Champlitte

Let yourself be seduced by Champlitte, a Cité de Caractère that will take you on a journey through time. Don’t miss the castle-museum, ready to reveal its treasures and secrets. Champlitte will captivate you with its timeless charm and rich cultural heritage.

©White Vesoul-Val de Saône logo

Champlitte Castle

With its Renaissance façade contrasting with its classical-style wings, the Château de Champlitte is a must-see during your stay! It houses the Musée départemental des Arts et Traditions Populaires (Departmental Museum of Popular Arts and Traditions), offering an insight into everyday life in days gone by. Here you can discover everyday objects and reconstructions of scenes from life that will transport you back in time.

Take a diversion to the Musée départemental des Arts et Techniques, which offers a glimpse of the technical developments of the early 20th century. You’ll discover the machines and tools that left their mark on that era, how they worked and their impact on society.

Explore the castle

A couple cutting grapes in the Champlitte vineyards - Vesoul - Val de Saône — ©Vineyards|Maxime Naegely

A man serves a glass of rosé wine called L'imprévu from the Pascal Henriot estate - in the background is the plot of vines under a beautiful sunset - Champlitte - City of character - Vesoul - Val de Saône — ©Vineyards|Maxime Naegely

Aerial view of the Champlitte vineyards - Harvesters can be seen - Vesoul - Val de Saône — ©Vineyards|Maxime Naegely

Between know-how And traditions

Champlitte is also famous for its Saint-Vincent festival, the patron saint of winegrowers. This annual event, a tradition that goes back more than 400 years, showcases the local wines during convivial festivities. Vines are still grown in Champlitte, notably by Domaine de la Pâturie and Domaine Henriot.

The vineyards of Haute-Saône

In Champlitte Enjoying nature too

The area around Champlitte is perfect for hiking, cycling and even horse-riding. The Lavières trail is particularly recommended. This trail looks back at the history of the vine and how man has shaped these limestone landscapes. A walk along this trail will allow you to discover magnificent panoramas while learning more about the region’s wine-growing heritage.

Dry stone path - Caborde - Champlitte - Vesoul - Val de Saône — ©Caborde|Maxime Naegely

Pilgrims walk the Via Francigena trail - Vesoul - Val de Saône — ©Via Francigena|Maxime Naegely

One step for pilgrims

Champlitte is also a key stage on the Via Francigena, a Council of Europe Cultural Itinerary linking Canterbury to Rome. The office of the European Association of the Via Francigena is located here.

This historic pilgrimage route crosses the Haute-Saône and offers hikers an experience combining spirituality and cultural discovery. Following the Via Francigena through Champlitte means following in the footsteps of the pilgrims of yesteryear and discovering beautiful landscapes.

The Via Francigena

The story linked to Mexico

Champlitte has a unique history of twinning with San Rafael and Jicaltepec in Mexico. It all began shortly after Mexican independence, when Stéphane Guénot, a native of the region, emigrated to Vera-Cruz to found an agricultural and industrial community. In 1833, around a hundred Champlitte residents followed him to Mexico, in search of a better life after the local vineyards had been ravaged by successive frosts.

Today, the twinning arrangement between Champlitte and San Rafael is a strong symbol of cooperation and the French-speaking world, with joint projects such as French language teaching and heritage restoration.