Beaune Ramparts (Remparts de Beaune)
A 2.5 km walk around Beaune's towers, bastions and gardens, with wine cellars inside the old walls.
- Heritage site
- In Beaune itself
- Allow 1 to 2 hours
- UNESCO World Heritage
€290for a half-day wine tour starting here, up to 4 guests
At a glance
- Official website
- remparts-beaune.fr
Getting there
Coming by train or plane? Transfers from stations and airports →
About the place
Beaune has kept a large part of its fortified walls, and a signposted walk of about 2.5 kilometres follows them around the old town. Along the way you pass medieval towers, 17th-century bastions, a grand 18th-century gate and shady gardens. Several of the massive towers now shelter the cellars of well-known wine houses.
What you will see
Follow the signed route, with 17 stops marked by information panels and QR codes in French and English. Highlights include the Tour Renard, the Grosse Tour, the Saint-Jacques wash-house of 1887, where the Bouzaize river reappears after flowing under the Hôtel-Dieu, and the Square des Lions with its rare trees. Much of the route runs along the top of the walls, with views into gardens and wine-house courtyards.
History
Beaune's first wall was a small Roman castrum, built in the late 3rd century. As the town prospered under the Dukes of Burgundy, a larger wall with gates and watchtowers rose between the 12th and 14th centuries, and the rivers were diverted to fill the moats. After the death of Charles the Bold in 1477, Burgundy passed to the French crown, and Louis XI ordered a castle to hold the town.
Louis XI's fortress was completed in 1527. In the early 16th century, low, massive towers such as the Grosse Tour, the Tour des Dames and the Tour des Filles were built to resist cannon fire. During the Thirty Years' War, in 1637, bastions such as Saint-Martin, Notre-Dame and Sainte-Anne were added. In 1656 Queen Christina of Sweden made a ceremonial entry through the Bretonnière quarter.
In peacetime the walls found new uses. In 1765 Mayor Jean-François Maufoux turned the Saint-Martin bastion into a promenade, now the Square des Lions, and in 1770 a grand new gate, the Porte Saint-Nicolas, was built at the northern entrance. The Porte Saint-Nicolas has been a classified historic monument since 1908. Today the thick walls keep wine at a steady temperature for houses such as Patriarche and Chanson.
Planning your visit
Tips for your visit
Allow one to two hours at an easy pace, in comfortable shoes. Most of the route is accessible, though a few sections have steps. Good starting points are near the tourist office or the Collégiale. The association Les Amis des Remparts runs a few guided walks between July and October, in French only; check the official website for dates.
Around here
What to combine with Beaune Ramparts on the same day, nearest first.
Beaune
1 km awayChorey-lès-Beaune
4 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
Guides about Beaune Ramparts
Questions
For the visit, allow 1 to 2 hours.
Did you know? The Saint-Martin bastion, built in 1637, was opened as a public promenade in 1765. Two stone lions guard the stairway up to it, which is why it is called the Square des Lions.
Sources
From Beaune Ramparts into the vineyards
Half-day wine tour from Beaune: €290 for the car, up to 4 guests