Above: View from Château de la Rochepot

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.

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