Where Chablis actually is
Chablis lies in the Yonne department, roughly 180 kilometres from Paris and 150 from Dijon. It is the northern gateway to wine-growing Burgundy: an isolated vineyard, halfway between Champagne and the Côte-d’Or, whose latitude explains a good deal of its character.
The village grew up around the valley of the Serein, a quiet river that cuts the vineyard in two. On the right bank, a single slope facing south-west carries the seven Grands Crus. On the left bank and on the plateaux, the Premiers Crus and the village appellations spread across some twenty communes.
Access is mainly by the A6 motorway, leaving towards Auxerre or Nitry depending on where you come from. Auxerre, the departmental capital with its railway station, is about twenty kilometres away.
The vineyard & tastings
Understanding the Kimmeridgian, the four appellations and the seven Grands Crus. Then how to behave in a cellar, which is even more useful.
Read the guide
Things to do in the Yonne
Cistercian abbeys, Renaissance châteaux, medieval villages and a turquoise spring at the bottom of a washing pool: all within an hour.
Read the guide
What to do in Chablis when you are not drinking
The centre can be walked in twenty minutes. You will find food shops, a few restaurants, a collegiate church, tasting rooms, and stone archways opening onto the courtyards of wine estates.
The banks of the Serein offer a flat, shaded walk, reachable with a pushchair from the house. The weekly market is the moment to try the cheeses of the Yonne — soumaintrain and époisses above all — and to put lunch together without turning on the oven.
The Vinéa Passion museum traces the history of the local vine and wine; check its opening hours by season. And on the last weekend of October, the wine festival transforms the village for two days: the most sought-after date of the year.
Everything is close, including what you did not expect
| Destination | Approx. distance | Why go |
|---|---|---|
| Auxerre | ≈ 20 km | Cathedral, Saint-Germain abbey, old town and station |
| Pontigny Abbey | ≈ 15 km | One of the largest Cistercian churches in France |
| Tonnerre | ≈ 18 km | The Fosse Dionne and the 13th-century Hôtel-Dieu |
| Château de Tanlay | ≈ 25 km | A moated Renaissance residence |
| Noyers-sur-Serein | ≈ 30 km | One of the Most Beautiful Villages of France |
| Château d’Ancy-le-Franc | ≈ 35 km | A Renaissance palace designed by Serlio |
| Vézelay | ≈ 60 km | Romanesque basilica and World Heritage hill |
| Paris | ≈ 180 km | Where most of our guests set out from |
Indicative road distances, to be checked against your own route.
Frequently asked questions
How do you get to Chablis?
Do you need a car once you are there?
When is the Chablis wine festival?
Live in the village, not just visit it
The house is in Chablis itself, on rue Jean Jaurès. Send us your dates and make it your base.