Chablis

Chablis is a pretty little village on the banks of the River Serein. Called the "Golden Gate" of Burgundy, it is famous the world over for its white wines.

Visitors enter through the turreted towers of the Porte Noël gateway, opening on to narrow stone streets and houses dating from the XIV th to XVI th century.

The first written quote Chablis back to the year 867, when King Charles the Bald, grand-son of Charlemagne, donated the "cellam Capleiam (Chablis monastery), its churches, houses and vineyards.

"These fleeing Normans, took refuge with the relics of St. Martin from 872 to 877. Therefore, religious settled in Chablis, planted vines and set value that already existed". Since the Middle Ages, wine was exported to England Chablis by Rouen, to Picardy and Flanders via Compiègne.

Therefore, the village of Chablis developed

• the "high city" with St Peter's Church, the Hôtel-Dieu from the 12th century, Saint-Cosme priory which was built in the 12th century by the monks of the Premontré order. Joan of Arc slept there, one night in February of 1429, on her way to Chinon. and
• the "lower city" around the Saint-Martin collegiate church, started in 1160, was one of the first French churches of Gothic design. It is the miniature copy of the cathedral of Sens St-Martin.

It's the Hundred Years War which explains that at the beginning of the XV century, they raised the walls of the "lower city" with 29 square towers, 3 doors and 3 posterns, known as "St. Lawrence", "On Master" and "Chenneton".

In 1478 Peter the Red obtained the Royal Privilege to establish the fifth printing Chablis France.

1568: Black February for Chablis: the Wars of Religion ablaze the city Chablis was sacked by the Huguenots, but the "lower city" dodged the fire that had ravaged the Faubourg Saint-Pierre ("high city") by the payment of a ransom. We had to wait long for Chablis to recover.

The Petit Pontigny is a set of buildings, surrounded by walls, that is the center of all festivities and ceremonies of Chablis and its famous vineyards. The cellar, dating from the 12th century, is now the only original building of what was once the property of the monks of Pontigny.

We offer "Burgundy" Day Trips by Minivan with visit of Chablis village, Beaune with Two Wine Tastings in Small-group or as Private Experience starting in Paris.