--- title: "Fosse Dionne, Tonnerre: Karst Spring and Wash House" description: "A deep karst spring rising into an 18th-century wash house in central Tonnerre. Allow 20 to 30 minutes on a Chablis day with a private driver from Beaune." url: https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/fosse-dionne-tonnerre lang: en updated: 2026-09-29 generated: 2026-10-08 image: https://www.cote-privee.com/og/things-to-do/fosse-dionne-tonnerre.png --- # Fosse Dionne > Fosse Dionne: a deep karst spring and 18th-century wash house at the heart of Tonnerre. Fosse Dionne is in Tonnerre (Yonne), 1 h 40 by road (147 km) from Beaune. Allow 20 to 30 minutes · Private driver from Beaune: €370 one way for the whole car, up to 4 guests. The Fosse Dionne is a karst spring in the centre of Tonnerre, rising into a round stone basin framed by an 18th-century wash house. The water comes up from a flooded gallery whose entrance is visible from the edge. Divers have explored it to great depths, and the town grew up around it. ## Key facts - Type: Nature & viewpoints - Where: Tonnerre · Yonne - Location: 110 km north-west of Beaune · Yonne - Coordinates: 47.8566, 3.9706 - 1 h 40 from Beaune - Allow 20 to 30 minutes - Tonnerre - Nearby: [Chablis](https://www.cote-privee.com/villages/chablis) - From Beaune: ≈ 1 h 40 · 147 km - €370 one way from Beaune with a [private driver](https://www.cote-privee.com/private-driver) - Or add it to our [long-day wine tour, €880](https://www.cote-privee.com/wine-tours/long-day). ## Getting there - [Private driver from Beaune](https://www.cote-privee.com/private-driver): 1 h 40 by road (147 km), €370 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 In Gallo-Roman times the spring supplied the settlement on the plateau above, and the modern town was built around it. Its name may come from Fons Divina, the divine spring, or from Divona, a Celtic goddess of springs. In 1758 Louis d'Éon, father of the famous Chevalier d'Éon, had it turned into a wash house, with a basin 14 metres across under a half-round roof. It has been a listed monument since 1920. The underground network behind the spring stretches for more than 40 km, and dye tests show that part of its water comes from a river that vanishes into a sinkhole about 43 km away. Divers first explored the flooded gallery in 1955. After fatal accidents in 1962 and 1996, diving was banned, and it is now strictly regulated. In 2019 a diver reached a record depth of 79.5 metres. ## What you will see Walk through the old streets to find the round basin of clear water, with the dark opening of the flooded gallery visible in the depths. Around it runs the stone trough where washerwomen once worked, sheltered by the curved roof. Fireplaces around the edge once made the ash used for washing. It is a quiet, slightly mysterious place, and a short stop between the Hôtel-Dieu and a Chablis tasting. ## Planning your visit Allow 20 to 30 minutes. The spring is a few minutes' walk from the Hôtel-Dieu, in the centre of Tonnerre, about 1 hour 45 minutes from Beaune and 20 minutes from Chablis. Diving is strictly regulated, so enjoy it from the edge. Check with the local tourist office for opening times of guided visits. ## Did you know? The Fosse Dionne usually delivers about 300 litres of water per second, but on 15 March 2001, in flood, its flow reached 3,000 litres per second. ## Around Fosse Dionne What to combine with Fosse Dionne on the same day, nearest first. ### Villages - [Chablis](https://www.cote-privee.com/villages/chablis) (14 km away): Burgundy's northern outpost, where Chardonnay grows on fossil-rich limestone above the river Serein. - [Saint-Bris](https://www.cote-privee.com/villages/saint-bris) (27 km away): Burgundy's Sauvignon village, built over a maze of medieval cellars. - [Irancy](https://www.cote-privee.com/villages/irancy) (28 km away): The red wine village of the Yonne, set in a bowl of vines and cherry trees. ### Châteaux - [Château de Viviers](https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-de-viviers) (7 km away): A 17th-century wine château on the high slopes east of Chablis, now farmed organically, with guest rooms. - [Château de Béru](https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-de-beru) (9 km away): A family château above the Chablis vineyards, with a rare sundial and moon dial, and biodynamic wines. - [Château de Tanlay](https://www.cote-privee.com/chateaux/chateau-de-tanlay) (9 km away): A moated Renaissance château of the Coligny family, with a trompe-l'œil gallery and a long canal. ### Things to do - [Hôtel-Dieu de Tonnerre](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/hotel-dieu-de-tonnerre) (1 km away): Said