Chateau Sainte-Sabine

We did not discover Chateau Sainte-Sabine in the usual way. That is to say that we did not choose the destination and then spend days searching for the most glorious accommodation in the area. In fact, we would never have known about Chateau Sainte-Sabine if it weren’t for one of Ian’s former colleagues, who is now the head chef in their restaurant, Le Lassey. Life is full of wonderful accidents. The town, which is in Burgundy, is difficult to reach without a car. Since we prefer not to drive, we knew it would be difficult to get there. But we committed to visiting this year and did not regret the decision. After all, who wouldn’t want to stay in a castle? I spent most of our two-day visit feeling like Belle from Beauty and the Beast. Not just because I was in a castle, but because I did a lot reading. The drive from Dijon to Sainte-Sabine takes about an hour. There is no train and bus service is, at best, extremely limited. (Reality check: the bus runs exactly twice a day, but not every day of the week. There is no service during school holidays. We took a very expensive taxi. It was the best of several bad options available to us. Travel isn’t always glamorous – or affordable! But the memories you create are priceless.) The town itself is not so much a town as a group of houses with a church and a castle. Based on the local war memorial, it seems that a significant portion of the already small population lost their lives between 1914 and 1945. All this is to say that if you do visit Chateau Sainte-Sabine, which I recommend, because it is lovely and because Le Lassey is as delicious as we knew it would be, know that you should not do it the way we did. Come with a car to explore the region, which is known for its wineries, or be prepared for some serious walking, because there is, quite literally, nothing in town, not even a bakery. (A town without a bakery in France is a total anomaly. I’ve never heard of one before Sainte-Sabine.) In some ways, the lack of amenities was positive, as it forced us to slow down and relax. I’ve said it before, but I do not excel at relaxing (and will almost never do it unless forced.) When we weren’t reading in the salon at Chateau, we were taking long walks along the highway to the towns nearby, Chateauneuf-en-Auxois and Vendenesse. Each of them, at least, have a few restaurants. (It is of note that no one recommended walking but we are a bit, let’s say, different. We like to go everywhere on foot if we can; as a result, we met a lot of local cows, which was novel. We also wandered onto a farm that sold wine, an experience we won’t soon forget…! We happily carried half a dozen bottles back to the Chateau in a dusty old crate.) In all seriousness, I highly recommend visiting Burgundy. We have now done twice and I have loved it both times. And if you do, a night at the Chateau Sainte-Sabine would, without a doubt, be a lovely addition to your trip.

Chateau Sainte-Sabine
8 route de Semur – Route départementale 970
21320 Sainte-Sabine
03 80 49 22 01