Wine experiences by appointment, trails of varying lengths, and historic buildings offer several possible focuses for a stay in Charentay. The commune is part of a tourism project around the Mont Brouilly area; cultural landmarks such as Château de Sermezy and Saint-Martin Church are also in Charentay. When planning your visit, it is worth deciding first whether tastings, hiking, or architecture will shape your stay.
Wine Experiences and Mont Brouilly
Charentay is one of six communes in the Mont Brouilly tourism project for the Brouilly and CĂ´te de Brouilly appellation area. The visitor project at Mont Brouilly includes a geoscope, two discovery trails of 1.5 and 3 kilometers, a viewpoint by the chapel, and Clos Vitis with its trail. The distances provide a practical guide for choosing between the two discovery trails, without specifying a walking time.
Charentay also has experiences suited to a wine-focused stay. Château de la Brasse offers wine tastings by appointment. At Domaine du Château de la Valette, you can take guided tours of the vineyards and wine cellar by appointment. The experiences offer different perspectives: a tasting in one case, and a guided introduction to the vineyards and cellar in the other. Arrange your preferred dates in advance.
An experience at the Tour de la Belle-Mère combines a wine tasting with a guided tasting and a mâchon featuring local products. The tower itself is 35 meters high, dates from the 19th century, and serves as a landmark in the Beaujolais landscape. If this experience suits your stay, check the event dates in advance.
Choose Trails by Distance
The distances given can help you compare options for a walk or hike: the Mont Brouilly project's discovery trails are 1.5 and 3 kilometers long. A hiking loop just under six kilometers long starts in Charentay and goes around Château de Sermezy. It is therefore the longest of the options listed here. The distances do not indicate the difficulty or walking time, so make your choice based on the distance you want to cover.
The Mont Brouilly project and the hiking loop around Sermezy are separate experiences. If you want to combine trails with other stops, the visitor project offers not only discovery trails but also the viewpoint by the chapel and Clos Vitis with its trail. The loop around Sermezy, by contrast, has a clear connection to a historic building and starts in Charentay.
Châteaux, Church, and Architectural History
Château d’Arginy is a historic building in Charentay. Its main construction phases date from the late 12th century, the late 15th century, and the early 16th century. Its facades and roofs, outbuildings, and moats are partially protected as historic monuments. Its multiple construction phases place the château in a different historical period from Château de Sermezy.
The main building of Château de Sermezy was built in 1776. The château is an example of the local architecture of stately country residences. Since October 25, 1988, its facades and roofs, as well as parts of its interior, have been partially protected as historic monuments: the grand salon, billiard room, library, and a room on the first floor. This room is north of the main staircase, along the west facade. The protection applies to these specified areas, not to the building as a whole.
Saint-Martin Church also preserves a specific work of art: its choir contains a polychrome wooden statue of Saint Martin. The statue dates from the mid-19th century and is protected as a movable cultural asset. The Chapelle Saint-Pierre in Charentay is another religious building; it was built in the Middle Ages. Together with the châteaux, the church and chapel offer a distinct perspective on the area's architectural and cultural history.
Plan a Stay That Suits You
If you plan to take a tasting or guided tour, keep in mind that local wine experiences must be arranged in advance. For a day on foot, you can compare the stated trail distances; those with a particular interest in history and architecture will find different points of interest in the châteaux, the statue in Saint-Martin Church, and the Chapelle Saint-Pierre. This makes it easier to find hotels that match the focus of your stay in Charentay.
Discover more destinations: Saint-Pierre-La-Palud, Saint-Cyr-Au-Mont-D'or, Montagny, Ambérieux, Mions, Messimy, Saint-Étienne-Des-Oullières, Civrieux-d’Azergues
For the broader travel guide: RhĂ´ne.
