Among the green hills of Auxois, about halfway between Dijon and Beaune, lies one of those Burgundy hotels worth changing your travel plans for. Château Sainte-Sabine is a genuine 16th-century château surrounded by a vast park, where deer wander among centuries-old trees and the windows offer an almost picture-perfect view of medieval Châteauneuf-en-Auxois. Today, Château Sainte-Sabine is a five-star hotel and a member of Relais & Châteaux, but what makes it special goes far beyond its star rating. It is a wonderfully intimate and quintessentially French place, where you hardly feel as though you are staying in a hotel at all. Instead, it feels more like being a guest at an old country estate – albeit one with an excellent restaurant and a swimming pool.
But before we start…
I’d like to share a link to my Burgundy travel guide with you.
This is more than just a guide, it is a detailed 180-page online travel guide (2026 edition), available to download as a PDF, inviting you on an exciting journey through Burgundy. Immerse yourself in the breathtaking landscapes of the vineyards. Breathe in the rich aromas of cheeses… And taste the irresistible wines of Burgundy… The guide features the best places to visit, stay and eat. With helpful tips and personal recommendations, this guide will help you easily and confidently plan the perfect trip to Burgundy. All details are available at the link.
The château stands in an eight-hectare park in the heart of Auxois – the part of Burgundy where endless vineyards give way to pastoral hills, canals, old villages and fortresses. Around thirty deer live in the grounds of Château Sainte-Sabine (the deer is, in fact, the hotel’s symbol), although you cannot get very close to them, as they live in a private area of the estate, separate from the hotel grounds. On the horizon rises Châteauneuf-en-Auxois – one of the most beautiful villages in France, with its remarkably well-preserved medieval fortress.
The history of Château Sainte-Sabine spans several centuries. The first records of the estate date back to the 15th century, while the château as we see it today began to take shape in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. In the Middle Ages, these lands were known as Lassey – hence, incidentally, the name of the hotel’s restaurant today. The architecture of Château Sainte-Sabine is quite unusual for Burgundy. It combines French and Italian Renaissance influences, while its distinctive corner bastions recall a time when even a country residence still needed to be somewhat defensible. Over the following centuries, the château was altered several times. In the 18th century, the Parisot family made significant changes, while in the 19th century the estate took on a more romantic character: old farm buildings were replaced by stables and an English-style landscape park was created around the château.
The château’s history also has a wonderfully cinematic detail. In 1990, during renovation work, old archives belonging to Château Sainte-Sabine were unexpectedly discovered inside a sealed-up cupboard. The documents, hidden within the walls for decades, made it possible to reconstruct a significant part of the estate’s history. And there is another intriguing connection: one of the château’s former owners had direct ties to the world of 20th-century French show business.
In 1966, Château Sainte-Sabine was purchased by Monsieur Bourgeois – the son of the legendary Mistinguett, one of the greatest stars of the French music hall of her time. From 2011 to 2021, the château was owned by Suzanne and Jean-Louis Bottigliero, well known in Burgundy thanks to Hostellerie de Levernois. They carried out extensive renovations at the hotel, particularly in the guest rooms and bar. In 2021, Château Sainte-Sabine was acquired by Séverine Pétilaire-Bellet, who continued to develop the property into a fully fledged luxury country hotel. Since 2024, Château Sainte-Sabine has been a member of Relais & Châteaux.
I really love the philosophy behind this place. There was no attempt to turn a historic château into yet another ultra-modern designer hotel that, five years from now, will immediately reveal exactly when it was renovated. Quite the opposite: the interiors show a deep respect for the building’s past. Original wooden panelling, traditional French ceilings with exposed beams and grand fireplaces have all been preserved. The rooms are filled with antique furniture sourced from French antiquaires and brocanteurs, vintage engravings, beautiful fabrics, and the iconic wallpapers and textiles of Pierre Frey. Toile de Jouy sits alongside more contemporary pieces, yet everything feels so natural, as though the interiors had gradually evolved here over several generations. This, in my opinion, is exactly what a French château-hôtel should be: a little imperfect, a little old-fashioned, and completely unlike a chain five-star hotel. And yet, the rooms never feel like a museum. Although, actually, I take that back – it is perfect after all 🙂
Today, Château Sainte-Sabine has just 23 rooms – 21 guest rooms and 2 suites – so even when the hotel is fully booked, it still feels wonderfully private. The most impressive option is the Suite Salle des Gardes, measuring around 110 m². With its vast space, historic details and views over the surrounding park, it feels more like having your own apartment inside the château than staying in a hotel room. But to me, the greatest luxury of Sainte-Sabine lies beyond its windows. In the morning, a light mist settles over the park, deer wander across the grass, and in the distance you can see the silhouette of Châteauneuf-en-Auxois on the hill. In summer, there is an outdoor swimming pool surrounded by greenery. You can borrow a bicycle and ride along the Burgundy Canal or cycle to Châteauneuf – around twenty minutes from the château. And if you want to see Burgundy from an entirely different perspective, you can even set off on a hot-air balloon flight directly from Château Sainte-Sabine.
