Location & Local Info

Nearest airport: Paris (300km). Geneva (230km).

Nearest train station: Le Creusot (25km).

Nearest town: Morlet (2km).

 

The Château is located a tiny country village, part of the Commune de Morlet. The village itself consists of only two farmhouses and the château. Morlet – with eighty inhabitants is a little bigger – and is 2km away. The community has its own Mayor.

 

Situated south-east of the Morvan and between Autun and Beaune, the château is an excellent starting point for all sorts of activities. Beaune, Autun, Nolay, Chalon, Dijon, and Chateau Chinon are within easy reach. These provide every kind of touristic and cultural opportunities: museums, festivals, exhibitions. In addition the area includes many châteaux and other historical sites not to mention the world famous winecellars where you can taste (and of course buy) superb Burgundy wines by the bottle or ‘en vrac’ (if you bring your own bottles or containers).

 

At the château you’ll find all the information needed to plan your trips and we are very happy to help you organise them. A bakery, butcher, restaurants, and a small supermarket are only eight km away in the lively if small town of Epinac.

 

Mountain biking: Whatever your level you’ll find the track to suit you. Secondary roads in the area are ideal. We can provide you with route maps for both short and long trips, for the beginner to the most seasoned cyclist. Excellent bicycles can be rented at the château. A number of mountain bike tracks start at the château. They range from easy to quite difficult and from 10 – 50 km. If you choose a starting point farther away we will happily take you there (and pick you up again). These can be done on your own and we are happy to provide route maps but an experienced guide is available if you prefer. The Morvan – the nearby national park – is a fabulous place for mountain biking. There are over 130 well-sign-posted tracks covering over 2,000 km.

 

Walking: The surroundings of the château are made for walking. The château itself is the starting point for a number of trips. The shortest is only 4 km. Several footpaths start near the château and there are hundreds more in the Morvan – the famous national park only 30 km from the chateau. You might run into some pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostella - part of their route leads through the Morvan. Roadmaps for all trips are available.

Suggestion: Instead of a backpack lunch enjoy a sumptuous picnic! The château will prepare it for you and deliver it when and where you choose.

 

Tennis: We have an excellent concrete court which is open whatever the weather. If you forget your racket, we can provide both rackets and balls. It is also possible to play basketball on the château tennis courts.

 

Golf: • The nearest course is in Autun, 20 km from the château, a magnificent 9 hole course. Full sized courses can be found in:

• Beaune at 32 km, 18 holes 6179 m.

• Chalon at 30 km, 18 holes 5859 m.

• Dijon at 70 km, 18 holes 6179 m.

 

Fishing: Angling is very popular in this part of France. You need a permit which we will be glad to obtain for you.

 

Quad-biking: The Morvan is an excellent environment for driving quad-bikes. The adventurous can ride through the steep tracks in these compact, highly manoeuvrable, machines. Sessions can be organised through the château for groups up to eight, lasting from 1.5 hours to one day including a stop and lunch.

 

4x4 Off-roading: For cross country driving in the region you head in the same direction – the Morvan. There you’ll find a special course where you can hire a vehicle and drive with a maximum of four available cars.

 

White water rafting: Rafters head for the Morvan again where rafting is allowed when a torrent descends the hillside, churning over the rapids, when the reservoir sluice gates are opened once a day.

 

Other sports: Horse riding, climbing, and canoeing can be practised at various distances from the château.

 

Culture: Burgundy is one of the finest wine growing areas in the world. It produces such well known names as as Meursault, Pommard, Nuits-Saint-Georges all named after the charming villlages where they are produced. These and other well known villages with their legendary ‘châteaux’ are nearby and are part of different wine routes. Almost all cellars can be visited for wine-tasting and buying whether in bottles or ‘en vrac’ which means that you bring your own bottles and containers. You can find excellent wines at bargain prices. Some châteaux include a restaurant. They offer a complete programme including a guided visit, wine-tasting and dinner. And if – after a couple of glasses and courses – you don’t want to drive home, we will be glad to arrange transport.

 

Chateaux: France is famous for its countless châteaux. A vast number of these splendid places are situated in Burgundy, many of which are open for visits. Well worth mentioning are Château de Sully, Château Brandon, Château de Marguerite en Bourgogne, Château de Rochepot and Château de Couches.

 

Bibracte: The Gauls built the magnificent city of Bibracte in the heart of the Morvan over 200 years ago. It is still an active archeological site and European showpiece for Celtic studies. There is an excellent museum and you can visit the digs whilst enjoying magnificent views.

 

Museums: Burgundy offers many museums that are well worth visiting. The nearest are in Epinac, Autun and Beaune. Information is available at the château. We must mention the famous Hôtel Dieu in Beaune – a beautifully preserved hospital dating from the fifteenth century with its splendid glazed tiled roof and internal architecture and furnishings.

 

Catherdrals and Priories:

These places of devotion are numerous in Burgundy. One of the most attractive cathedrals near the chateau is the marvellous 12th Century Saint-Lazare; it's situated only 20km away, in Autun. The Prieuré de Val St-Benoit – a priory dating from 1237 – is even nearer.

 

Relaxing: - If you want to discover and experience city life in Burgundy: Autun, Beaune, Chalon, Château Chinon and Dijion are the main places to visit. They all offer good shops, markets, squares, brasseries and restaurants, museums, historical monuments, remarkable ancient and contemporary architecture, and numerous street cafés. Each town is well worth a day’s visit.

- If you want to forget about preparing dinner you could visit a restaurant or share the ‘table d’hôte’. This means that you take pot luck with us and share the château menu. If you let us know in time we can provide lunch and/or dinner. There is no menu as such but of course you can let us know your favourites or special requirements.

 

Hot-air ballooning: What about a roundtrip in a hot air balloon in Chalon, or Anost in the Morvan? The weather has to be good of course, but it is well worth the butterflies when you see the views.

 

Children: Burgundy offers plenty of places and activities for children. All this information is available at the château. We’ll mention making pottery, visiting a zoo, an adventure park, driving go-karts and quads. There are also special children’s restaurants, but we pride ourselves that we have provided the ultimate child-friendly environment here at the château. They love it. They can swim, play tennis and basketball, go fishing, enjoy the play ground, build houses, play games and more, all on the premises.