Château de Menthon-Saint-Bernard, Annecy – Complete Guide
The Château de Menthon-Saint-Bernard is a medieval castle from the 12th century, next to Annecy and its lake.
This castle has been owned by the same family for close to 1,000 years and now you can visit it!
Let’s see everything you need to plan your visit, including photos & location of the best view over the castle.
Where is the Château Menthon Saint Bernard
The Château Menthon Saint Bernard is located in Haute-Savoie, next to the Lac d’Annecy. It’s located south east of Annecy, around 20mn from Annecy city center.
Location: Google Maps
The castle is on the eastern side of the lake, on the opposite side of Sevrier. It’s right above the Roc de Chère, a nature reserve with a great hike to epic viewpoints over the lake.
How to Get to the Chateau de Menthon St Bernard
By car
You can’t drive all the way to the castle, but you can get pretty close in a private road right before the castle.
From Annecy it’s a quick 20mn drive. Exit Annecy from the south east, and head towards Veyrier-du-Lac on the D909. Follow the D909 for 17mn, until you reach the Col de Bluffy. There, take a sharp right on the Route du Col de Bluffy and then finally merge on the small path following the signs “P Château”.
You’ll find a couple of free parking lots near the castle. You can basically leave your car anywhere you find big empty spots along the road, and there will probably already be some cars there. From the parking spots, it’s a short 5mn walk to the castle.
By bus
You can also get to the Chateau Menthon St Bernard by bus. There’s no direct bus to the castle, but it will get you pretty close. It takes around 1h, with a 15mn walk at the end.
Starting point: Annecy – Avenue du Parmelan
Bus: L052 to Talloires-Montmin, rt des vignes
Stop: get off at the 10th stop “Menthon St Bernard, Chef Lieu”
Once in Menthon, you’ll need to walk 25mn to reach the castle.
Here’s the full itinerary: Bus Annecy-Chateau de Menthon
Chateau Menthon St Bernard Visit Details
Ready to visit le Château de Menthon St Bernard? Here’s all the practical information you’ll need.
Length of visit: around 45mn
Price: Adults 9.50€, Children 5€, free for kids under 6 years old
Discount if you show your ticket from Gorges du Fier or Château de Montrottier. Keep your ticket if you’ll visit these sites after.
Closing dates: the castle is closed from November 16th to April 4th
Opening times:
- July/August: every day noon to 7pm
- Other months: only Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays 2pm-6pm
More details: Chateau de Menthon Visits Info
The visits are guided tours in French only. They’re conducted by actors in costumes, and take you through the history of the castle in a theatrical way. You can request an English leaflet at the ticket booth.
Discovering the Castle
We started the day by hiking on the Roc de Chère, a nature reserve on the shore of the Annecy lake. From one of the several viewpoints on the hike, we got a first view of the Château de Menthon-Saint-Bernard.
It looked pretty epic from the distance, and it was only logical that we decided to visit it after! As it’s one of the most popular attractions in the area, we didn’t want to visit in the middle of the day. We actually drove back to Annecy to get lunch, and chill at a local café.
Towards the end of the afternoon, we drove back to Menthon, and parked right next to the castle. On the small forest path leading up to the castle, we got a first view up close, with the massive towers and horses in the field below.
We started by walking around the base of the castle, waiting for the guided tour to begin.
And then, it was time to go in! We climbed the main stone staircase leading up to the entrance. The visit starts in the inner yard, covered by a sumptuous half-timbered frame.
The first room of the visit is the chapel. This small but richly decorated room is the private chapel of the castle, used by the residents over the years.
After the chapel, we were taken to the kitchen, a massive room with huge chimneys. One cool thing about the kitchen was the ancient dumbwaiter: a small train going through a 15 meters tunnel (49 feet) across the different rooms of the castle to bring food.
The room from the kitchen lead us to the library. This room is filled to the ceiling by books, some older than the 1798 French Revolution. There’s a total of 12.000 books in that library!
The most luxurious room we visited was the next one, the Grand Salon (Great Living Room). It’s decorated with fine tapestries, and portraits of the various owners of the castle over the years.
The visit of the castle ends with the Countess Room, last used in the end of the 20th century.
Though this was the end of the guided tour, there was still a lot to discover at the castle. We climbed down the stairs to the main yard, and followed the outdoor path circling the castle.
This lead us to a huge terrace, with a stunning view over the surrounding mountain and the Annecy lake.
On the left of the terrace, we climbed down the small steps leading to the garden. It’s a beautiful well-maintained garden, the perfect place to stroll at the end of the day and enjoy the beautiful plants & flowers around.
In the very back of the garden, we found animals. A few sheeps grazing in the grass, birds, and some stunning peacocks!
As the light started to dim, the castle was closing down. It was time to get back to the car, and head home. I felt like we had seen the castle from up close, but I was missing the grand view from the distance. I spent a few minutes on my phone, trying to find the best place to get a view of the castle.
Best Viewpoint over the Castle
To get the best view over the castle, you’ll have to drive back on the D909 to Annecy. If you take this road on your way to the castle, you might have seen the castle in your rear view mirror.
The perfect spot is right after La Ferme de la Charbonnière, a massive farm on the side of the road.
Here’s the spot: Château de Menthon viewpoint
If you drive past the 2 houses at the bottom, you drove too far
The viewpoint is easy to spot, it’s right along the main road: there’s a stopping area with a sign, and you can see the castle in the distance.
This last photo is not from the viewpoint but from a drone
Visit Haute-Savoie
Planning your trip to Haute-Savoie? You’ll find below a few other travel guides & key spots to see in the area.
Best hikes around Annecy:
Great outdoor destinations near Annecy:
The BIG guides:
I hope you enjoy your trip to Annecy and to France; if you have any questions, let me know in the comments below, I always reply.
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Thank you for your very informative post. We’ll be there in mid September 2022. We’ll basically follow your advice. We’ll also visit Gorges du Fier, and it’s nice to know about the discount.
Hi Lan! Thanks for your comment, we’re glad it was useful to you 🙂 Hope you enjoy your trip, it’s a very beautiful region, especially in September (with less hot temperatures).