--- title: "Château de Vinzelles: History of Two Castles and a Vat House" description: "Two castles side by side above Vinzelles, linked by a vat house with great wooden presses, listed in 2003. Grounds open July and August, by private driver." url: https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-de-vinzelles lang: en updated: 2026-10-01 generated: 2026-10-08 image: https://www.cote-privee.com/og/chateaux/chateau-de-vinzelles.png --- # Château de Vinzelles > Château de Vinzelles: Two neighbouring castles above Vinzelles, linked by a vat house with great wooden wine presses. Château de Vinzelles is in Vinzelles (Saône-et-Loire), 1 h 19 by road (109 km) from Beaune. Grounds opening hours: 1 July to 31 August: every day, 13:00 to 19:00 · Admission: Free entry · 13th to 17th century · Private driver from Beaune: €285 one way for the whole car, up to 4 guests. On the slope above Vinzelles, in the Pouilly-Vinzelles vineyards, stand two castles side by side: the old castle of Vinzelles and the château of Layé. A long vat house over vaulted cellars links them. The whole estate has been listed as a historic monument since 2003. ## Key facts - Type: Wine château - Location: 85 km south of Beaune · Mâconnais - Coordinates: 46.2707, 4.7613 - 1 h 19 from Beaune - Park or grounds to visit, 1 July to 31 August - 13th to 17th century - Commune: Vinzelles · Saône-et-Loire - Style: Medieval castle restored in the 17th century - Heritage: Registered historic monument - Official website: [chateaudevinzelles.fr](https://chateaudevinzelles.fr) - From Beaune: ≈ 1 h 19 · 109 km - €285 one way from Beaune with a [private driver](https://www.cote-privee.com/private-driver) - Or add it to our [full-day wine tour plus two hours, €700](https://www.cote-privee.com/wine-tours/full-day). ## Getting there - [Private driver from Beaune](https://www.cote-privee.com/private-driver): 1 h 19 by road (109 km), €285 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 Vieux-Château of Vinzelles dates from the 12th and 13th centuries. It was restored in 1621 after several attacks, then fell into ruin in the 18th century when it was left to tenant farmers. Its five-sided plan, gun loops and a great hall with remains of painted hunting scenes still recall its past. A second castle, Layé, was built nearby in the 13th century. Layé passed through many hands. The Bullion family of Mâcon bought it in 1545, and it was rebuilt around 1640, when the family included Claude de Bullion, superintendent of finances under Louis XIII. In 1688 it was sold to Emmanuel Chesnard, a royal secretary. After a fire, Count Humbert de Grille had its lodgings rebuilt in the 19th century, and the estate later passed to other families. ## Architecture Layé forms a rectangle of three lodgings and a wall around a courtyard, with strong square towers under tall roofs of flat tiles, and dry ditches on three sides. Its gateways have rusticated frames, one bearing the arms of the Comte de Grille. Between the two castles stands the long vat house over vaulted cellars, which shelters great-beam presses, one of them dated 1716 or 1776. ## Opening hours and tickets - Grounds opening hours: 1 July to 31 August: every day, 13:00 to 19:00 - Admission: Free entry - Booking: Not needed Checked on 1 October 2026 on [the official site](https://chateaudevinzelles.fr/bienvenue/). ## Visiting The two castles are private, and their interiors are not open. In July and August, and on the European Heritage Days in September, the estate opens its grounds every afternoon for a free self-guided visit, with numbered panels and QR codes that lead to explanations on its website. ## Did you know? The great hall on the first floor of the old castle of Vinzelles still keeps traces of medieval wall paintings showing hunting scenes. ## Around Château de Vinzelles What to combine with Château de Vinzelles on the same day, nearest first. ### Villages - [Pouilly-Fuissé](https://www.cote-privee.com/villages/pouilly-fuisse) (2 km away): Burgundy's great southern white, grown beneath the limestone cliffs of Solutré and Vergisson. - [Saint-Véran](https://www.cote-privee.com/villages/saint-veran) (3 km away): Fresh Chardonnay from villages that wrap around Pouilly-Fuissé, beneath the Roche de Solutré. - [Viré-Clessé](https://www.cote-privee.com/villages/vire-clesse) (21 km away): Two neighbouring villages of the Haut-Mâconnais, joined in one appellation for generous Chardonnay. ### Châteaux - [Château de Fuissé](https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-de-fuisse) (2 km away): The Vincent family's historic estate in Pouilly-Fuissé, home of the appellation's only monopole premier cru. - [Château de Chasselas](https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-de-chasselas) (3 km away): A three-towered castle with glazed-tile roofs in the Saint-Véran hills, long the heart of a wine estate. - [Château d’Estours](https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-d-estours) (4 km away): A moated fortified house south of Mâcon, fought over by Écorcheurs and Mâcon militias. ### Things to do - [Cave de Vinzelles-Loché](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/cave-de-vinzelles-loche) (1 km away): The 1929 cooperative of Vinzelles and Loché, where three Pouilly appellations can be tasted side by side. - [Domaine Luquet Depuis 1878](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/domaine-luquet-fuisse) (2 km away): A family estate in the heart of Fuissé since 1878, with six generations of Pouilly-Fuissé and Saint-Véran. - [Solutré Museum of Prehistory (Musée de Préhistoire de Solutré)](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/musee-de-prehistoire-de-solutre), 4 km away: A half-buried museum at the foot of the rock, telling the story of Solutré's Ice Age hunters. ### Restaurants - [La Table de Chaintré](https://www.cote-privee.com/restaurants/la-table-de-chaintre) (1 km away · 1 MICHELIN star): One menu a week, one husband-and-wife team, in a former village grocery near Mâcon. - [L’O des Vignes](https://www.cote-privee.com/restaurants/l-o-des-vignes-fuisse) (2 km away · 1 MICHELIN star): A Meilleur Ouvrier de France cooking in the heart of Pouilly-Fuissé. - [La Huchette](https://www.cote-privee.com/restaurants/la-huchette-replonges) (10 km away · 1 MICHELIN star): Bresse produce with a Mediterranean accent, just across the Saône from Mâcon. ## Questions about Château de Vinzelles ### How far is Château de Vinzelles from Beaune? Château de Vinzelles is about 1 h 19 from Beaune by road (109 km). With a private driver, the trip from Beaune starts at €285 for the whole car, up to 4 guests. ### Can you visit Château de Vinzelles? Its park or grounds can be visited, while the interior is not usually open. Check its official website before you go. ### Can a private driver take us to Château de Vinzelles? 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 plus two hours, €700](https://www.cote-privee.com/wine-tours/full-day) ## Book - [Book a driver here](https://www.cote-privee.com/book?service=driver&place=chateau:vinzelles): €285 one way from Beaune · up to 4 guests ## Sources - - - --- Canonical page: