Saint-Étienne-La-Varenne: Wine, Château and Views

Saint-Étienne-La-Varenne can be explored through three distinct themes: architectural history at Château des Tours, winegrowing and sweeping views. When planning your trip, it helps to keep these points of interest separate: tastings are associated with the Château, the Romanesque church offers a distinct cultural and historical perspective, and the viewpoint looks out across several landscapes. This can help you decide which aspect of the town interests you most during your stay before you look for a hotel.

Château and Romanesque church

Château des Tours still has a cylindrical, so-called Saracen tower dating from the 12th century. Its shape and date provide a specific point of reference for the Château’s architectural history. The public is welcomed for tastings in the Tour Carrée of Château des Tours. This brings historic architecture and wine together as two distinct visitor experiences. Tasting arrangements may change; if you plan to attend a tasting, check the current conditions in advance.

Saint-Étienne-La-Varenne also has a Romanesque church dating from the 12th and 13th centuries. The two buildings offer different points of emphasis: at the Château, attention is drawn to the cylindrical Saracen tower from the 12th century; at the church, its Romanesque style and dates spanning two centuries are defining features. For those interested in historic architecture, the town therefore offers more than one point of reference. The tower and church can be understood in terms of their distinct forms and dates.

Vineyards and appellations

Vineyards cover 360 hectares in the lower part of Saint-Étienne-La-Varenne, producing Beaujolais Villages and Brouilly. Château des Tours has around 50 hectares of contiguous Gamay vines, all classified as Cru Brouilly. The figures refer to different areas: the 360 hectares describe winegrowing in the lower part of the town, while the approximately 50 hectares refer to the Château’s contiguous vineyards. To get an overview of local winegrowing, it is worth considering these figures separately. The appellations also each have their own context: Beaujolais Villages and Brouilly are named for the lower part of the town, while the Château’s Gamay vineyards are all classified as Cru Brouilly.

Views and nature

At the western edge of the town, a viewpoint overlooks the Beaujolais hills, the Monts du Lyonnais, La Dombes, Le Bugey and the Alps, including Mont Blanc. The views mentioned range from hills and wider landscapes to the Alpine panorama. Les Landes du Beaujolais is designated as a nature reserve. The landscape therefore presents two distinct aspects: the specific panorama from the viewpoint and the protected-area designation of Les Landes du Beaujolais.

Practical planning

For travellers with a motorhome, there is a service area in the town centre with facilities for changing the oil, filling up with water and charging batteries. This information may be helpful when planning a motorhome trip, but it does not indicate anything about hotel facilities. Since visitor services can change, check the service information again before you set off. If you are choosing your stay mainly for its architecture, wine or landscape, you can compare these specific features of the town with your own travel interests.

Discover more destinations: Blacé, Ambérieux, Lantignié, Saint-Germain-Au-Mont-D'or, Francheville, Gleize, Quincié-En-Beaujolais, Charbonnières-Les-Bains.

Back to the regional travel overview: Rhône.