Ripaille Castle - 3000 years of history. One of the most beautiful sites in the region

In Thonon-les-Bains

Ideally located on the shores of Lake Geneva, the Château de Ripaille combines an original combination of medieval architecture and 1900s style. A visit to the château alone justifies the saying: "He who has not seen Ripaille has never seen anything that is not worth it."

With its grandeur, its charm, its memories, Ripaille is one of the most beautiful estates on the shores of Lake Geneva. In the Middle Ages, it was the semi-religious retreat of the first Duke of Savoy, Amédée VIII; in the 17th and 18th centuries, it was a Carthusian convent, protected from the "century" by the high wall that still surrounds it today; in 1900, it was the property of a great industrialist-aesthete; Ripaille has always been a place where residents and visitors come to "recharge their batteries".

A visit to the Ripaille site takes the visitor back to the time of the Counts of Savoy in the 13th century and evokes the reign of the first Duke of Savoy, the great Amadeus VIII, and the history of the Carthusians, owners of the estate from the 17th century until the French Revolution. This fresco ends with the fabulous architectural adventure of the 1900 Restoration when the dream of a great Alsatian industrialist made Ripaille a total work of art!

Since this year, the Engel-Gros family dining room and the Château kitchen have been refurnished and put back into use. Come and discover this unique reconstruction of daily life during the Belle Epoque!

Beyond history, visiting Ripaille means discovering unspoiled nature, an exceptional terroir and magnificent gardens between Dent d'Oche and Léman. Come for a visit, a professional or cultural event, a private evening or to taste the Ripaille AOC wine produced on site.

The Château is the headquarters of a Foundation, created in 1976, which works to conserve, enhance and promote this monument. The preservation of the environment is at the heart of its concerns.*

The visit to Ripaille is aimed at young and old, with:

- The Amédée room dedicated to the presentation of medieval Savoyard civilization through the presentation of stained glass windows, numismatics, and original manuscripts.

- The reconstruction of the old kitchen of the Château de Ripaille and the Belle Epoque dining room: kitchen utensils, original objects, tableware, come and discover the modernity of Ripaille with the automatic windows or the dumbwaiter connecting the ground floor to the first floor.

- The film “Ripaille au fil du temps” in a specially dedicated screening room recounting the history of the Château de Ripaille.

- Free visit of the castle: the Castle can be visited freely from April to October and during school holidays, from Tuesday to Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (closing at 5 p.m. on Saturdays), with the help of paper documentation and audio guides in French, English and German.

A special route for children: spend a friendly time with your family and follow Aymonet Corviaux, carpenter, architect and builder of Ripaille in 1434, through the maze of the Château.

This route will take you from the large terrace with panoramic views of the lake, to the old cellars and the medieval moats.

- “Workshops galore. Wednesdays at Ripaille”: creative and educational workshops offered every Wednesday, according to the Château’s opening schedule.

- A temporary exhibition renewed every year.

Guided tours provided by professional guides.

Services include both the tour and the tasting or the tour, tasting and meal.

Many options are possible. The Ripaille Foundation studies all requests contact by email visite@ripaille.fr or by phone 04 50 26 64 44.

Ripaille Castle

83 Avenue de Ripaille

74200 Thonon-les-Bains

04 50 26 64 44

https://www.ripaille.fr

Prices:

FROM 02/04 TO 03/11/2024

REDUCED RATE: €9 (UPON PRESENTATION OF PROOF)