The 10 most beautiful castles in Isère
10 châteaux
Chosen among 175 recorded castles
What to see in Isère when you only have a weekend: the 10 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
Château de Vizille (Vizille Castle)
Vizille
Built at the start of the 17th century in Vizille, in the Isère region, this castle was the residence of the Duke of Lesdiguières, constable of France and a close companion of Henry IV.
No. 2
Château de Chapeau Cornu (Chapeau Cornu Castle)
Vignieu
The château de Chapeau Cornu stands in the commune of Vignieu, in the Isère département. Its north tower is thought to date back to the 14th century, though the building only gained the formal title of château in 1601, along with judicial rights over Vignieu and several neighbouring villages.
No. 3
Château de Septème (Septème Castle)
Septème
Set on a hilltop above the village of Septème, in the Isère region, this castle complex combines the remains of an 11th-century fortress, a fortified enclosure about one kilometre long dating from the 13th century, and a residence built in the 14th and 15th centuries and later reworked during the Renaissance.
Adult €11Hours, prices and access
No. 4
Château de Virieu (Virieu Castle)
Val-de-Virieu
Set on a hillside overlooking the Virieu valley and the Bourbre river, this castle began as an 11th century earthen motte and still retains its enclosed inner courtyard, pepper pot towers and battlemented walkway.
Adult €9Hours, prices and access
No. 5
Château de Pupetières (Pupetières Castle)
Châbons
In Châbons, in the Isère department, the château de Pupetières owes its present appearance to Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, commissioned by the Virieu family to rebuild in neo-Gothic style the medieval stronghold dating back to the 13th century.
No. 6
Château de Bressieux (Bressieux Castle)
Bressieux
Perched on a spur of the Chambaran foothills, the ruins of Bressieux castle overlook the Bièvre plain from a keep that still rises 23 metres high. Built of pink brick in the 13th century on an older fortified site, the structure retains its twin round gate towers, a deep dry moat and the remains of a lord's residence.
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No. 7
Château d'Anjou (Anjou Castle)
Anjou
The Château d'Anjou stands in the Isère department, facing the Château d'Albon across the Valloire river. Built in the 18th century, it belonged to the Jourdan family from 1794, who set up a cloth mill on the estate, of which nothing remains today.
No. 8
Château du Touvet (Touvet Castle)
Le Touvet
In the Grésivaudan valley, between Grenoble and Chambéry, the château du Touvet stands on a site that once marked the border between Dauphiné and Savoy.
Adult €11Hours, prices and access
No. 9
Château de Roussillon (Roussillon Castle)
Roussillon
At the heart of the town of Roussillon, in the Isère department, stands a pleasure château built in the mid-16th century for Cardinal François de Tournon, the only Renaissance-style castle in the area.
No. 10
Château de Bon Repos (Bon Repos Castle)
Jarrie
In Jarrie, south of Grenoble, the Bon Repos château stands with its rectangular main building flanked by four corner turrets, built at the end of the 15th century on older medieval enclosure remains. The roof collapsed in 1917 and the building long bore the marks of that neglect before the town took it over.
Every castle in Isère (175)Which ones open this weekend?
Frequently asked questions
- What is the most beautiful castle in Isère?
- The most visited in Isère is Château de Vizille, first in this selection according to its visitors’ reviews. All 10 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; 0 of these castles are free.
- How is this selection made?
- Among the 175 castles recorded in Isère, we keep those open to the public with a photo, then rank by number of Google reviews. No castle pays to appear.