--- title: "Château de Talmay: Visit, Opening Times and History" description: "A 13th-century keep about 50 metres high beside a classical house of the 1760s. The owners guide tours in July and August, private driver from Beaune." url: https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-de-talmay lang: en updated: 2026-10-01 generated: 2026-10-08 image: https://www.cote-privee.com/og/chateaux/chateau-de-talmay.png --- # Château de Talmay > Château de Talmay: a 13th-century keep towering over an elegant 18th-century château near the Vingeanne. Château de Talmay is in Talmay (Côte-d'Or), 1 h 01 by road (76 km) from Beaune. Guided tours only: 1 July to 31 August: Wednesday to Sunday, tours start between 13:00 and 19:00; 19 and 20 September: Saturday and Sunday, tours start between 14:00 and 18:00 · Guided tour: Adults €9 · 13th and 18th centuries · Private driver from Beaune: €215 one way for the whole car, up to 4 guests. Near the old border between Burgundy and Franche-Comté, the Château de Talmay surprises with two very different buildings side by side. A square medieval keep about 50 metres high rises above an elegant classical house of the 1760s. Classified as a historic monument, it is still lived in by descendants of its 19th-century owners. ## Key facts - Type: Classical château - Location: 60 km north-east of Beaune · Côte-d'Or - Coordinates: 47.3563, 5.4351 - 1 h 01 from Beaune - Open to visitors, 1 July to 20 September - 13th and 18th centuries - Commune: Talmay · Côte-d'Or - Style: Medieval keep and classical château - Heritage: Listed historic monument - Official website: [chateau-talmay.com](https://chateau-talmay.com/) - From Beaune: ≈ 1 h 01 · 76 km - €215 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 01 by road (76 km), €215 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 Around 1250 Guillaume de Champlitte, lord of Pontailler, built a fortress at Talmay. His family played a part in the history of the dukes of Burgundy for two centuries, and Guy III de Pontailler became a Knight of the Golden Fleece, the order founded by Duke Philip the Good, in 1433. The great square keep is the only part of this first castle still standing. In 1692 Pierre Fijan, a master of the Chambre des comptes in Paris, bought the barony. He gave the keep its pyramid roof with a small bell turret and panelled its rooms. His grandson Pierre II Fijan, a councillor at the Parlement of Burgundy, laid out French gardens in 1753 and then built the present château at the foot of the keep, to plans by the architect d'Aviler. In 1824 the château was bought by Pierre-Auguste Floret, an ironmaster from Pesmes in Franche-Comté. He left it to his niece, the wife of Baron Paul Thénard, and the present owners descend from this family. The château, its outbuildings, entrance gate and garden were classified as a historic monument in 1993. The owners open their home to visitors every summer and host receptions in the orangery. ## Architecture The keep is square, about 12 metres on each side, with mullioned windows, firing openings at the top and eight overhanging bretèches, all original. The classical château forms a U of large yellow stone blocks, with a sculpted pediment and double stairways front and back. A monumental stair guarded by two stone sphinxes leads to the French garden. Outbuildings include stables, an orangery, a mill and an ice house. ## Opening hours and tickets - Guided tours only: - 1 July to 31 August: Wednesday to Sunday, tours start between 13:00 and 19:00 - 19 and 20 September: Saturday and Sunday, tours start between 14:00 and 18:00 - Guided tour: Adults €9 - Booking: Not needed Guided tours start at 14:00, 15:30 and 17:00. Checked on 1 October 2026 on [the official site](https://chateau-talmay.com/). ## Visiting In July and August the château opens Wednesday to Sunday, with afternoon guided tours by the owners lasting about 45 minutes, and you can explore the gardens on your own with a plan. Groups can visit all year by appointment. Credit cards are not accepted. ## Did you know? When Pierre II Fijan built his new château in the 1760s, he chose to keep the medieval keep, which is why a 13th-century tower still rises beside an 18th-century house. ## Around Château de Talmay What to combine with Château de Talmay on the same day, nearest first. ### Villages - [Dijon](https://www.cote-privee.com/villages/dijon) (30 km away): Burgundy's historic capital, city of the Valois dukes and northern gateway to the Route des Grands Crus. ### Châteaux - [Château de Beaumont-sur-Vingeanne](https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-de-beaumont-sur-vingeanne) (13 km away): A small 18th-century folly with a clever split-level plan, set in gardens by the Vingeanne. - [Château de Rosières](https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-de-rosieres) (16 km away): A well-preserved 15th-century fortified manor with machicolations near the Vingeanne. - [Château d’Arcelot](https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-d-arcelot) (18 km away): Burgundy's first neoclassical château, with a coloured stucco salon and a landscape park. ### Things to do - [Maison Lejay Lagoute](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/lejay-lagoute) (28 km away): The Dijon house behind the original crème de cassis, first perfected in the city in 1841. - [Monument à Sadi Carnot](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/monument-sadi-carnot-dijon) (30 km away): A marble and bronze memorial of 1899 to the assassinated President Sadi Carnot, rising from the fountains of Place de la République. - [Saint-Michel Church, Dijon (Église Saint-Michel de Dijon)](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/eglise-saint-michel-dijon), 30 km away: A late Gothic church behind a Renaissance façade with classical orders stacked one above another. ## Questions about Château de Talmay ### How far is Château de Talmay from Beaune? Château de Talmay is about 1 h 01 from Beaune by road (76 km). With a private driver, the trip from Beaune starts at €215 for the whole car, up to 4 guests. ### Can you visit Château de Talmay? Yes, Château de Talmay 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 Talmay? 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:talmay): €215 one way from Beaune · up to 4 guests ## Sources - - - --- Canonical page: