--- title: "Château de Montfort, Burgundy: Visit and Opening Times" description: "Ruined fortress near Montbard where the Holy Shroud now in Turin was kept in the 15th century. Guided visits July and August, private driver from Beaune." url: https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-de-montfort lang: en updated: 2026-10-01 generated: 2026-10-08 image: https://www.cote-privee.com/og/chateaux/chateau-de-montfort.png --- # Château de Montfort > Château de Montfort: a ruined 13th-century fortress on a rocky plateau, linked to the story of the Shroud of Turin. Château de Montfort is in Montigny-Montfort (Côte-d'Or), 1 h 12 by road (96 km) from Beaune. Guided tours only: 4 July and 8 August: tours start between 14:00 and 15:30; 19 and 20 September: Saturday and Sunday, tours start between 9:00 and 12:00 and between 13:00 and 17:00 · 12th to 17th centuries · Private driver from Beaune: €260 one way for the whole car, up to 4 guests. The ruins of Montfort stand on a rocky plateau near Montbard, about 75 minutes from Beaune, overlooking three small valleys. Its great screen wall and semi-octagonal towers date from the late 13th century. Volunteers of the association Mons Fortis have cared for the site since 1996 and guide visitors through its long and surprising history. ## Key facts - Type: Medieval fortress - Location: 75 km north-west of Beaune · Côte-d'Or - Coordinates: 47.5920, 4.3252 - 1 h 12 from Beaune - Open to visitors, 4 July to 20 September - 12th to 17th centuries - Commune: Montigny-Montfort · Côte-d'Or - Style: Medieval fortress (ruins) - Heritage: Registered historic monument - Official website: [montfort-chateau.fr](https://montfort-chateau.fr/) - From Beaune: ≈ 1 h 12 · 96 km - €260 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 12 by road (96 km), €260 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 first wooden castle was followed by a stone castle in the 12th century. Around 1290 Géraud de Maulmont, a churchman and adviser to the kings of France, received Montfort from Marguerite, viscountess of Limoges and daughter of the Duke of Burgundy. He rebuilt it with a high screen wall flanked by three semi-octagonal towers. Around 1350 the duke entrusted the lordship to Geoffroy de Charny, lord of Lirey. After her marriage in 1418, Geoffroy's granddaughter Marguerite de Charny and her husband took the relics of the church at Lirey to their castle of Montfort for safekeeping. The castle later passed to the princes of Orange, among them William the Silent, and Amélie of Orange-Nassau lived here between 1625 and 1647. Between 1800 and 1830 the heirs of the last lords deliberately demolished the castle and sold its materials. ## Architecture The fortress sits at about 317 metres on a rocky plateau above the valleys of the Dandarge, the Ronce and the Louère. Its most striking feature is the high screen wall with three semi-octagonal towers, built around 1290. Visitors can also see a deep well of about 28 metres, a vaulted guard room and a medieval-style garden. Excavation and restoration continue each year. ## Opening hours and tickets - Guided tours only: - 4 July and 8 August: tours start between 14:00 and 15:30 - 19 and 20 September: Saturday and Sunday, tours start between 9:00 and 12:00 and between 13:00 and 17:00 Visits are also possible by appointment from June to September. Checked on 1 October 2026 on [bourgogne-tourisme.com](https://www.bourgogne-tourisme.com/chateaux/chateau-de-montfort). ## Visiting Volunteers lead guided visits on set dates in July and August, during the European Heritage Days and by appointment, with a free contribution instead of a ticket. Allow about an hour, and wear good shoes. Montfort combines well with Montbard, Fontenay and Bussy-Rabutin. ## Did you know? Among the relics brought to Montfort for safekeeping in the early 15th century was a cloth venerated as the Holy Shroud, the one now kept in Turin. ## Around Château de Montfort What to combine with Château de Montfort on the same day, nearest first. ### Châteaux - [Château de Montbard et Parc Buffon](https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-de-montbard-parc-buffon) (4 km away): The towers of a ducal castle, reshaped by the naturalist Buffon into terraced gardens above his home town. - [Château de Lantilly](https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-de-lantilly) (7 km away): The 'château of a hundred windows', with 18th-century interiors and a celebrated flowering kitchen garden. - [Donjon de Semur-en-Auxois (Tour de l’Orle d’Or)](https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/donjon-de-semur-en-auxois), 11 km away: Four huge towers of the dukes of Burgundy's castle still guard the old town of Semur. ### Things to do - [Fontenay Abbey (Abbaye de Fontenay)](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/abbaye-de-fontenay), 7 km away: One of the best-preserved Cistercian abbeys in the world, alone in a quiet wooded valley of the Auxois. - [Buffon’s Great Forge (Grande Forge de Buffon)](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/grande-forge-de-buffon), 8 km away: An 18th-century ironworks built by the naturalist Buffon on the banks of the Armançon. - [Semur-en-Auxois](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/semur-en-auxois) (11 km away): A fortified town on a pink granite spur, looped by the river Armançon and guarded by great towers. ## Questions about Château de Montfort ### How far is Château de Montfort from Beaune? Château de Montfort is about 1 h 12 from Beaune by road (96 km). With a private driver, the trip from Beaune starts at €260 for the whole car, up to 4 guests. ### Can you visit Château de Montfort? Yes, Château de Montfort 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 Montfort? 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:montfort): €260 one way from Beaune · up to 4 guests ## Sources - - - - --- Canonical page: