Fairy tale Château with a twist
Our destination, the Château de la Rochepot, sitting atop a craggy limestone rock overlooking the tiny village of La Rochepot and the surrounding vineyards of Bourgogne (Burgundy). Located approximately 17km southwest of Beaune, in the Côte-d’Or department, this château was a wonderful diversion from local winery visits.
Château de la Rochepot
The château was originally a 12th-century feudal castle, built by Alexander of Burgundy. It was destroyed by fire in the 13th-century, except for the chapel. It was completely rebuilt in the 15th-century and then fully restored in the 19th-century by Sadi Carnot, son of the French president of the same name.
From the ramparts taking in a view of the garden
We approached the château via a narrow and winding road, surrounded by trees. After parking in the designated carpark, we walked up through the forest enjoying the soft, dappled light and birds’ song. Arriving at the château is like entering a fairy tale. First cross the drawbridge then knock three times on the large wooden door with the knocker. The door opened and we were greeted by a lovely, young and multilingual Frenchwoman. She took the entrance fee and provided details of the tour of the château, which would commence in 30 minutes. Whilst waiting, we explored the garden’s beautifully perfumed roses and marvelled at the well.
Stunning roses in the garden
The well, built in 1228, is 72m deep
Built in 1228, the well had been cut through the solid rock and was 72m deep! We climbed the tower to explore the ramparts, admiring the turrets and the stunning glazed roof tiles that are common throughout Burgundy. Views across the village, vineyards and down to the pretty garden were well worth the climb.
A fairy tale garden at Château de la Rochepot
Across the roof of Burgundian glazed roof tiles
The village of La Rochepot
By the time our tour was due to commence, a party of French tourists had arrived and, so, the tour was conducted in French. We were given a laminated English translation to follow. We were shown through the chapel and the guards’ room, followed by the Chamber of the Captain of the Guards with walls 2.7 metres thick and displaying weapons and armour. We entered the huge, medieval kitchen. The fireplace was enormous, complete with an iron frame that held an example of an iron pressure cooker. The frame allowed the pot to be swung over the fire for cooking and then back for the safety of the cooking staff whilst they attended to the pot. The kitchen was well-stocked with gleaming copper pots, bain-maries, candle moulds and even an 18th-century coffee percolator. There was a small cask, which was filled with wine for the workers to take to the vineyard for the day … very civilised! We were not allowed to take any photographs inside the château but I found this Rick Steeves YouTube to show some of the rooms.
Pretty garden of the château with climbing roses and the ornate well
The final room that we visited was the dining room where we saw a replica of an 11th-century bronze bracelet that was found in the vineyard in 1970. It weighs 1.3kg. The original bracelet can be found in the museum in Dijon. I was amazed to find two chairs covered in tapestries of the famous Flemish series, The Lady with the Unicorn. Coincidentally, at the time of our visit, I was reading a book of the same name by Tracy Chevalier. Later during this same trip, we saw the original tapestries at the Musée du Moyen Age (Cluny Museum) in Paris.
Another view across the garden to the château’s stunning roof
So, what is the twist in this fairy tale you might wonder? Whilst researching for this blogpost, I discovered that, unfortunately, the château has been permanently closed since October, 2018. Why? There is an interesting story and, if you would like to know more, head to Google and search Château de La Rochepot.
À bientot!
Unfortunately the château is now permanently shut
