Beffroi de Beaune
Beaune's medieval clock tower, bought by the town in 1395 and crowned by a lead-clad bell turret.
- Heritage site
- In Beaune itself
- Allow 10 to 15 minutes
- UNESCO World Heritage
€290for a half-day wine tour starting here, up to 4 guests
At a glance
Getting there
Coming by train or plane? Transfers from stations and airports →
About the place
The Beffroi, or clock tower, rises over the place Monge in the north of Beaune's old town. Built in the 13th and 14th centuries, it passed to the town at the end of the 14th century and has carried a public clock ever since. Its interior is closed for now, but the tower is worth a stop on a walk through the old streets.
What you will see
From the square you see a tall, plain stone tower with rows of windows on the street side, under a slate roof and an openwork bell turret clad in lead. Its spire carries gargoyles and, two-thirds of the way up, a ducal crown. Inside, the tower has a vaulted cellar with a well, a ground floor that once held a shop, and five upper floors reached by a stone spiral stair and wooden steps.
History
In 1395, after a dispute between the town and the Abbey of Maizières, Duke Philip the Bold ordered the monks to sell Beaune a tower and house on what was then the street of the coal market, for 200 gold francs. In November 1397 the duke granted part of the salt tax to fit a clock on the tower, and its oldest bell is dated 1407.
The tower needed frequent repairs. A survey of 1681 found it in poor condition and proposed raising it by 12 feet so that the clock could be heard all over town. In 1750 the council voted to demolish it, but a public outcry saved it, and it was strengthened with iron tie-rods instead. A new clock came from Paris in 1860, and the timberwork, roof and lead decoration of the bell turret were restored in 1893. It has been a listed historic monument since 1885.
Planning your visit
Tips for your visit
Allow 10 to 15 minutes. The tourist office lists the interior as closed until further notice, so the visit is from the outside, free and at any time. The belfry stands on the place Monge, a few minutes' walk from the place Carnot and the Collégiale Notre-Dame, and makes an easy stop between the old town and the ramparts.
Around here
What to combine with Beffroi de Beaune on the same day, nearest first.
Beaune
1 km awayChorey-lès-Beaune
3 km awayPommard
4 km away
- Culture
Mois des Climats
Each year over several weeks in late spring and early summer, usually ending in early JulyBeaune - Wine festival
Beaune Saveurs de Vignes
Usually Ascension Thursday, in May, with staggered departures from late morningBeaune - Music
Festival international d’opéra baroque de Beaune
Usually four consecutive weekends in JulyBeaune
Questions
For the visit, allow 10 to 15 minutes.
Did you know? In 1750 the town council decided to pull the tower down as unsafe; the protest was such that it was patched up with iron ties instead, and it still stands.
Sources
From Beffroi de Beaune into the vineyards
Half-day wine tour from Beaune: €290 for the car, up to 4 guests