to be the longest medieval hospital in Europe, founded in 1293 by a queen of Sicily. - [Vignoble Dampt Frères](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/vignoble-dampt-freres-collan) (8 km away): Two brothers' estate in Collan spanning three valleys, from Chablis grands crus to the revived wines of Tonnerre and Épineuil. - [L’Obédiencerie, Domaine Laroche](https://www.cote-privee.com/things-to-do/obediencerie-domaine-laroche) (13 km away): A 9th-century monastic house in Chablis, with a medieval wine press and the cellars of Domaine Laroche. ### Events - **Saturday 24 – Sunday 25 October 2026 (Confirmed by the organiser)** · [Fête des Vins de Chablis](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/fete-des-vins-de-chablis): Chablis celebrates its new vintage every year on the fourth weekend of October. (Wine festival · Chablis) - **An autumn Sunday, usually in late October, sometimes followed by a second market in November.** · [Marché aux truffes de Noyers](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/marche-aux-truffes-de-noyers): Burgundy truffles, a giant omelette and a clanging bell in the medieval squares of Noyers. (Food & markets · Noyers) - **Saturday, 24 October 2026 (Confirmed by the organiser)** · [Marathon de Chablis](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/marathon-de-chablis): A festive marathon through the Chablis vineyards, run in costume on the Saturday of the wine festival. (Sport · Chablis) - **A weekend in early December.** · [Marché de Noël de La Chablisienne](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/marche-de-noel-de-la-chablisienne): A weekend of local crafts and festive wines at the cooperative cellar of Chablis before Christmas. (Christmas · Chablis) - **Sunday, 24 January 2027 (Confirmed by the organiser)** · [Saint-Vincent tournante du Tonnerrois](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/saint-vincent-tournante-du-tonnerrois): The winter wine festival of the Tonnerre growers, hosted by a different village each year. (Tradition · Vézinnes, 2027 host) - **Saturday 6 – Sunday 7 February 2027 (Confirmed by the organiser)** · [Saint-Vincent tournante du Chablisien](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/saint-vincent-tournante-du-chablisien): The winter wine festival of the Chablis vineyard, hosted by a different village each year. (Tradition · Maligny, 2027 host) - **A weekend in early April.** · [Les Vinées Tonnerroises](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/vinees-tonnerroises): The wine fair of the Tonnerrois, held inside a vast 13th-century hospital. (Wine festival · Tonnerre) - **The last Sunday of April.** · [Balade gourmande du Chablisien](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/balade-gourmande-du-chablisien): A spring walk of about ten kilometres through the Chablis vines, with food and wine stands along the way. (Food & markets · Chablis, route changes each year) - **A few evenings in July.** · [Festival du Chablisien](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/festival-du-chablisien): Summer evening concerts in the churches and barns of the Chablis vineyard. (Music · Chablis and nearby villages) - **Most of July.** · [Rencontres musicales de Noyers](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/rencontres-musicales-de-noyers): Chamber music and masterclasses in a walled medieval village, with local wines poured after the concerts. (Music · Noyers) - **A three-day weekend at the end of July.** · [Gargouillosium](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/gargouillosium-noyers): Twenty stone carvers, three days and a crop of new gargoyles at the old castle of Noyers. (Culture · Noyers) - **Thursday 26 – Saturday 28 August 2027 (Confirmed by the organiser)** · [Musiques en Tonnerrois](https://www.cote-privee.com/events/musiques-en-tonnerrois): A roving festival of chamber music and new works in Tonnerre, a Renaissance château and village churches. (Music · Tonnerre and nearby villages) ## Questions about Fosse Dionne ### How far is Fosse Dionne from Beaune? Fosse Dionne is about 1 h 40 from Beaune by road (147 km). With a private driver, the trip from Beaune starts at €370 for the whole car, up to 4 guests. ### How long does a visit to Fosse Dionne take? For the visit, allow 20 to 30 minutes. ### Can a private driver take us to Fosse Dionne? 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. → [Long-day wine tour, €880](https://www.cote-privee.com/wine-tours/long-day) ## Book - [Book a driver here](https://www.cote-privee.com/book?service=driver&place=sight:fossedionne): €370 one way from Beaune · up to 4 guests ## Sources - --- Canonical page: