Photo : Julien Damelet / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Château-Chalon
Famous for its former abbey and its wines, this small village perched on top of a rocky spur has kept the ruins of a fortress built in the Middle Ages to protect a Benedictine nuns' abbey founded on the spot as early as the sixth century. It was the canonesses of this noble abbey who are said to have brought from Tokay the vine stock that was to make the vineyard's reputation: it indeed produces the region's best vin jaune.
The village itself has kept almost nothing of its prestigious past. Nothing remains of the abbey and hardly a few stones of the castle built by Charles the Bald. Most of the activity has moved to the neighbouring town of Voiteur, an excellent starting point for visiting the Manoir des Pins. The latter, rebuilt after the passage of Louis XI's armies, has kept a very impressive look, with its imposing keep bristling with turrets.
