Château de Bazoches is the best castle excursion from Vézelay if you want Burgundy history beyond abbeys and vineyards. The fortress was bought in the 17th century by Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban, the military engineer whose fortifications reshaped France under Louis XIV. From here, he worked on plans that reached far beyond this quiet corner of the Morvan.
The château still feels part residence, part command post. Rooms display period furniture, family history, and material connected to Vauban's work, while the terraces look across wooded countryside toward Vézelay. It is close enough to pair with the basilica, but different enough that the two visits do not blur together.