2 Best Sights in Clos de Vougeot, Burgundy

Although it wasn’t completed until the Renaissance, construction on Château du Clos de Vougeot was actually begun in the 12th century by Cistercian monks from neighboring Cîteaux who needed wine for Mass and wanted to make a diplomatic offering. It's best known as the seat of Burgundy's elite company of wine lovers, the Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin, who gather here in November at the start of an annual three-day festival, Les Trois Glorieuses. You can admire the château's cellars, where ceremonies are held, and ogle the huge 13th-century grape presses, marvels of medieval engineering. There are also regular photo exhibitions and concerts. Sixty-minute guided tours (€15) leave at 10:30 am and 2:30 pm daily, with an additional tour at 4:30 pm every day except Saturday. Guided tours in English (daily at 11:30 am and 3:30 pm) need to be reserved in advance.

Robert de Molesmes founded the austere Cistercian order at this abbey near Clos de Vougeot in 1098, and the complex has housed monks ever since. Destroyed and rebuilt over the centuries, it is, understandably, a mix of styles and epochs: 13th-century cloisters, a 16th-century library, and a large, imposing 18th-century main building form an eclectic ensemble. From D996, follow signs pointing the way along a short country road that breaks off from the road to Château de Gilly, a four-star hotel. Call ahead for a guided tour.