Château de Montrottier, Annecy – Complete Guide to Visit the Castle
The Château de Montrottier is a beautiful medieval castle, right next to Annecy.
It’s an epic sight from the outside, but it’s also definitely worth a visit to see the various collections & rooms inside.
Let’s see everything you need to plan your visit!
Where is the Château de Montrottier
The Château de Montrottier is located in Haute-Savoie, next to the Lac d’Annecy. It’s located west of Annecy, around 20mn from Annecy city center.
Location: Google Maps
The Chateau de Montrottier is right next to the Gorges du Fier, beautiful gorges with a suspended bridge going through the gorges that you should definitely visit too!
How to Get to the Castle
By car
You can drive all the way to the castle, and park right in front in this free parking lot.
From Annecy it’s a quick 20mn drive. Exit Annecy from the south west, and head towards Seynod. Merge on the D16, then merge on the D116 to Lovagny.
You’ll find a couple of free parking lots near the castle. The closest one has a lot of spaces, but quickly gets full during the day. There’s another one right next to it or if both are full, you have another one up the road, only 10mn walk away.
By bus
You can also get to the Montrottier castle by bus. It takes around 1h, with a 15mn walk at the end.
Starting point: Gare d’Annecy – Quai Nord
Bus: L101 to Poisy College
In Poisy College you’ll have to take a second bus.
Bus: L112 to Lovagny.
Once in Lovagny, you’ll need to walk 15mn to reach the castle.
Here’s the full itinerary: Bus Annecy-Chateau de Montrottier
The castle without construction work by Uli & Liz Baecker / CC BY-NC
Chateau de Montrottier Visit Details
Ready to visit le Château de Montrottier? Here’s all the practical information you’ll need.
Length of visit: around 1h
Price: Adults 8.50€, Children 6€, free for kids under 5 years old
7€ if you show your ticket from Gorges du Fier or Château de Menthon. Keep your ticket if you’ll visit these sites after.
Payment: credit card, cash, checks
Closing dates: the castle is closed from November 1st to March 27th
Opening times: 10am-6pm Wednesdays to Sundays + in July/August Mondays 2-6pm & Saturdays 10am-2pm
More details: Chateau de Montrottier Visits Info
Here’s everything you’ll get to visit in the castle:
- Salle des Bronzes
- Salle des Armes*
- Salle des Collections Orientales*
- Salle des Chevaliers
- Salle des Faïences
- Le salon Frérejean
- La Galerie
- Salle des Dentelles
- The gardens
*The Salle des Armes and Salle des Collections Orientales can only be visited on the guided tour. The guided tours starts at various times from the center of the castle, and are offered free of additional charges.
Download the map of the castle here: Castle map
Discovering the Castle
After hiking the demanding La Tournette hike next to the Annecy lake, we needed something chill for the next day. We started the day by walking through the Gorges du Fier on a suspended footbridge, which was an absolutely epic experience!
Right next to the Gorges du Fier is an imposing castle, the Château de Montrottier. It’s literally a 10mn walk from the gorges, and we couldn’t leave without visiting it.
We started the visit by entering the main area, known as the bailey. Right after climbing the stairs to the area, the imposing keep towered above us, absolutely massive.
We strolled a bit around the keep, taking it all in, and seeing the different parts of the castle from outside.
Then it was time to go inside, and see the many rooms open to the visit. Even without entering any room, there’s beauty in the corridors and halls of the castle, with grand decoration and paintings of previous owners.
The Salle des Chevaliers was the next part of the visit. It translates as the Knights Room, and it’s full of ancient weapons and detailed tapestries on the walls.
We continued the visit, checking the other rooms in the castle, including the unusual Salle des Faïences. It translates as Faiences Room and as you’d expect from the name, it’s full of faience. Plates, cups, dolls, and more items make up an impressive collection filling the room.
To finish the visit, we exited the castle, and went outside in the yard. First we enjoyed the view over the surroundings. Forests, mountains and villages across the valley, as seen from the nice vantage point the castle offers.
And finally, we walked all the way to the end of the massive yard, which offers the best view over the castle. Sadly there was construction work when we visited, and they were preparing a reception so there were white tents in the yard.
But even with that, it still made for a grand view over the castle.
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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