Can you visit the Château du Grand-Riou?

It is a ruin, and no verified information exists about opening hours or organised visits.

Why is the castle in ruins?

It was burned down in March 1792 during the Vendée wars and was never rebuilt.

How old is the castle?

The surviving structures date from the second half of the 15th century.

What remains of the building today?

Sections of the enclosure wall, a corner tower with a pigeon loft, and a spiral staircase tower from the main residence still stand.

Château du Grand-Riou

Grand-Riou Castle

Lys-Haut-Layon

Access

No visits on recordNo opening hours or ticketing found

Where: Lys-Haut-Layon

To make a day of it

Open within 20 km

Sleep nearby

This week in the agenda

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La Ronde de Nuit au Château de SerrantSat, Nov 7 · château de Serrant32 km
Exposition - Oscar Bernaud et Nathaël AyraultMon, Nov 9 · château de Sanzay28 km

Château du Grand-Riou stands in Lys-Haut-Layon (Maine-et-Loire), in the Pays de la Loire region of France. The building is registered as a historic monument (dating recorded in the Mérimée database: second half of the 15th century). The building is privately owned and no visits are on record.

In the commune of Lys-Haut-Layon, the ruins of the Château du Grand-Riou date from the second half of the 15th century, built in two closely spaced phases. A fire in 1792, during the Vendée wars, left the building in the ruined state it remains in today. Visitors can still make out a corner tower housing a pigeon loft, a spiral staircase tower, and long stretches of the enclosure walls. This is a site for those drawn to fortified ruins rather than a furnished, roofed castle.

Written from Château du Grand-Riou

What to know

These are open-air ruins, with no roof or interior fittings remaining.
The site has been a listed historic monument since 1988.
No verified information is available on opening times, fees or access conditions.
The ground, made up of wall and tower remains, calls for caution when walking around the site.

Where this château is

Lys-Haut-Layon · Maine-et-Loire · Pays de la Loire

Map of the area around Château du Grand-Riou

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This châteauChâteaux within 40 km

Address

Le Grand Riou, 49540 Lys-Haut-Layon

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

Get directions View on a map

3.0 / 5from 1 Google reviews

Heritage status: Registered historic monument (inscrit); Mérimée record PA00109377
Period of construction: second half of the 15th century

In pictures

Frequently asked

Can you visit the Château du Grand-Riou?: It is a ruin, and no verified information exists about opening hours or organised visits.
Why is the castle in ruins?: It was burned down in March 1792 during the Vendée wars and was never rebuilt.
How old is the castle?: The surviving structures date from the second half of the 15th century.
What remains of the building today?: Sections of the enclosure wall, a corner tower with a pigeon loft, and a spiral staircase tower from the main residence still stand.