Château des Allymes

Ambérieu-en-Bugey

On the first foothills of the Bugey, 650 metres up above Ambérieu, the Château des Allymes was born of war. In 1306, in the thick of the conflict between the Dauphiné and Savoy that had been tearing the region apart since the 12th century, the Dauphin of the Viennois had a frontier fortification raised here, rudimentary at first, then replaced between 1315 and 1318 by a castle of stone. A Dauphinois outpost facing Savoyard lands, it passed into the hands of Savoy in 1335 and then, once the peace signed in 1355 had fixed the frontier on the Rhône, turned into a seigneurial residence: the François family settled there from 1355, followed by the Lucinge from 1477. Its most illustrious occupant was René de Lucinge (1553–1624), diplomat and writer, ambassador of the Duke of Savoy, who, after the Treaty of Lyon (1601) attached the Bugey to France, chose to swear allegiance to the King of France and retired to Les Allymes. Listed as a monument historique in 1960, the castle still keeps watch, seven centuries on, over the Ain plain and the surrounding hills.

Getting there : From Ambérieu-en-Bugey, a winding road climbs to the hamlet of Les Allymes; car park nearby, admission charge in season (run by an association of volunteers).

Opening times and access details are given as a guide only: check before you set out.

Ambient sound