--- title: "Château de Salmaise: History of an Auxois Stronghold" description: "Medieval castle on a spur cut off by rock-hewn ditches, with a rebuilt Romanesque chapel. Seen from the village only, private driver from Beaune." url: https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-de-salmaise lang: en updated: 2026-10-02 generated: 2026-10-08 image: https://www.cote-privee.com/og/chateaux/chateau-de-salmaise.png --- # Château de Salmaise > Château de Salmaise: a medieval castle on a rocky spur, cut off by rock-hewn ditches, in a hill village. Château de Salmaise is in Salmaise (Côte-d'Or), 54 min by road (65 km) from Beaune. Private, seen from outside · 12th to 15th centuries · Private driver from Beaune: €190 one way for the whole car, up to 4 guests. Salmaise is a stone village of the Auxois, about an hour from Beaune. At its centre, on a spur protected by ditches cut into the rock, stands a medieval castle with a square tower and a restored Romanesque chapel. The castle is private and seen from the village streets. ## Key facts - Type: Medieval fortress - Location: 50 km north of Beaune · Côte-d'Or - Coordinates: 47.4574, 4.6625 - 54 min from Beaune - Private, seen from outside - 12th to 15th centuries - Commune: Salmaise · Côte-d'Or - Style: Medieval fortress - Heritage: Registered historic monument - From Beaune: ≈ 54 min · 65 km - €190 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): 54 min by road (65 km), €190 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 The castle was built on a barred spur, protected on the east by two ditches cut into the rock. Works are recorded on the tower in 1373, on the bridge in 1408 and 1409, and on the upper floor and its machicolations between 1415 and 1417. In 1305 it belonged to Robert of Burgundy, and in 1371 to Marguerite de Frôlois. Later owners included Philippe de Hochberg, to whom Louis XI granted Salmaise in 1478, and Françoise d'Orléans, to whom Henri III ceded it in 1578. In 1592, during the Wars of Religion, it was seized by Jean de Tavannes. By 1791 little habitable space remained. The chapel was dismantled and rebuilt between 1987 and 1993, and the owner continues to restore the castle. ## Architecture The castle is made up of a rectangular tower, a long building and a barn, standing on the rocky spur above the village. The two rock-cut ditches guard the east side. The castle chapel of Saint-Marc, a 12th-century building, was carefully rebuilt in the 1990s with fine stonework. The chapel and the remains of the castle were listed in 1928. ## Visiting The castle is private and the interior is not open. The exterior can be seen freely from the village streets. Groups of more than ten can book a guided tour of the village with the association Les Amis de Salmaise. Salmaise combines well with Frôlois, Flavigny-sur-Ozerain and Alise-Sainte-Reine. Ask the local tourist office for more information on the village. ## Did you know? Records at Salmaise are unusually precise: works on the bridge are dated 1408 to 1409, and between 1415 and 1417 a new storey was built and the machicolations of a tower were reworked. ## Around Château de Salmaise What to combine with Château de Salmaise on the same day, nearest first. ### Châteaux - [Château de Frôlois](https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-de-frolois) (8 km away): A stern medieval castle on a rocky spur, with warm period rooms that open in summer. - [Château de Posanges](https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-de-posanges) (11 km away): A compact moated castle with four round towers, built in the 1440s for a ducal servant. - [Château de Marigny-le-Cahouët](https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-de-marigny-le-cahouet) (15 km away): A moated castle of the plain, with towers, a drawbridge and a Gothic Revival gate. ### Things to do - [Source of the Seine (Sources de la Seine)](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/sources-de-la-seine), 5 km away: The quiet green valley where the Seine begins, guarded by a stone grotto and a river nymph. - [Église Saint-Genest de Flavigny-sur-Ozerain](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/eglise-saint-genest-flavigny) (12 km away): A village church with galleries on two levels, a carved Gothic tribune and a hundred statues, now under restoration inside. - [Flavigny-sur-Ozerain](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/flavigny-sur-ozerain) (12 km away): A walled hilltop village of stone lanes, medieval gates and aniseed sweets, facing the Alésia battlefield. ## Questions about Château de Salmaise ### How far is Château de Salmaise from Beaune? Château de Salmaise is about 54 min from Beaune by road (65 km). With a private driver, the trip from Beaune starts at €190 for the whole car, up to 4 guests. ### Can you visit Château de Salmaise? Château de Salmaise 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 Salmaise? 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:salmaise): €190 one way from Beaune · up to 4 guests ## Sources - - - --- Canonical page: