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Montbard

Visit Montbard (Burgundy, France)

Montbard is in the Cote d'Or department of Burgundy, east of Avallon and north of Semur-en-Auxois. The town is best known for its proximity to Fontenay Abbey, but there are a couple reasons why you might like to stop and explore Montbard itself.

Before visiting Montbard a historical note is necessary. The 18th century Georges-Louis Leclerc de Buffon (Count of Buffon) was born at Montbard and has a significant impact on the town and region. He was an important scientist, naturalist, mathematician and writer and had an influence on later scientists in these fields such as Charles Darwin.

Explore Montbard and the Parc Buffon

The highlight of your visit to Montbard is the Parc Buffon on the edge of the town. This is quite an extensive and well maintained parc that includes various features and historical buildings of interest:

- a tower (the Tour de l'Aubespin) that you can ascend for views over the town and region and a church

- the small clinic where Buffon carried out his work

- a second tower (the Tour Saint-Louis), originally Buffon's library

- an Orangerie (attractive stone and glass greenhouse type building), now a Museum dedicated to Buffon

- the grounds themselves. The gardens are a mix of formally planted sections, mostly on the terraces, and more informal woodland walks, and it is a pleasant place for a stroll.

Elsewhere in Montbard there is less of great interest, just a quiet town with a shopping street, a couple of churches and a Musee de Beaux Arts focussing on local artists near the Town Hall. At the town hall take a look at the carved characters in the tower above the clock, beating out the time.

Close to Montbard

Apart from the obligatory trip to Fontenay Abbey, not far from Montbard and in a pretty setting on the edge of the river, the village of Buffon contains the Grande Forge de Buffon (where iron works were carried out).

A second unmissable destination is the picturesque town of Semur-en-Auxois, a few kilometres south of Montbard.

Photos taken within 10 km

Address: Montbard, Cote d'Or, Burgundy, 21500 || GPS: latitude 47.6236, longitude 4.33778

Map of Montbard & places nearby



 

Highlights close by

More suggestions: Montreal 24km; Noyers-sur-Serein 27km; Tanlay castle 31km; Chatillon-sur-Seine 33km; Avallon 35km; Tonnerre 37km; Morvan Regional Park 39km; Saulieu 39km;

See lots more places to visit nearby and a more detailed map at places near Montbard.
See Burgundy and Cote d'Or (the region and department for Montbard) for more travel ideas...

Suggested tourist attractions to visit near Montbard, France

• Abbaye de Fontenay (Montbard) - religious monument
• Abbaye de Fontenay - remarkable garden (4km)
• Fontenay Abbey - heritage site (4km)
• Jardin du moulin de Athie - remarkable garden (9km)
• Potager du château de Lantilly - remarkable garden (9km)
• Alesia - grand site of france (15km)
• Bussy-Rabutin Chateau - national monument (16km)
• Flavigny - most beautiful village (19km)
• Noyers-sur-Serein - most beautiful village (27km)
• Chatillon-sur-Seine - recommended detour (33km)

Market days in Montbard: Regular market(s) are held in Montbard each Friday. (Markets are held in the morning unless stated.)

The French version of this page is at Montbard (Francais)