--- title: "Château de Molinot: History of a Lost Medieval Castle" description: "Only a 14th-century corner tower survives, turned into a dovecote beside a pond and classified in 1994. Private, seen from the village by private driver." url: https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-de-molinot lang: en updated: 2026-09-29 generated: 2026-10-08 image: https://www.cote-privee.com/og/chateaux/chateau-de-molinot.png --- # Château de Molinot > Château de Molinot: the last tower of a vanished medieval castle, turned into a dovecote beside a pond. Château de Molinot is in Molinot (Côte-d'Or), 28 min by road (25 km) from Beaune. Private, seen from outside · 14th century, altered in the 17th and 18th · Private driver from Beaune: €100 one way for the whole car, up to 4 guests. Only fragments remain of the great castle of Molinot, in the hills west of Nolay. A 14th-century corner tower, later turned into a dovecote, still rises beside a pond at the edge of a wide platform. The tower is a classified historic monument, and the site is private. ## Key facts - Type: Medieval fortress - Location: 19 km west of Beaune · Côte-d'Or - Coordinates: 47.0113, 4.5838 - 28 min from Beaune - Private, seen from outside - 14th century, altered in the 17th and 18th - Commune: Molinot · Côte-d'Or - Style: Remains of a medieval castle - Heritage: Listed historic monument - From Beaune: ≈ 28 min · 25 km - €560 for a [full-day wine tour](https://www.cote-privee.com/wine-tours/full-day) from Beaune, up to 4 guests ## Getting there - [Private driver from Beaune](https://www.cote-privee.com/private-driver): 28 min by road (25 km), €100 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 Molinot had a fortified house by 1298. The castle was built in 1346 according to the historian Courtépée, and in 1348 Jean de Frolois, lord of Molinot, held it as a fief from the Duke of Burgundy. In the 16th century it belonged to the Aumont family. During the Wars of Religion, in 1591, its captain and some soldiers were seized in the courtyard and taken to Châteauneuf for ransom. An inventory of 1656 describes a castle with a drawbridge, three large towers, a great house and a pond. In the first half of the 17th century an outbuilding wing was built and the top of one tower was rebuilt as a dovecote. The castle was dismantled in the 18th century. Its remains were listed in 1990, and the tower-dovecote was classified in 1994. ## Architecture The castle stood on a platform of about 65 by 70 metres, on gently sloping ground. To the north, a long outbuilding ends in a round tower at the north-west corner, the last survivor of the castle. Its upper part was rebuilt as a dovecote. To the south, a retaining wall with a small turret holds up the slope, and a pond laps the foot of the tower. ## Visiting The site is private and cannot be visited. You can see the tower and the pond from the edge of the village, on a drive through the Hautes-Côtes between Nolay and Ivry-en-Montagne. Combine it with a visit to the Château de Corabœuf, a few kilometres away. ## Did you know? Jean de Frolois, lord of Molinot in 1348, was also the Marshal of Burgundy who built the castle of Savigny-lès-Beaune around 1340 for Duke Eudes IV. ## Around Château de Molinot What to combine with Château de Molinot on the same day, nearest first. ### Villages - [Saint-Romain](https://www.cote-privee.com/villages/saint-romain) (10 km away): A cliff-ringed village above the Côte de Beaune, known for crisp whites, fresh reds and wide views. - [Saint-Aubin](https://www.cote-privee.com/villages/saint-aubin) (12 km away): A valley village just over the hill from Montrachet, where most vineyards are classified premier cru. - [Maranges](https://www.cote-privee.com/villages/maranges) (12 km away): Three villages on the last slopes of the Côte de Beaune, sharing one appellation for bright, fruity reds. ### Châteaux - [Château de Corabœuf](https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-de-coraboeuf) (4 km away): A 15th-century keep, a Gothic Revival wing and an arboretum, open to visitors all year. - [Château d’Épinac](https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-d-epinac) (6 km away): Nicolas Rolin's castle above the Drée valley, which gave its name to the town of Épinac. - [Château de Sully](https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-de-sully) (8 km away): A moated Renaissance château where Marshal Mac-Mahon was born, still home to his family. ### Things to do - [Cirque du Bout du Monde](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/cirque-du-bout-du-monde) (6 km away): A limestone amphitheatre near Nolay, with sheer cliffs, a spring-fed waterfall and falcons overhead. - [Nolay and Its Medieval Market Hall (Nolay et ses halles médiévales)](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/nolay-medieval-market-hall), 8 km away: A small medieval market town with a 14th-century hall roofed in heavy Burgundy stone slabs. - [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), 12 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) (14 km away · 1 MICHELIN star): A starred couple's table in the heart of Montrachet country, with 600 wines to match ## Questions about Château de Molinot ### How far is Château de Molinot from Beaune? Château de Molinot is about 28 min from Beaune by road (25 km). With a private driver, the trip from Beaune starts at €100 for the whole car, up to 4 guests. ### Can you visit Château de Molinot? Château de Molinot 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 Molinot? 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. → [Full-day wine tour, €560](https://www.cote-privee.com/wine-tours/full-day) ## Book - [Book a driver here](https://www.cote-privee.com/book?service=wine-tour&option=full&place=chateau:molinot): Full-day wine tour from Beaune: €560 for the car, up to 4 guests ## Sources - - - --- Canonical page: