Montbard

Beautiful old town on the Canal du Bourgogne; Castle hill with gothic town church; Campsite with outdoor pool; Starting point for tours in the area, especially to the Abbey of Fontenay

The city lies on Brenne and the Canal de Bourgogne. The area was settled in ancient times. During the time of the Gauls there was a druid community here. In the Middle Ages, a place developed around the castle. Aleth, the mother of Bernhard von Clairvaux, was born in the castle in 1070. The settlement was granted city rights in 1231. While the castle was a secondary residence of the Dukes of Valois from Burgundy, it was besieged in 1590 by the Count of Tavannes, who fought the Duke of Nemours on behalf of the French King Henri IV. The Canal de Bourgogne opened in 1833. In 1926, Montbard became a sub-prefecture by the decree of Raymond Poincarés.