Holiday rentals in Château

Five kilometres from the town of Cluny — one of the most important centres of Christianity in the Middle Ages — Château is a village in the eastern French department of Saône-et-Loire, which is part of the Burgundy region. Only a few hundred people live in this agricultural community, a cluster of traditional granite homes and converted farm buildings lining narrow country roads.

The French word ‘château’ means ‘castle’, and the most imposing feature of the village is the rocky promontory where a ninth-century castle used to stand. Today, its history is preserved by a church on the site called Église Saint Martin, which overlooks the village. Meandering around this quiet spot in the Repentir Valley will take you up and down lush rolling hills and through patchworks of fields and wooded groves. You’re only a half-hour’s drive from Mâcon, which draws visitors to wander amid its pastel-hued riverfront buildings and octagonal cathedral towers.

As Château is a small village, it is pretty quiet here all year round. Summer is the most popular time to book accommodation for rent. Temperatures are at their highest then, the trees are in full bloom, and flowers like the cow-leaf are resplendent. In neighbouring Mâcon, jazz shows, open-air film showings, and dance performances make up the Été Frappé, a summer festival that runs from late June to late August. In the winter months, temperatures fall and the snows and rains set in, so you’ll want to pack warm layers for chilly walks in the countryside.

Cluny Abbey

Few abbeys in Europe can boast the importance of the Benedictine abbey at Cluny, founded in the early 10th century, which once housed one of the largest churches in Europe. Most of the buildings in the complex date back to the 18th century, but a 3D film gives you an impression of the site as it would have looked in medieval times. A walk up the tower known as the Tour des Fromages gives you a commanding view across the abbey complex and the town itself.

Berzé-le-Châtel

One of the best-preserved castles in this part of France, Berzé-le-Châtel lies around 20 minutes from Château. The 800-year-old building boasts 13 towers along with attractive terraced gardens. Its location on a rocky spur offers views across the famous valleys and vineyards of the Burgundy region.

Prehistoric Museum at Solutré

One of the most memorable geological formations in southern Burgundy is the Rock of Solutré, a limestone peak rising majestically over the Saone Valley. The Musée de Préhistoire de Solutré is built into the rock itself. This small museum details prehistoric life from around 50,000 years ago, uncovered through a series of excavations that started in the mid-19th century.