Château de Vaire

Château de Vaire sits in the small village of Vaire, in the Doubs department of France's Franche-Comté region, roughly 13 km northeast of Besançon. The residence rises above the Doubs river valley on a hill that has watched over the surrounding countryside since Gallo-Roman times.

How do you get to Château de Vaire?

The château is a short drive from Besançon, the regional capital — head northeast along the Doubs valley to reach the village. Vaire itself is tiny, so this is best treated as a quiet, low-key stop on a route through Franche-Comté rather than a destination for a full day out on its own.

What's the story behind this place?

The hill above Vaire has a history far longer than the current mansion. A Gallo-Roman castrum once guarded the valley here, and in the 11th century the local lord Gauthier de Vaire, a vassal of the County of Burgundy, built a fortified stronghold on the same spot. That first structure met its end through royal politics: after the death of Charles the Bold in 1477, King Louis XI annexed the Duchy of Burgundy and ordered the destruction of any castle that had resisted him — Vaire's fortress was one of them.

The building standing today dates from much later. In 1703, Gabriel Boisot, a procurator general at the parliament of Besançon, obtained the king's permission to buy back the barony of Vaire. It was his son, Jean-Antoine Boisot, who took on the costly project of building the new château between 1713 and 1717, and who also laid out the very first French-style formal garden in Franche-Comté beside it.

The château also had a brush with Napoleonic-era history: in 1814, Prince Aloys of Liechtenstein, commanding three divisions of Austrian troops, set up his headquarters here for six months, positioning artillery on the terraces to exchange fire with Napoleon's weakened Grande Armée. During the Second World War, German forces occupied the building.

What will you see on site?

The main building is a good example of the classical style typical of early 18th-century French residential architecture. Its façades face east-west, the central block features a projecting central section, and above the floor sitting over the basement there's an attic lit by dormer windows, all capped with a flat tiled roof.

The garden surrounding the château is just as noteworthy as the building itself — considered one of the first French formal gardens laid out in Franche-Comté and one of the finest examples of the style in the region. Its design is built around three terraces with two ornamental basins, flower beds, yew hedges clipped into geometric shapes, and grass bowling-green terraces in front of the main façade. Both the château and its garden are today protected as historic monuments.

When's the best time to visit?

The site is open to visitors seasonally, in summer — the restored complex has welcomed tourists since 1992. Visiting hours run 2pm to 6pm: on Sundays in July, on July 14th, and daily throughout August. Outside that window, the best you can do is stroll around the grounds and admire the façade and garden terraces from outside.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is Château de Vaire located? In the village of Vaire, in the Doubs department of Franche-Comté, about 13 km northeast of Besançon, in the Doubs river valley.

Who built the château standing today? Jean-Antoine Boisot, son of Gabriel Boisot who bought back the barony of Vaire in 1703. Construction ran from 1713 to 1717.

Are there any remains of the earlier medieval castle? No — the 11th-century fortress built by Gauthier de Vaire was demolished after 1477 on the orders of Louis XI. What stands today is entirely an 18th-century construction.

When can you visit the gardens and interior? In summer, from 2pm to 6pm: on Sundays in July, on July 14th, and every day in August.