An incredibly beautiful medieval hilltop town with 13th to 15th century fortifications and towers. Once an impregnable fortress. Many old houses, surrounded by small vineyards, serve as a picturesque frame for the imposing cathedral, a monument of architecture of XIII-XVI centuries. The whole town is one of the most spectacular in the whole of France. It takes your breath away and you don’t want to leave.
Château de Tanlé A jewel of Renaissance architecture that grew out of a medieval castle. From the old fortifications are preserved moats, picturesquely filled with water. Exquisite courtyard, unique forms of individual buildings, harmony of the whole architectural ensemble…
In the first century the castle belonged to the Coligny family, the leaders of the Protestants. Admiral Coligny was killed during the Bartholomew’s Night.
Today, part of the castle is a museum, part is private. The museum has preserved unique interiors of salons and living rooms. Of particular interest is the rotunda, where the conspirators gathered and from where a secret passage led outside the castle.
One of the most colourful castles in Burgundy.
Château d’Annecy Le Frank. This château is considered the finest Renaissance palace in Burgundy. It belonged to Anne-François de Poitiers, sister of the famous favourite of Henry II. The palace was built in 1546 to a design by the Italian architect Serlio, who was invited to the court by the French king Francis I.
The chateau has been owned by several old aristocratic families throughout its history. Between the pilasters on the ground floor you can read the Clermont-Tonner family motto “If everyone betrays you, I do not”, which reminds you that in the 12th century Count Cibaud de Clermont, the owner of the chateau, helped restore the Vatican throne to Pope Calixtus II.
The current owners of the chateau, the Princes de Merode, have carefully preserved the authentic 16th-century atmosphere of its interiors. It is a unique monument of the brilliant Renaissance period with enfilades of beautifully restored interiors, where, for example, the Salon des Arts was painted by Primaticcio and the magnificent Guard Room was created especially for the receptions of Henry III…
The park was designed by Lenotre, the creator of the Versailles Park and the French style of park art…
The Abbey of Fontenay. If you want to visit an authentic 13th century monastery, there is probably no more impressive place in France than this abbey. The Cistercian monastery, hidden in woods and fields, striking in its harmony and beauty, restored as it was in the period corresponding to the beginning of the Tatar-Mongol yoke in Russia, is one of the most intimate, protected places in France. You will learn about the struggle between the two main monastic movements of the Middle Ages – the Clunisian and the Sistercian. It was their rivalry that in many ways determined the history of France and the emergence of monastic orders…
Epois Castle. Mighty walls (XV century) and moats. Dovecote of the XV century, Church and residential buildings (XV-XVIII centuries). It was owned by famous French families. It is still inhabited today.
