Fortifications dot the strategic Burgundian landscape, ranging from well-defended manor houses to romantic castles bristling with mosaic-roofed towers. Some remain in private hands, having been owned by the same family for hundreds of years. Many of these châteaux, which cost a fortune to maintain, exhibit a rather romantic state of disrepair. We visited three dramatic châteaux on this latest trip, each of which I recommend exploring yourself.

Château de Chastellux

This castle in the Parc naturel régional du Morvan, between Vézelay and Saulieu along the ancient Roman Via Agrippa, has been occupied by the same family for 10 generations (aside from a brief interruption during the French Revolution). The guided tour of the interior, offered three times daily, is only in French, but pages in English describe the rooms well. I was especially taken with the huge, if faded, 17th-century tapestries in the guard room; the grand but cozy wood-paneled library; and the cheerful Palm Bedroom, which retains much of its 1620s décor.

Château de Chastellux
Tel. (33) 6-76-75-83-71