--- title: "Château de Thil: Visit, Opening Times and History" description: "Hilltop ruins at about 480 metres with a 25-metre watchtower and a 14th-century collegiate church. Open May to August, private driver from Beaune, 1 h." url: https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-de-thil lang: en updated: 2026-10-02 generated: 2026-10-08 image: https://www.cote-privee.com/og/chateaux/chateau-de-thil.png --- # Château de Thil > Château de Thil: a ruined fortress and a Gothic collegiate church on a lone hilltop, visible for miles across the Auxois. Château de Thil is in Vic-sous-Thil (Côte-d'Or), 59 min by road (72 km) from Beaune. Opening hours: 1 May to 30 August, hours vary with the season · Admission: Adults €6 · 13th to 14th centuries · Private driver from Beaune: €205 one way for the whole car, up to 4 guests. The Butte de Thil rises to about 480 metres above the valleys of the Serein and the Armançon, about an hour from Beaune. On its summit stand the ruins of a medieval fortress and, at the other end, a 14th-century collegiate church. The tall watchtower can be seen from far away, including from the A6 motorway. ## Key facts - Type: Medieval fortress - Location: 55 km north-west of Beaune · Côte-d'Or - Coordinates: 47.3851, 4.3374 - 59 min from Beaune - Open to visitors, 1 May to 30 August - 13th to 14th centuries - Commune: Vic-sous-Thil · Côte-d'Or - Style: Medieval fortress (ruins) - Heritage: Listed historic monument - Official website: [forteresse-de-thil.fr](https://www.forteresse-de-thil.fr/) - From Beaune: ≈ 59 min · 72 km - €205 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): 59 min by road (72 km), €205 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 fortress on the hill of Thil is mentioned as early as the 11th century. The lords of Thil held it from the dukes of Burgundy, and in 1307 Guillaume de Thil acknowledged the duke as his overlord. Around 1340 Jean de Thil founded a collegiate church at the far end of the hill, served by a chapter of canons. The castle was already ruined by the late 16th century, when the Comte de Tavannes seized it during the Wars of Religion. In the 17th century the Sayve family acquired the lordship and kept it until 1777. The ruins were listed as a historic monument in 1905. Today the fortress is privately owned, and its owner opens it to visitors. The collegiate church is also a listed monument. ## Architecture The fortress stretches along the crest of the hill. Its most striking element is the square watchtower, about 25 metres high and five storeys tall, which local tradition calls the 'Spy of the Auxois'. Around it survive a 13th-century cellar, parts of the curtain wall and later openings for guns. An avenue of old lime trees links the castle to the Gothic collegiate church, whose walls are pierced with arrow slits. ## Opening hours and tickets - Opening hours: - 1 May to 28 June: Saturday and Sunday, 14:00 to 18:00 - 1, 8, 14 and 25 May: 14:00 to 18:00 - 4 July to 30 August: Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00 to 18:30 - Admission: Adults €6 Entry is €7 in July and August, when family games are added, and last entry is 30 minutes before closing. Checked on 1 October 2026 on [terres-auxois.fr](https://www.terres-auxois.fr/sit/chateau-de-thil). ## Visiting The owner opens the fortress from May to August, at weekends and on public holidays in May and June, then every day except Monday in July and August. Information panels explain the site, and games and family activities are added in summer. A medieval festival is held on the hill each year. The hilltop has marked footpaths and wide views. Allow 1 to 1.5 hours, plus a walk to the collegiate church. ## Did you know? The writer and culture minister André Malraux is said to have called Thil the oldest fortified castle in France, according to the local tourist office. ## Around Château de Thil What to combine with Château de Thil on the same day, nearest first. ### Châteaux - [Château de Bierre-lès-Semur](https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-de-bierre-les-semur) (5 km away): Once called the 'little Versailles of Burgundy', an 18th-century estate now slowly coming back to life. - [Château de Missery](https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-de-missery) (9 km away): An 18th-century château set on a moated medieval platform, framed by its old round towers. - [Château de Bourbilly](https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-de-bourbilly) (11 km away): The Serein valley home of Saint Jeanne de Chantal and the Marquise de Sévigné, still lived in today. ### Things to do - [Collégiale Notre-Dame de Semur-en-Auxois](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/collegiale-notre-dame-semur-en-auxois) (12 km away): A tall, narrow Gothic church whose windows show the drapers and butchers of Semur at work, and one remembers American soldiers. - [Semur-en-Auxois](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/semur-en-auxois) (12 km away): A fortified town on a pink granite spur, looped by the river Armançon and guarded by great towers. - [François Pompon Museum (Musée François Pompon)](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/musee-francois-pompon), 14 km away: Sleek animal sculptures by the Saulieu-born artist who made the famous White Bear. ### Restaurants - [La Côte d’Or (Relais Bernard Loiseau)](https://www.cote-privee.com/restaurants/la-cote-d-or-saulieu), 14 km away · 2 MICHELIN stars: Bernard Loiseau's house in Saulieu: two stars and a century of Burgundian grand cuisine ## Questions about Château de Thil ### How far is Château de Thil from Beaune? Château de Thil is about 59 min from Beaune by road (72 km). With a private driver, the trip from Beaune starts at €205 for the whole car, up to 4 guests. ### Can you visit Château de Thil? Yes, Château de Thil 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 Thil? 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:thil): €205 one way from Beaune · up to 4 guests ## Sources - - - - --- Canonical page: