Géosite du "Château de Ripaille"

Historic, cultural and winemaking centre in Haute-Savoie, the Castle de Ripaille is also one of the biggest and most remarkable natural sites on the banks of Lake Geneva.By its grandeur, its charm, its memories, Ripaille is one of the most beautiful domains on the shores of Lake Geneva. In the Middle Ages, a semi-religious retreat of the first Duke of Savoy, Amédée VIII, in the 17th and 18th centuries, a Carthusian monastery, protected from the "century" by the high wall that still surrounds it today, in 1900 the property of a great industrialist and aesthete, Ripaille has always been a place where residents and visitors come to "recharge their batteries". The visit of the site of Ripaille plunges the visitor in the time of the counts of Savoy in the XIIIth century and evokes the reign of the first Duke of Savoy, the great Amédée VIII and the history of the Carthusian monks, owners of the domain from the XVIIth century until the French Revolution. This fresco ends with the fabulous architectural adventure of the 1900 Restoration when the dream of a great Alsatian industrialist made Ripaille a total work of art! Since this year, the dining room of the Engel-Gros family and the kitchen of the castle are refurnished and put back in function, come and discover this unique reconstitution of the daily life in the Belle Epoque! Beyond history, visiting Ripaille means discovering a preserved nature, an exceptional land and magnificent gardens between Dent d'Oche and Lake Geneva. Come for a visit, a professional or cultural event, a private party or to taste the Ripaille AOC wine produced on site. The Castle is the seat of a Foundation, created in 1976, which works for the conversation, the valorization and the animation of this monument. The preservation of the environment is at the center of its concerns. * The visit of Ripaille is for young and old, with: - The Amédée room dedicated to the presentation of medieval Savoyard civilization through the presentation of stained glass windows, numismatics, and original manuscripts. - The reconstitution of the old kitchen of the Château de Ripaille and the dining room of the Belle Epoque: kitchen utensils, original objects, tableware, come and discover the modernity of Ripaille with the automatic windows or the dumbwaiter linking the first floor to the second floor. - The film "Ripaille through time" in a specially dedicated projection room recounting the history of the Château de Ripaille. - The free visit of the castle: the castle can be visited freely from April to October and during school vacations, from Tuesday to Sunday, from 10 am to 6 pm (closing at 5 pm on Saturdays), with the help of a paper documentation and audio guides in French, English and German. - A special tour for children: spend a convivial moment with your family and follow Aymonet Corviaux, carpenter, architect and builder of Ripaille in 1434, through the maze of the castle. This tour will take you from the large terrace with a panoramic view of the lake, to the old cellars and medieval moats. - The "Workshops in a mess. Wednesdays at Ripaille": creative and educational workshops offered every Wednesday, according to the opening calendar of the Castle. - A temporary exhibition renewed every year. Guided tours provided by professional guides. Services include both the visit and the tasting or the visit, tasting and meal. Many formulas are possible. The Fondation Ripaille will study all requests by email visite@ripaille.fr or by phone 04 50 26 64 44.

At the heart of the Ripaille estate, this enclosed site has, among other things, an ancient 53-hectare oak grove, the former hunting ground of the Counts of Savoy; a 19-hectare arboretumChâteau de Ripaille Forêt (53 hectares) and its arboretum with 58 different woods. Signposted trails. The Mémorial National des Justes de France was erected in the heart of Ripaille in 1997. Opening times differ depending on the season. Free: 1 or 2 hour walk. Thanks to the indication boards, you will be able to explore this great forest and discover its fauna and flora. Keep your eyes wide open, you may cross paths with a roe deer!

This AOC white wine comes from the Chasselas grape variety, the mild climate on the banks of Lake Geneva and the gravelly permeable soil. We also produce rosé, red and sparkling wine.

Ripaille Forest is just minutes away from Thonon town centre and is ideal for a lovely walk. This private wooded area is home to several different species of animal and you can stroll along a signposted trail to become one with nature.This national heritage site covers 130 hectares of the Domaine de Ripaille estate. Here you can visit the old oak field where the counts of Savoie once hunted (53 hectares), André Engel arboretum (19 hectares) and the Mémorial National des Justes de France, erected in 1997 in honour of the men and women who saved the Jews during World War II. The site is home to a number of species of self-sufficient wildlife and plantlife living in a closed circuit of walls isolating the site from the surrounding urban area. Ripaille Forest covers 53 hectares and is impressive from a historical, forestry and fauna point of view. The counts and dukes of Savoie that came to hunt here in the Middle Ages planted the impressive coppice of sessile oak trees that you can still admire today. During this time a network of paths were laid to divide this forest and lead to the towns in Pays de Vaud on the other side of the lake which once belonged to the Savoie region. The large ancient wall surrounding the forest has helped the wildlife thrive and you can see deer, a large heronry and many nesting birds. Ripaille has been awarded the ZICO label (important area for bird conservation) as per the EU directive. André Engel designed an arboretum whose trees were planted over 19 hectares between 1930 and 1934 and holds 58 different, mostly exotic, species. The aim of the project was to research how these plants acclimatised to our region. Some species, such as the North American douglas fir, were incredibly adaptable.