Sentier: "Errance à travers l'histoire"

Covering 24 hectares on the shores of Lake Geneva, the Domaine de Rovorée - La Châtaignière is one of France's largest public natural areas. Old-growth forest, wild banks, old buildings, remarkable biodiversity and panoramic views make for an unspoilt site.On this 24-hectare estate—one of the few public spaces accessible along the shores of Lake Geneva in France—stand the Rovorée Manor and La Châtaignière, properties owned by the Haute-Savoie Department and the Conservatoire du Littoral. The estate is one of the largest natural sites open to the public on the French shore of Lake Geneva. It is not a landscaped urban park but a sensitive natural area home to an ancient forest with centuries-old chestnut trees, lakeshores featuring tufa caves and medieval ruins, forest and shore birds, and a splendid view of Lake Geneva. The absence of modern structures preserves the magical charm of these landscapes, shaped over the centuries by human activity, and offers nature lovers and those seeking tranquility a unique site, notably for its magnificent chestnut trees, which have been rooted in this preserved area for two centuries. The estate features a wide variety of landscapes: tufa springs, meadows, hedgerows, wooded areas, and lakeshores… These contrasts account for the richness of the local biodiversity. There are no fewer than 350 plant species, 87 bird species, 29 butterfly species, and 13 bat species! The site is designed to be welcoming to all visitors: interpretive signs along the trails, parking, accessibility for people with limited mobility, educational resources for teachers, and plans for a picnic area… The trails are partially accessible to people with limited mobility. Every year, from April through October, the Department and its partners offer free nature discovery activities, allowing you to explore the site’s richness in a fun, artistic, and unique way, as well as an exhibition that bridges nature and culture. Don’t miss it—the “Regards croisés: Sentinels and Sanctuary of Morbihan” exhibition: take part in a unique dialogue between two exceptional regions—the Alpine mountains and the Morbihan coast. Free admission, daily from July 30, 2026, to May 31, 2028. Sensitive Natural Area owned by the Haute-Savoie Department.

Pleasure boaters and professional fishermen share the wharves below the church, where the fishermen's port is like a timeless bubble, a calm and peaceful spot frequented by local wildlife.To facilitate the work of fishermen and boatmen, as well as to protect the banks, protective dikes and harbours were built: the first was the Fishermen's Harbour below the church, built in the early 19th century by the fishermen themselves. It was destroyed by the lake and rebuilt in the 1860s. At that time, steamboats with paddlewheels were already plying the Lake Geneva, but they couldn't dock at the small port's jetty, so passengers had to embark and disembark via a wooden pontoon that extended the short stone jetty still visible today at the foot of the château.