Can you still see the château de Montanier in Samoëns?

Its ruins, reduced to a partial enclosure wall, can be seen within the Jaÿsinia alpine botanical garden, where they have stood since 1906.

How old is the château de Montanier?

It was probably built in the 13th century and became the seat of a local lordship in the early 14th century.

Why is the château de Montanier in ruins?

It was destroyed in 1476 when Samoëns was burned during the Burgundian Wars and was never rebuilt.

Is the château de Montanier a listed historic monument?

Yes, the Jaÿsinia garden together with the castle ruins has been listed as a historic monument since a 2016 order.

Is the château de Montanier also called la Tornaltaz?

Yes, that is its local name, derived from Franco-Provençal and roughly meaning high tower, still commonly used.

Château de Montanier

Montanier Castle

Samoëns

Access

No visits on recordNo opening hours or ticketing found

Where: Samoëns

To make a day of it

Open within 20 km

château des Rubins (Rubins Castle)from €7.5020 km

Sleep nearby

manoir des BronsAccommodation on site24 km

Château de Montanier stands in Samoëns (Haute-Savoie), in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of France. The building is registered as a historic monument (dating recorded in the Mérimée database: 20th century). No visits are on record for this building.

The ruins of the château de Montanier, also known as la Tornaltaz, stand on a rocky spur overlooking Samoëns in Haute-Savoie. Built in the 13th century, this former stronghold was the seat of a local lordship in the Faucigny region before being destroyed in 1476 during the Burgundian Wars. Since 1906, what remains, a near-circular enclosure of roughly seventy metres, has been incorporated into the Jaÿsinia alpine botanical garden. Visitors come less for a standing castle than for a quiet ruin set within a mountain garden.

Written from Château de Montanier

What to know

The site is visited as part of the Jaÿsinia alpine botanical garden, of which it forms an integral part.
Only a partial enclosure wall survives from the castle, no tower or residential building still stands.
The site sits on high ground above the town of Samoëns, so reaching it involves walking uphill.
The whole ensemble, garden and ruins included, has been listed as a historic monument since 2016.
No opening hours or admission fees could be confirmed for this listing, visitors should check directly with the garden.

Where this château is

Samoëns · Haute-Savoie · Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes

Map of the area around Château de Montanier

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This châteauChâteaux within 40 km

Address

Samoëns, Haute-Savoie

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

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Heritage status: Registered historic monument (inscrit); Mérimée record PA74000031
Period of construction: 20th century

In pictures

Frequently asked

Can you still see the château de Montanier in Samoëns?: Its ruins, reduced to a partial enclosure wall, can be seen within the Jaÿsinia alpine botanical garden, where they have stood since 1906.
How old is the château de Montanier?: It was probably built in the 13th century and became the seat of a local lordship in the early 14th century.
Why is the château de Montanier in ruins?: It was destroyed in 1476 when Samoëns was burned during the Burgundian Wars and was never rebuilt.
Is the château de Montanier a listed historic monument?: Yes, the Jaÿsinia garden together with the castle ruins has been listed as a historic monument since a 2016 order.
Is the château de Montanier also called la Tornaltaz?: Yes, that is its local name, derived from Franco-Provençal and roughly meaning high tower, still commonly used.