La Grande Forge de Buffon

About the museum

La Grande Forge was built by the naturalist Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon, to put his experiments on iron into practice. Work began in 1768, the blast furnace was lit in 1769, and the other buildings were completed in 1772. Buffon had owned the estate since 1732. The forge was one of the first factories to bring together the three stages of iron production – blast furnace, affinerie and fenderie – on one site, in separate buildings.

The site consists of a domestic section, organized around a central courtyard, and an industrial section, largely open to visitors. It ran almost self-sufficiently, with a kitchen garden, orchard and farm. Production required about 128 hectares of woodland a year for fuel; it reached 375 tonnes of cast iron in 1778, and 300 to 400 people worked on supplies.

A major flood in 1866 ended iron production. A cement works then used the site until 1923, when fires brought all industrial activity to an end. The same family has owned the property since 1860, now in its sixth generation, and is gradually restoring the buildings with the help of visitors. The forge has been listed as a historic monument since 1943, and the other buildings, facades, roofs and park have been protected since 1985.

Highlights

• Blast furnace, affinerie and fenderie brought together on one site as early as the 18th century
• Historic monument built by the naturalist Buffon between 1768 and 1772
• Guided tours every day in July and August
• Self-guided visit with documentation at reception or with the free app “Balades en Bourgogne”
• Whole estate (courtyard, workers' housing, garden) open to groups and during the Rendez-vous aux jardins and European Heritage Days

Permanent exhibition

• Visite de la forge : haut fourneau, affinerie et fenderie – Route through the industrial part of the forge, which brings together the three stages of iron production; the domestic section is open only on special occasions or to groups.

Operated by

Famille propriétaire (site privé, monument historique)

Admission & discounts

Reduced rate also for visitors from partner sites (notably the Fontenay Abbey, the Ancy-le-Franc château and the Buffon Museum in Montbard). Payment in cash, by card, by cheque or with ANCV holiday vouchers. School groups and foreign-language groups receive specific rates on request.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

Wheelchair users can enter the forge, but the visit may be tiring; a better-suited ramp is planned for the coming years. The upper floor of the Buffon pavilion and the mezzanine of the Grange aux 40 bœufs are not accessible, and no adaptation is planned. Staff are trained to welcome people with disabilities, and a toilet cubicle has been designed for them (public accessibility register dated March 2018).

Kids & families

Free entry for children under 12.

Getting there & parking

From Paris: motorway A6, exit 21, then follow signs to Montbard; from Dijon, about an hour's drive. You can also come by bicycle from Montbard or from the Yonne along the towpath (chemin de halage), or moor your boat at the foot of the forge.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop
• Coat check

Reception looks after bags and helmets. Picnics are not allowed on the estate; tables are about 50 m away along the Canal de Bourgogne, and restaurants can be found in Buffon, Saint-Rémy and Montbard.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit