The 9 most beautiful castles in Hautes-Alpes
9 châteaux
Chosen among 22 recorded castles
What to see in Hautes-Alpes when you only have a weekend: the 9 most visited castles according to their visitors’ reviews, among those open to the public whose visiting conditions we checked on the official website. For each: what you see, the entry price, the link to the full entry.
Ranked by renown: how often their name is searched on Google each month, and how many reviews visitors have left. “Beautiful” is your word; what we measure is what visitors choose.
No. 1
Domaine de Charance
Gap
Perched above Gap, the Charance estate retains traces of a bishops' château reshaped over several centuries, surrounded by a park and terraced gardens laid out from the 18th century onward. The site combines built heritage and preserved nature: terraced gardens, a rose garden and an alpine garden.
Free entryHours, prices and access
No. 2
Château de Tallard (Tallard Castle)
Tallard
Standing on a rocky spur above the Durance river, Tallard castle combines the remains of a medieval stronghold with a residence reworked during the Renaissance. Visitors can see a polygonal curtain wall lined with round towers, a partly ruined keep and a seigneurial chapel decorated in flamboyant Gothic style.
No. 3
Château de Picomtal (Picomtal Castle)
Crots
In Crots, in the Hautes-Alpes, the château de Picomtal raises its medieval towers above the Durance valley.
Adult €12Hours, prices and access
No. 4
Château des Herbeys (Herbeys Castle)
Aubessagne
The château des Herbeys stands at Chauffayer, in the commune of Aubessagne in the Hautes-Alpes, close to the Route Napoléon and the Valgaudemar valley. Built in the 13th century, the building has been converted into a hotel and restaurant, so it is not open to the public as a historic sight in the usual sense.
No. 5
Château de Montmaur (Montmaur Castle)
Montmaur
The château de Montmaur, in the Hautes-Alpes region, is a 14th-century building listed as a historic monument. Every summer its rooms and courtyard host a cultural programme run by the local department council, including concerts, exhibitions and family activities.
No. 6
Château de Lesdiguières (Lesdiguières Castle)
Le Glaizil
At the mouth of the Drac gorge, the ruins of the château at Le Glaizil recall the power of François de Bonne, duke of Lesdiguières and constable of France, who had this residence built in the final third of the 16th century.
No. 7
Château de Saint-Léger-les-Mélèzes
Saint-Léger-les-Mélèzes
In Saint-Léger-les-Mélèzes, in the Hautes-Alpes department, this castle stands on the site of a former Cluniac priory dating from the 13th century.
No. 8
Château de Rosans (Rosans Castle)
Rosans
In the heart of the medieval village of Rosans, in the Hautes-Alpes, stands a residence known under two names, the château de Rosans and the château de Lesdiguières, whose origins trace back to a 14th-century tower.
No. 9
Château de Laragne (Laragne Castle)
Laragne-Montéglin
Standing at the heart of Laragne-Montéglin, this château was begun in 1609 by Gaspard de Perrinet, a Protestant lord of the Barony of Arzeliers who had just settled in the plain after the Edict of Nantes.
Every castle in Hautes-Alpes (22)Which ones open this weekend?
Frequently asked questions
- What is the most beautiful castle in Hautes-Alpes?
- The most visited in Hautes-Alpes is Domaine de Charance, first in this selection according to its visitors’ reviews. All 9 castles listed are open to visitors with checked hours.
- How much does a visit cost?
- The adult entry price is shown under each castle when the official website publishes it; 1 of these castles are free.
- How is this selection made?
- Among the 22 castles recorded in Hautes-Alpes, we keep those open to the public with a photo, then rank by number of Google reviews. No castle pays to appear.