La Cimentelle

Top choice in Yonne


Situated on shady, extensive grounds 6km north of Avallon, this château houses two fantastic family apartments and three luxuriously appointed rooms, each one a bit different. One favourite, Hippolyte, has a free-standing claw-foot tub in front of a fireplace. Don't miss the spectacularly sited swimming pool and the sumptuous tables d'hôte (€46 including drinks). Nathalie, your amenable hostess, speaks English.

Nathalie and her husband Stephane also offer half-day cooking courses for guests (€55, including recipes, shared meal and drinks).


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Yonne attractions

1. Tour de l'Horloge

3.5 MILES

This solid, 15th-century clock tower spans the old city's main thoroughfare.

2. Musée de l'Avallonnais

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Founded in 1862, this wonderful small museum displays a series of expressionist watercolours by Georges Rouault (1871–1958) and an excellent art-deco…

3. Collégiale St-Lazare

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Eight centuries ago, masses of pilgrims flocked here thanks to a piece of the skull of St Lazarus, believed to provide protection from leprosy. The early…

4. Fontaines Salées

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5. Chapelle Ste-Croix

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This Romanesque chapel on the hillside below Vézelay dates back to the 12th century, when Bernard de Clairvaux gave a sermon on this spot to launch the…

6. Basilique Ste-Madeleine

9.38 MILES

Founded in the AD 880s on a former Roman and Carolingian site, Vézelay's stunning hilltop basilica was rebuilt between the 11th and 13th centuries. On the…

7. Maison Jules Roy

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Up near the top of town, the former home of Algerian-born writer Jules Roy (1907–2000) is an enchanting spot with fine views of the basilica. Walk around…

8. Musée Zervos

9.66 MILES

This fantastic museum in the exquisite townhouse of Nobel Prize–winning pacifist writer Romain Rolland (1866–1944) holds the collection of Christian…