre-Dame. ### Events - **Saturday, 17 October 2026 (Confirmed by the organiser)** · [Fête de la Truffe et des Papilles](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/fete-de-la-truffe-et-des-papilles-is-sur-tille): A Saturday in honour of the Burgundy truffle and Burgundian cooking, just north of Dijon. (Food & markets · Is-sur-Tille) ## Questions about Château de Lux ### How far is Château de Lux from Beaune? Château de Lux is about 1 h 02 from Beaune by road (77 km). With a private driver, the trip from Beaune starts at €215 for the whole car, up to 4 guests. ### Can you visit Château de Lux? Château de Lux 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 Lux? 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:lux): €215 one way from Beaune · up to 4 guests ## Sources - --- Canonical page: