--- title: "Château de Rochefort, Burgundy: Visit and Opening Times" description: "Late 15th-century home of Louis XI's physician, unroofed in 1806, restored by volunteers since 2017. Weekend or booked visits, private driver from Beaune." url: https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-de-rochefort lang: en updated: 2026-10-01 generated: 2026-10-08 image: https://www.cote-privee.com/og/chateaux/chateau-de-rochefort.png --- # Château de Rochefort > Château de Rochefort: the ruined residence of Louis XI's physician, being rebuilt stone by stone by a volunteer association. Château de Rochefort is in Asnières-en-Montagne (Côte-d'Or), 1 h 23 by road (115 km) from Beaune. Opening hours: By appointment only · Guided tour: Adults €6 · 15th to 17th centuries · Private driver from Beaune: €300 one way for the whole car, up to 4 guests. Rochefort stands near the village of Asnières-en-Montagne, between Montbard and Ancy-le-Franc, about 1.5 hours from Beaune. Its noble lodgings of the late 15th century, with polygonal towers and carved Renaissance details, were partly pulled down in 1806. Since 2017 a volunteer association has owned the ruins and is bringing them back to life. ## Key facts - Type: Renaissance château - Location: 90 km north-west of Beaune · Côte-d'Or - Coordinates: 47.7150, 4.2603 - 1 h 23 from Beaune - Open to visitors, by appointment only - 15th to 17th centuries - Commune: Asnières-en-Montagne · Côte-d'Or - Style: Late Gothic and Renaissance residence (ruins under restoration) - Heritage: Listed historic monument - Official website: [les-clefs-de-rochefort.com](https://www.les-clefs-de-rochefort.com/) - From Beaune: ≈ 1 h 23 · 115 km - €300 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 23 by road (115 km), €300 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 castle called Rupes Fortis, the strong rock, is recorded here in 1196. After the old castle was dismantled on the orders of Duke John the Fearless, the estate was bought by Jacques Coitier, first physician and grand chamberlain of King Louis XI. At the end of the 15th century he built the noble residence whose walls still stand. The Rochefort family enlarged it in the early 16th century, and the Languet family in the 17th. The La Guiche family owned Rochefort from before the Revolution until 2017. In 1806 they partly demolished it to recover the materials of its roofs and floors, leaving the house open to the sky. The remains were classified as a historic monument in 1974. In December 2017 the association Les Clefs de Rochefort became the owner, and it has since restored the entrance buildings and roofed the outbuildings. ## Architecture The castle has two main parts: the seigneurial residence and the entrance complex. Polygonal towers, Renaissance windows, star-shaped vaults and carved atlantes, figures of men supporting the stonework, show the ambition of the late 15th and 16th centuries. A spiral staircase climbs one of the towers and offers views over the valley. Scaffolding and new roofs show the restoration in progress. ## Opening hours and tickets - Opening hours: By appointment only - Guided tour: Adults €6 Volunteers also open the site on event days and on weekends announced by poster, from 10:30 to 12:30 and 14:00 to 17:30. Checked on 1 October 2026 on [the official site](https://www.les-clefs-de-rochefort.com/visites-guidees.html). ## Visiting Volunteers of the association give guided visits by appointment, during events and on weekends when they are on site. Wear good shoes, as parts of the site are a working restoration. Allow about an hour. Rochefort combines well with Ancy-le-Franc, Montbard and the Abbey of Fontenay. ## Did you know? In 1806 Rochefort was partly pulled down so that its roof and floor materials could be recovered. Two centuries later, volunteers are putting new roofs back on. ## Around Château de Rochefort What to combine with Château de Rochefort on the same day, nearest first. ### Châteaux - [Château de Nuits](https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-de-nuits) (4 km away): An elegant but fortified Renaissance château, built on the old border between Burgundy and Champagne. - [Château d’Ancy-le-Franc](https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-d-ancy-le-franc) (10 km away): An Italian Renaissance palace in northern Burgundy, designed by Serlio and lined with painted rooms. - [Château de Montbard et Parc Buffon](https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-de-montbard-parc-buffon) (11 km away): The towers of a ducal castle, reshaped by the naturalist Buffon into terraced gardens above his home town. ### Things to do - [Buffon’s Great Forge (Grande Forge de Buffon)](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/grande-forge-de-buffon), 7 km away: An 18th-century ironworks built by the naturalist Buffon on the banks of the Armançon. - [Fontenay Abbey (Abbaye de Fontenay)](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/abbaye-de-fontenay), 13 km away: One of the best-preserved Cistercian abbeys in the world, alone in a quiet wooded valley of the Auxois. - [Vieux Château de Noyers](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/vieux-chateau-de-noyers) (20 km away): The overgrown ruins of one of Burgundy's great medieval fortresses, on a spur above the Serein, brought back to life by volunteers. ## Questions about Château de Rochefort ### How far is Château de Rochefort from Beaune? Château de Rochefort is about 1 h 23 from Beaune by road (115 km). With a private driver, the trip from Beaune starts at €300 for the whole car, up to 4 guests. ### Can you visit Château de Rochefort? Yes, Château de Rochefort 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 Rochefort? 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:rochefort): €300 one way from Beaune · up to 4 guests ## Sources - - - --- Canonical page: