--- title: "Château de Morlet: Visit, Opening Times & History" description: "Behind a 1584 gatehouse with carved masks on its machicolations, a family has restored this manor since 2012. Guided visits in summer, by private driver." url: https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-de-morlet lang: en updated: 2026-10-01 generated: 2026-10-08 image: https://www.cote-privee.com/og/chateaux/chateau-de-morlet.png --- # Château de Morlet > Château de Morlet: a fortified manor near Épinac with a striking Renaissance gatehouse of 1584. Château de Morlet is in Morlet (Saône-et-Loire), 34 min by road (34 km) from Beaune. Guided tours only: 1 to 10 July and 17 August to 18 September: every day, tours start between 10:00 and 12:00 and between 15:00 and 19:00; 19 and 20 September: Saturday and Sunday, tours start between 9:00 and 12:00 and between 14:00 and 17:00 · Guided tour: Adults €10 · 13th to 19th centuries, gatehouse of 1584 · Private driver from Beaune: €120 one way for the whole car, up to 4 guests. The Château de Morlet sits in the hollow of a small valley near Épinac, below the terraced village. Behind a fortified gatehouse of 1584 stands a manor between two square towers. A family has been restoring it since 2012, and it opens for guided visits at set times in summer and for the Heritage Days. ## Key facts - Type: Renaissance château - Location: 25 km west of Beaune · Saône-et-Loire - Coordinates: 46.9534, 4.5080 - 34 min from Beaune - Open to visitors, 1 July to 20 September - 13th to 19th centuries, gatehouse of 1584 - Commune: Morlet · Saône-et-Loire - Style: Fortified manor with a Renaissance gatehouse - Heritage: Registered historic monument - Official website: [chateaumorlet.wixsite.com](https://chateaumorlet.wixsite.com/chateau-de-morlet) - From Beaune: ≈ 34 min · 34 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): 34 min by road (34 km), €120 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 At the end of the Middle Ages the lords of Loges paid homage to the Duke of Burgundy for their fortified house of Loges, with its ditches, farmyard and fortified forecourt with a chapel and barn. In 1584 Simon de Loges rebuilt the imposing gatehouse. In 1680 the lordship was bought by Jean Morelet, dean of the collegiate church of Notre-Dame in Beaune. In 1700 another Jean Morelet, his nephew, obtained royal letters that replaced the name Loges with Morlet, which the village still bears. The château later passed to the Bouhier, Vogüé and Louvencourt families. In the 2010s the Debost family took it over and began a long restoration. The whole château and its park were listed as a historic monument in 2014. ## Architecture The manor stands between two unequal square towers, the eastern one massive and probably the oldest. The gatehouse of 1584 is the showpiece: its walls are rusticated, gunports point in every direction and a frieze of machicolations runs along the top. The machicolations are decorated with carved masks, an Italian Renaissance touch on a defensive building. A chapel was fitted into one pavilion in the 19th century. ## Opening hours and tickets - Guided tours only: - 1 to 10 July and 17 August to 18 September: every day, tours start between 10:00 and 12:00 and between 15:00 and 19:00 - 19 and 20 September: Saturday and Sunday, tours start between 9:00 and 12:00 and between 14:00 and 17:00 - Guided tour: Adults €10 Guided tours of about an hour start at 10:00 and 11:00 and on the hour from 15:00 to 18:00. Checked on 1 October 2026 on [the official site](https://chateaumorlet.wixsite.com/chateau-de-morlet). ## Visiting Morlet opens for guided visits of the exterior, park and château during set periods in summer and for the European Heritage Days in September. Groups can book visits at other times. Allow about an hour. Dates change each year, so check the official website before you go. ## Did you know? The village took the name of its lords: in 1700 royal letters renamed Loges as Morlet, after the Morelet family who owned the château. ## Around Château de Morlet What to combine with Château de Morlet on the same day, nearest first. ### Villages - [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. - [Santenay](https://www.cote-privee.com/villages/santenay) (15 km away): Spa town and wine village near the southern end of the Côte de Beaune, known for its reds. - [Saint-Aubin](https://www.cote-privee.com/villages/saint-aubin) (15 km away): A valley village just over the hill from Montrachet, where most vineyards are classified premier cru. ### Châteaux - [Château d’Épinac](https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-d-epinac) (4 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) (7 km away): A moated Renaissance château where Marshal Mac-Mahon was born, still home to his family. - [Château de Dracy](https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-de-dracy) (9 km away): A castle of 1547 on a hillside near Couches, with a long 18th-century wine cellar. ### 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), 10 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) (11 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), 13 km away: A 521-metre summit crowned by three crosses, looking over the vineyards of Santenay and the Maranges. ## Questions about Château de Morlet ### How far is Château de Morlet from Beaune? Château de Morlet is about 34 min from Beaune by road (34 km). With a private driver, the trip from Beaune starts at €120 for the whole car, up to 4 guests. ### Can you visit Château de Morlet? Yes, Château de Morlet 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 Morlet? 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:morlet): Full-day wine tour from Beaune: €560 for the car, up to 4 guests ## Sources - - - - --- Canonical page: