Flavigny-sur-Ozerain has the official stamp of approval: it’s one of France’s Les Plus Beaux Villages.
In this case, the designation isn’t doing much work.The village would be striking with or without it.
Set on a hill above the Burgundy countryside, Flavigny is compact, quiet, and almost entirely stone, with the remnants of its former abbey still shaping the layout of the town.
You may recognize it as the filming location for Chocolat. The movie used Flavigny’s narrow streets and intact medieval core to stand in for an idealized French village.
What you see on screen isn’t dressed up much. This is simply what the place looks like. Gorgeous.
An Abbey Village, Past and Present
Benedictine Abbey
The Benedictine Abbey is the town’s main site, only site really. Founded in the 8th century, it once consisted of a basilica and monastic buildings for the monks.
Beneath the abbey at Flavigny lies one of Burgundy’s quiet surprises: a rare Carolingian crypt that went largely unnoticed until archaeological excavations in the 1950s.
The abbey preserves a rare Carolingian double-level apse and chapel complex, accessible directly at street level.
The structure is organized on two vertically stacked planes: a lower sanctuary and an upper level that originally opened above it. Together, they create a unified liturgical space.
The lower level has short, sturdy columns with early medieval capitals carved with restrained vegetal motifs.
The vaulting is simple and heavy, emphasizing structure over ornament. This space likely served as a confession or reliquary chapel for pilgrims.
Above it, the upper level once completed the apse composition, forming a ceremonial focal point aligned with the abbey church.
What makes Flavigny unusual is how intact and legible this arrangement remains. Many Carolingian apses were rebuilt in the Romanesque period.
Here, the proportions, column spacing, and overall plan still clearly read as early medieval. It’s a quiet, but significant, survival from a key period in Burgundian history.
Anise Factory
Flavigny’s Anise factory is housed within the former abbey complex, much of it rebuilt in the 18th century. Today, the space functions as a working confectionery, a small museum, and a cafe.
The first documented references to aniseed candies here date to 1591, and the recipe has barely changed since. In 1923, Jean Troubat formalized production and turned the local specialty into a commercial brand.
Nearly a century later, Anis de Flavigny remains one of France’s oldest surviving confections. And one of its most distinctive.
Inside, the Musée de l’Anis exhibits trace the candy’s long history and its ties to monastic life, regional trade, and aristocratic tastes.
You can still see parts of the historic production spaces. And displays explain how a single anise seed is slowly coated with layers of sugar over several weeks, using techniques that date back centuries.
If you opt for the roughly 40 minute guided tour, you’ll watch the sugar-coating process in action and se thousands of candies rattling around in copper vats as they were being squirted with essence of violet, rose, or citron.
The retro shop itself is unexpectedly charming.
As the photos show, it’s arranged around a large wooden counter topped with glass dispensers filled with pale anise pearls, each labeled by flavor.
Colorful vintage tins—rose, orange blossom, ginger, violet, coffee—line the front, while shelves of neatly arranged boxes and tins climb the rest of the walls. It feels orderly, old-fashioned, and gently theatrical without tipping into kitsch.
There’s also a tiny cafe inside, with more seating outside. We had a delicious lunch there, seated among cabinets filled with every imaginable variety of Anis de Flavigny.
Before you leave, it’s hard to resist buying a few tins. The packaging alone is lovely.
Old Town Stroll
One of the true joys of visiting Flavigny-sur-Ozerain is simply strolling through its winding medieval streets.
Many of the houses date from the Middle Ages and Renaissance eras. They’re fetchingly decorated with turrets, spiral stairs, and delicate sculptures.
One of the most beautiful is Maison du Donataire on rue de l’Eglise.
Another is the 17th century Tour Doree, the Golden Tower. It’s a town house built for Roger de Rabutin, the Count of Bussy-Rabutin.
The walls are entirely covered with paintings, including one depicting Bussy-Rabutin as a Roman emperor.
Filming of Chocolate
As you can see, Flavigny-sur-Ozerain is a cinematic dream. So, it’s no surprise that the sleepy village starred in the 2000 film Chocolat starring Johnny Depp and Juliet Binoche.
The directors used the town’s main square, the winding streets, and unspoiled, rustic charm. Filming took about eight weeks.
The town never branded itself around it. So, if you’ll looking for filming locations start at the main square, Place de la Fosse, and wander from there. Most of the sights are easily recognizable.
I hope you’ve enjoyed my guide to Flavigny-sur-Ozerain. You may find these other Burgundy guides useful:
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