The château is
situated in Burgundy which borders on the Morvan - a vast protected natural park
– and near the finest vineyards of the Cote d’Or. The estate covers 4 hectares
(approximately 2 acres). There is a splendid view from the château over an
unspoilt valley.
The Château is located 500km from Le Havre or 600 km from Calais – motorway all
the way or direct high speed train via Lille from London or Ashford – Eurostar
to Lille and TGV direct to Le Creusot avoiding Paris (six hour total travel
time). The TGV station at Le Creusot/Montceau/Montchanin is only 20 km away. The
estate is hilly and includes forest, grassland and a small lake. Guests enjoy a
swimming pool, tennis court and a fishing pond.
Layout
The largest room in the château is the traditional château annex, the Orangerie
[16 x 4.5m], available for workshops, receptions and dinners. It is adjacent to
the château kitchen. There are four large rooms on the main floor – a library, a
television room with home cinema, a lounge and a sitting room as well as
reception room, hall and toilet facilities. Guestrooms are situated on the
second and third floors [7 and 5 rooms respectively]. Each floor has three
bathrooms and three toilets.
Each guestroom has its own distinctive decoration and atmosphere and can
accommodate between one to four people. So as not to spoil the character of the
château we have kept the toilet facilities in the original blocks. This means
that guestrooms do not have their own bath or toilet. But special attention has
been given to privacy within the grouped facilities to ensure the greatest level
of comfort.
Facilities
• TV with international channels
• DVD home cinema
• VHS video
• Bed linen and bath towels provided
• Kitchen with oven, microwave, dishwasher
• Catering opportunities
• Fire alarm system throughout the château
• Swimming pool
• Tennis court
• Basketball
• Fishing pool
• Four hectares of forest and grassland
Location
The Château is located in Frétoy, a tiny country village, part of the Commune de
Morlet. Frétoy itself consists of only two farmhouses and the château. Morlet –
with eighty inhabitants is a little bigger – and is two km 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 and they
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 wine cellars where you can taste and of
course buy superb Burgundy wines by the bottle or ‘en vrac’ (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 8km away in the
lively if small town of Epinac.
Activities
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 shorter and longer trips
for the beginner to the most seasoned cyclist. Excellent bicycles can be rented
at the château.
MOUNTAIN-BIKING - 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! We
also provide route maps and if you wish we can arrange to drop you off at the
starting point.
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 Frétoy. 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 provide rackets and balls.
BASKETBALL - 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
Fishing 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 1/2 hour to one day including 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
WINE - Burgundy 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.
CHÂTEAUX - France is famous for its countless châteaux. A vast number of these
splendid places is 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 till an active archeological site and european
showpiece for Celtic studies. There is an excellent museum and you can visit the
digs 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.
CATHEDRALS AND PRIORIES - These places of devotion are numerous in Burgundy. One
of the most attractive cathedrals near Frétoy – the marvellous 12 th century
Cathédrale Saint-Lazare – is in Autun, only 20 km away. 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. But of course it will be!
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-firnedly environment in the château. They love it. They can swim,
play tennis and basketball, go fishing, enjoy the play ground, build houses,
play games, run around freely and more, all on the premises.
Click here to view a map of the area