All hotel guests receive one of these signature bags as a gift. But if you are just visiting the restaurant, you can also buy one in the little boutique inside the hotel (where you’ll also find Dijon mustard, aprons, larger bags, candles, cosmetic bags and plenty of other lovely things).
The Lassey restaurant deserves special attention. It occupies one of the most beautiful parts of the château: large windows overlook the park and Châteauneuf-en-Auxois, while the interior continues the botanical theme of the surrounding landscape, with floral fabrics, soft colours and plenty of natural light. Today, the kitchen at Lassey is led by young chef Alexandre Ziane. Before joining Château Sainte-Sabine, he worked at several prestigious French establishments: Le Patio in Arcachon, Domaine de la Bretesche, Le Corot, as well as Alain Ducasse’s restaurant at Le Grand Contrôle in Versailles. In 2024, he worked at La Table de Levernois before taking over the kitchen at Lassey. His cuisine is centred around Burgundy and seasonal produce. The restaurant works closely with local producers, some of whom are based just a few hundred metres from the château. On the menu, you might find Burgundy rabbit with Fallot mustard, local trout, Bresse poultry, seasonal vegetables and herbs – in other words, this is not about trying to impress with a dozen exotic ingredients, but rather a contemporary interpretation of regional French cuisine. A particularly interesting option was introduced in summer 2026 – the Menu du Marché. From May 1 to September 30, a special market menu is served for weekday lunch, changing according to seasonal produce and the day’s deliveries. The starter + main course + dessert menu costs €42, or €49 with cheese. And I think it is a wonderful way to discover the restaurant even if you are not staying at the hotel. Lassey also offers gastronomic menus: three courses cost around €84 and four courses €105. On Saturdays, Château Sainte-Sabine hosts a château brunch from 11:30 am to 2:00 pm, currently priced at €65 per person. The wine list, naturally, places a strong emphasis on Burgundy, ranging from relatively accessible village appellations to Premier and Grand Crus and older vintages. It would be rather strange, after all, to arrive at a château in the heart of Côte-d’Or and find anything else.
But what I loved most about Château Sainte-Sabine was its atmosphere. This is not the kind of five-star hotel that tries too hard to show you just how luxurious it is. Here, luxury is found instead in the sense of space, the silence, the vast park, the view from your window, the old wood, the slightly creaky floors, a wonderfully comfortable bed and the chance to spot a deer almost right outside your window in the morning. The owner herself, Séverine Pétilaire-Bellet, summed up the hotel’s philosophy perfectly: luxury here should never be ostentatious, but expressed through a smile, attentive service and genuine warmth. And this is perhaps one of those rare occasions when a marketing phrase truly reflects the place itself. Every interaction I had with the château’s staff was incredibly warm and friendly – even before I arrived, in our email correspondence.
Château Sainte-Sabine is perfect for two or three peaceful days in Burgundy. It is an ideal base for exploring Auxois: Châteauneuf-en-Auxois, the Burgundy Canal and Pouilly-en-Auxois are all nearby, while Semur-en-Auxois, Flavigny-sur-Ozerain and Fontenay Abbey are a little further away. Beaune and Dijon are both around 40 minutes away by car. And if the wine country of the Côte de Beaune is the Burgundy of vineyards, domaines and wine tastings, this is where a completely different Burgundy begins: green, peaceful and slightly sleepy, with canals, medieval villages, Charolais cattle and châteaux perched on hilltops. Château Sainte-Sabine fits perfectly into this side of Burgundy. I would especially recommend it to anyone looking not simply to spend the night in a beautiful French château, but to truly experience the atmosphere of the Burgundian countryside.
А если вы планируете путешествие по Бургундии, обязательно посмотрите мой большой гид по региону – там собраны самые красивые деревни, винодельни, рестораны, замки и отели, ради которых стоит свернуть с привычного маршрута.
And here you can find my post featuring more beautiful hotels in Burgundy!
