Skip to content
Chateaupedia
Château de Thonon, Haute-Savoie

Château de Thonon

Thonon Castle

Haute-Savoie

Access

No visits on recordNo opening hours or ticketing found

Where
Haute-Savoie

To make a day of it

Open within 20 km

Château de Thonon stands in Haute-Savoie. No visits are on record for this building.

The castle of Thonon no longer stands: this 13th-century stronghold, built within the fortified medieval town, was blown up and shelled to ruins in 1591. Its site once hosted the residence of the Counts and later Dukes of Savoy, who made it a political centre in the 15th century, before the later Sonnaz mansion was built there, now home to the Chablais museum. A visit here is about a place of memory rather than a preserved building, set above the shore of Lake Geneva.

Written from Château de Thonon

What to know

  • The medieval castle is gone and no visible structure of the original building remains.
  • The site is now occupied by the Sonnaz mansion, which houses the Chablais museum and the Thonon-les-Bains tourist office.
  • A visit therefore relies on the museum and the old town setting rather than on architectural remains.
  • The location overlooks Lake Geneva, within the historic centre of Thonon-les-Bains.

Where this château is

Haute-Savoie

Map of the area around Château de Thonon

Loading the map…

This châteauChâteaux within 40 km

Address

Haute-Savoie

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

Get directionsView on a map

Heritage status
Protection status unknown

Base map © IGN, Géoplateforme

In pictures

Frequently asked

Can you still visit the castle of Thonon?
No, the medieval castle was destroyed in 1591 and no longer exists; only the site itself, now occupied by the Sonnaz mansion, can be seen.
Why did the castle of Thonon disappear?
It was demolished by cannon fire and mining in February 1591 during the siege led against Duke Charles Emmanuel I of Savoy.
What can be seen today on the site of the castle of Thonon?
The Chablais museum and the tourist office, both housed in the Sonnaz mansion built on the ruins.
When was the castle of Thonon built?
The castle is first mentioned in 1285 under Count Amadeus V of Savoy, with a major rebuilding in the 15th century.

Something wrong here?

Tell us. Every report moves this entry up our verification queue.

Sources

Identity, location and official references from Wikidata and the Mérimée register.

Within an hour’s drive

Do you run this château? Claim my château and improve this entry