Cité des Climats et vins de Bourgogne, Chablis
Burgundy's northern vineyards explained in the medieval cellar of the Pontigny monks.
- Wine experience
- 1 h 43 from Beaune
- Allow 1 to 1.5 hours
- Chablis
€385one way from Beaune with a private driver
At a glance
- Official website
- citeclimatsvins-bourgogne.com
Getting there
Private driver from Beaune: 1 h 43 by road (153 km), €385 one way for the whole car.
Or add it to our long-day wine tour, €880.
Coming by train or plane? Transfers from stations and airports →
About the place
The Chablis branch of the Cité des Climats et vins de Bourgogne opened in May 2023 in the Petit Pontigny, the historic cellar of the Cistercian monks of Pontigny. A contemporary extension and a garden complete it. The visit explains the vineyards of northern Burgundy, and a wine bar offers tastings.
What you will see
Inside the stone cellar, a scenographic trail explains how soil, slope and climate shape the wines of northern Burgundy, from the fossil-rich Kimmeridgian slopes of Chablis to the Auxerrois and Châtillonnais. The Ponti'Bar, the site's wine bar, serves wines by the glass inside the old cellar or on its garden terrace. Workshops and special events run through the year, from tastings to evening events.
History
The monks of Pontigny Abbey received vineyards in Chablis from the late 12th century, and they kept their wine in a cellar in the town, the Petit Pontigny. The Burgundy Wine Board imagined the Cité des Climats in 2010, as a network of three sites at Beaune, Chablis and Mâcon, and the project took shape after the Climats of Burgundy joined the UNESCO list in 2015.
Work began in 2021. The Chablis site, with a contemporary wing by the architects Atelier Correia, opened on 17 May 2023, the second of the three to open after Mâcon. It pairs the restored medieval cellar with a new building, and it focuses on the vineyards of the Chablisien, the Grand Auxerrois and the Châtillonnais. All three sites are run by an association created in 2019.
Planning your visit
Tips for your visit
Allow an hour to an hour and a half. The Cité is in the centre of Chablis, about 1 hour 30 minutes from Beaune, and makes a good first stop before visiting growers. It pairs well with the larger Cité in Beaune for a two-day view of Burgundy wine. The Chablis site is open from April to early November, from Tuesday to Sunday. Please check the official website for opening times and workshop bookings.
Around here
What to combine with Cité des Climats et vins de Bourgogne, Chablis on the same day, nearest first.
Chablis
1 km awaySaint-Bris
14 km awayIrancy
15 km away
- Food & markets
Marché aux truffes de Noyers
An autumn Sunday, usually in late October, sometimes followed by a second market in NovemberNoyers
Guides about Cité des Climats et vins de Bourgogne, Chablis
Questions
Cité des Climats et vins de Bourgogne, Chablis is about 1 h 43 from Beaune by road (153 km). With a private driver, the trip from Beaune starts at €385 for the whole car, up to 4 guests.
Did you know? The Cité des Climats has three sites, in Beaune, Chablis and Mâcon. The Chablis site was the smallest investment of the three, at a planned 3 million euros.
Sources
Cité des Climats et vins de Bourgogne, Chablis with a private driver
€385 one way from Beaune · up to 4 guests