Can you visit the Château d'Épierre?

No verified visiting arrangements are documented here; the site is mostly viewed from outside and through its natural surroundings.

Why is it called a château if it was a storehouse?

The name stuck by habit, but the building was originally constructed as a farming and wine making outbuilding for the Charterhouse of Meyriat, not as a lord's residence.

What makes this building architecturally notable?

Its suspended floor, which carries the upper level above vaulted cellars, is considered highly unusual for this type of structure.

What remains after the 19th century fire?

The upper floor lost its interior fittings and only its structural walls remain, while the rest of the building fared better over time.

Château d'Épierre (Ain)

Cerdon

Access

No visits on recordNo opening hours or ticketing found

Where: Cerdon

To make a day of it

Open within 20 km

Sleep nearby

This week in the agenda

Château d'Épierre stands in Cerdon (Ain), in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of France. The building is registered as a historic monument (dating recorded in the Mérimée database: second half of the 12th century, first half of the 13th century, 16th century, 18th century). The building is privately owned and no visits are on record.

The château d'Épierre, in Cerdon in the Ain department, is not a lord's residence but a fortified storehouse from the 12th and 13th centuries, built for the Charterhouse of Meyriat to serve its vineyards. The 40 metre long building, flanked by two square towers, rests on vast vaulted cellars thanks to a suspended floor that remains unusually rare. The site sits at the bottom of a wooded valley, close to the Fouge waterfall, which freezes over in winter.

Written from Château d'Épierre (Ain)

What to know

The building has been listed as a historic monument since 2005, covering the house, its farm and the two surrounding plots.
A 19th century fire destroyed part of the interior fittings and ravaged the upper floor, of which only the structure remains.
Visiting involves walking through a valley, with the Fouge waterfall nearby.
No verified information is available here regarding opening hours, admission fees or accessibility.

Where this château is

Cerdon · Ain · Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes

Map of the area around Château d'Épierre

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This châteauChâteaux within 40 km

Address

Cerdon, Ain

Directions open from wherever you are, by car or public transport.

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Heritage status: Registered historic monument (inscrit); Mérimée record PA00116355
Period of construction: second half of the 12th century, first half of the 13th century, 16th century, 18th century

In pictures

Frequently asked

Can you visit the Château d'Épierre?: No verified visiting arrangements are documented here; the site is mostly viewed from outside and through its natural surroundings.
Why is it called a château if it was a storehouse?: The name stuck by habit, but the building was originally constructed as a farming and wine making outbuilding for the Charterhouse of Meyriat, not as a lord's residence.
What makes this building architecturally notable?: Its suspended floor, which carries the upper level above vaulted cellars, is considered highly unusual for this type of structure.
What remains after the 19th century fire?: The upper floor lost its interior fittings and only its structural walls remain, while the rest of the building fared better over time.