• Historic site and monument

Castle of Ripaille: Home of the Dukes of Savoy

Savoie Mont Blanc's choice

Historic, cultural and winemaking centre in Haute-Savoie, the Castle de Ripaille is also one of the biggest and most remarkable natural sites on the banks of Lake Geneva.

Historic site and monument Castle of Ripaille: Home of the Dukes of Savoy Thonon-les-Bains

About

Thonon-les-Bains (74200)
Animals not allowed
Unguided individual tours available permanently
Guided individual tours available permanently
Average duration of an individual visit : 01h00

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

The visit of the site of Ripaille plunges the visitor in the time of the counts of Savoy in the XIIIth century and evokes the reign of the first Duke of Savoy, the great Amédée VIII and the history of the Carthusian monks, owners of the domain from the XVIIth 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 dining room of the Engel-Gros family and the kitchen of the castle are refurnished and put back in function, come and discover this unique reconstitution of the daily life in the Belle Epoque!

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

The Castle is the seat of a Foundation, created in 1976, which works for the conversation, the valorization and the animation of this monument. The preservation of the environment is at the center of its concerns.

* The visit of Ripaille is for 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 reconstitution of the old kitchen of the Château de Ripaille and the dining room of the Belle Epoque: kitchen utensils, original objects, tableware, come and discover the modernity of Ripaille with the automatic windows or the dumbwaiter linking the first floor to the second floor.

- The film "Ripaille through time" in a specially dedicated projection room recounting the history of the Château de Ripaille.

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

- A special tour for children: spend a convivial moment with your family and follow Aymonet Corviaux, carpenter, architect and builder of Ripaille in 1434, through the maze of the castle. This tour will take you from the large terrace with a panoramic view of the lake, to the old cellars and medieval moats.

- The "Workshops in a mess. Wednesdays at Ripaille": creative and educational workshops offered every Wednesday, according to the opening calendar of the Castle.

- A temporary exhibition renewed every year.

Guided tours provided by professional guides.

Services include both the visit and the tasting or the visit, tasting and meal. Many formulas are possible. The Fondation Ripaille will study all requests by email visite@ripaille.fr or by phone 04 50 26 64 44.

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    Prices

    From 10/02 to 10/03/2024
    Reduced price: 9 € (upon presentation of a receipt)
    Adult: 12 €
    Teenager : 6 €
    Family pass: 26 €
    Audioguide: 3 €.

    From 02/04 to 03/11/2024
    Reduced price: 9 € (upon presentation of a receipt)
    Adult: 12 €
    Teenager : 6 €
    Family pass: 26 €
    Audioguide: 3 €.

    Free entry for children < 7 years.
    Junior entry valid for 7 - 17 years.
    Group rate available for > 20 people.

    Methods of payment accepted : American Express, Bank/credit card, Check, Travellers Cheque, Cash

    Reception

    Open to children
    Animals not allowed
    Languages spoken : English, French
    Languages of documentation : Italian, German, English, French
    Languages visits : German, English, French
    Languages audio guide : German, English, French

    Number of meeting rooms: 4. Maximum room capacity: 150. Minimum room capacity: 15. Number of rooms: 16. Maximum group size: 50.

    Opening

    From 08/07 to 31/08/2024, daily between 10 am and 6 pm.

    Labels and rating

    Registered at the monuments and historic sites
    Art Nouveau or Art Déco
    15th C

    Services
    • Shop
    Equipments
    • Parking nearby
    • Coach parking
    • Car park
    • Public WC
    • Exhibition space
    • Entertainments room
    Activities
    • Concert
    • Product tasting
    • Temporary exhibition

    Access

    83 Avenue de Ripaille 74200 Thonon-les-Bains

    • Accessible for wheelchairs with assistance

    More informations

    Information update on 08/07/2024 by Office de Tourisme de Thonon-les-Bains