--- title: "Château de Maulnes: Visit, Opening Times and History" description: "A five-sided Renaissance château built from 1566 around a spring-fed well and spiral stair. Tour it with a private driver from Beaune, about 1 h 45 away." url: https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-de-maulnes lang: en updated: 2026-10-01 generated: 2026-10-08 image: https://www.cote-privee.com/og/chateaux/chateau-de-maulnes.png --- # Château de Maulnes > Château de Maulnes: a pentagonal Renaissance château built around a spiral staircase and a well fed by springs. Château de Maulnes is in Cruzy-le-Châtel (Yonne), 1 h 36 by road (139 km) from Beaune. Opening hours: 4 April to 11 November, hours vary with the season · Admission: Adults €9, reduced €7 · 16th century · Private driver from Beaune: €355 one way for the whole car, up to 4 guests. Maulnes stands in quiet countryside where the Yonne, the Aube and the Côte-d'Or meet, about 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours from Beaune. Built in the 1560s, it has five sides, a central well and a staircase that spirals around it. Rescued from ruin by the Département de l'Yonne, it now welcomes visitors. ## Key facts - Type: Renaissance château - Location: 110 km north-west of Beaune · Yonne - Coordinates: 47.8903, 4.2147 - 1 h 36 from Beaune - Open to visitors, 4 April to 11 November - 16th century - Commune: Cruzy-le-Châtel · Yonne - Style: Renaissance - Heritage: Listed historic monument - Official website: [maulnes.com](https://www.maulnes.com/) - From Beaune: ≈ 1 h 36 · 139 km - €355 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 36 by road (139 km), €355 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 Maulnes was built between 1566 and about 1573 for Antoine de Crussol, Duke of Uzès, and his wife Louise de Clermont. The work was carried out by the master mason Jean Verdot, while Jean Cosquino ran the building site as governor of the château. According to its managers, its unusual design is full of symbols. The duke died in 1573 and work stopped. Maulnes stayed with Louise and then passed to her Clermont heirs, the family of nearby Ancy-le-Franc. In 1697 Maulnes passed to the Louvois family, who kept it until 1834. After that it belonged to a series of private owners and slowly fell into decay. The château had been classified as a historic monument in 1942. In 1997 the Département de l'Yonne acquired it and began a long restoration. The site opened to visitors in 2005, and a major restoration campaign has recently been completed. ## Architecture The plan is a regular pentagon with sides of about 17 metres. At its centre, a hollow cylinder forms a well, and a great spiral staircase turns around it, linking all the floors. Three springs feed the well and a nymphaeum, a water room that connects the inside of the château with the gardens. The layout of rooms and passages is intricate, almost like a maze. ## Opening hours and tickets - Opening hours: - 4 April to 3 May: every day, 10:00 to 18:00 - 4 May to 3 July: Wednesday to Friday, 14:00 to 18:00; Saturday and Sunday, 10:00 to 18:00 - 4 July to 30 August: every day, 10:00 to 19:00 - 31 August to 29 September: Wednesday to Friday, 14:00 to 18:00; Saturday and Sunday, 10:00 to 18:00 - 1 to 18 October: Saturday and Sunday, 10:00 to 18:00 - 19 October to 1 November: every day, 10:00 to 18:00 - 2 to 11 November: Monday to Friday, 14:00 to 18:00; Saturday and Sunday, 10:00 to 18:00 - Admission: Adults €9, reduced €7 Last entry is one hour before closing, and on public holidays the château opens from 10:00. Checked on 1 October 2026 on [the official site](https://www.maulnes.com/horaires). ## Visiting Visitors can explore on their own, join a commented tour or follow a game trail designed for families. Temporary exhibitions are held in some years. Allow 1 to 1.5 hours. Maulnes is remote, so combine it with Tanlay or Ancy-le-Franc on the same day. ## Did you know? Its managers describe Maulnes as the only pentagonal château of the French Renaissance. Water from three springs runs through its heart, feeding the central well. ## Around Château de Maulnes What to combine with Château de Maulnes on the same day, nearest first. ### Châteaux - [Château de Tanlay](https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-de-tanlay) (10 km away): A moated Renaissance château of the Coligny family, with a trompe-l'œil gallery and a long canal. - [Château d’Ancy-le-Franc](https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-d-ancy-le-franc) (14 km away): An Italian Renaissance palace in northern Burgundy, designed by Serlio and lined with painted rooms. - [Château de Nuits](https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-de-nuits) (17 km away): An elegant but fortified Renaissance château, built on the old border between Burgundy and Champagne. ### Things to do - [Hôtel-Dieu de Tonnerre](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/hotel-dieu-de-tonnerre) (18 km away): Said to be the longest medieval hospital in Europe, founded in 1293 by a queen of Sicily. - [Fosse Dionne](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/fosse-dionne-tonnerre) (19 km away): A deep karst spring and 18th-century wash house at the heart of Tonnerre. - [Vignoble Dampt Frères](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/vignoble-dampt-freres-collan) (26 km away): Two brothers' estate in Collan spanning three valleys, from Chablis grands crus to the revived wines of Tonnerre and Épineuil. ## Questions about Château de Maulnes ### How far is Château de Maulnes from Beaune? Château de Maulnes is about 1 h 36 from Beaune by road (139 km). With a private driver, the trip from Beaune starts at €355 for the whole car, up to 4 guests. ### Can you visit Château de Maulnes? Yes, Château de Maulnes 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 Maulnes? 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:maulnes): €355 one way from Beaune · up to 4 guests ## Sources - - - --- Canonical page: