Château de Tallard

Tallard

An ochre stone silhouette watching over the meeting of the valleys, between military rigour and Renaissance refinement.

Perched on a rocky spur overlooking the plain of the Durance, the château de Tallard owes its origins to the count-bishops of Gap in the 10th century, before becoming the fief of the powerful Clermont-Tonnerre family. Its polygonal enclosure flanked by round corner towers, its Flamboyant Gothic chapel and its Renaissance residential range adorned with French-style beamed ceilings bear witness to several centuries of remodelling. The rectangular keep, today partly in ruins, recalls the fortress's original defensive purpose. Bought back by the commune in 1957 after decades of neglect, the site is today being gradually restored and is open to visitors.

Getting there : Listed as a monument historique (historic monument) (chapel in 1897, guardhouse in 1958, the whole château in 1969); property of the commune of Tallard since 1957, visits organised by the Société d'Études des Hautes-Alpes

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

Ambient sound