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Historic Village of Talant (Site historique de Talant)

A hilltop village founded by the dukes, with a Gothic church and views over Lac Kir.

  • Heritage site
  • 44 min from Beaune
  • Allow 1 hour
  • Talant

€120one way from Beaune with a private driver

Book a driver here 
Site historique de Talant
Photo: ascarface, CC BY-SA 3.0

At a glance

Location 35 km north of Beaune · Côte-d'Or
See it on the full map
Nearby
Dijon
Official website
talant.fr⁠

Getting there

Private driver from Beaune: 44 min by road (48 km), €120 one way for the whole car.

Or add it to our full-day wine tour, €560.

Coming by train or plane? Transfers from stations and airports →

About the place

Old Talant stands on a rocky spur on Dijon's north-western edge, above Lac Kir and the city. Duke Eudes III began a fortress here in 1208. The castle has gone, but the village keeps old houses, a medieval cellar and the Gothic church of Notre-Dame, glazed with modern windows by Gérard Garouste.

What you will see

Wander the quiet lanes of the old village and look out from the edge of the plateau over Lac Kir and the roofs of Dijon. Inside Notre-Dame, the Gothic nave is lit by Garouste's modern figurative windows, a bold contrast with the medieval stone. Statues from several centuries line the walls. Look too for the 13th-century Tour de la Confrérie, one of the last traces of the ducal fortress.

History

In 1208 Duke Eudes III of Burgundy began building a fortress on the hill, and a small fortified town grew up around it. The ducal castle was dismantled under Henri IV, and its demolition was contracted in 1598. Only an underground cellar and a 13th-century tower survive. The church of Notre-Dame was completed in the 14th century and consecrated in 1430.

The church has been listed as a historic monument since 1908. In the early 1980s a project began to give it figurative stained glass by the painter Gérard Garouste, honouring women of the Bible. The organ, built in 1958 for the church of Taizé, was bought by the town in 1974, and in 1996 a Swiss organ builder gave it its present form and sound.

Planning your visit

Tips for your visit

The village is a short drive from central Dijon and pairs naturally with Lac Kir below. The town arranges guided visits of its heritage on request. There is a picnic area for a summer lunch. Check the official website for opening times of the church.

Around here

What to combine with Historic Village of Talant on the same day, nearest first.

The full events calendar →When to visit →
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Questions

Historic Village of Talant is about 44 min from Beaune by road (48 km). With a private driver, the trip from Beaune starts at €120 for the whole car, up to 4 guests.

Did you know? Notre-Dame de Talant is one of the few churches in France fitted entirely with figurative modern stained glass. Gérard Garouste's windows pay tribute to women of the Bible.

Sources

Historic Village of Talant with a private driver

€120 one way from Beaune · up to 4 guests

Book a driver here