The Castle of Menthon-Saint-Bernard

Overlooking the lake and the Geneva road from its rocky spur (In Celt, Menthon means "house on the rock"), the castle of Menthon-Saint-Bernard is one of the architectural treasures of the Savoy and a real book of history in open air.

Actually, it is almost a thousand years of Savoy history that you can read there, from its edification in simple lookout  until today.In the 12th century, three high towers were built on its rock to keep a close eye on the lake route, the Aravis valley and the Bluffy pass. The inhabitants of the neighborhood came to take refuge in the court in time of war. Then came the Renaissance and it was transformed into a place of residence for the family of Menthon. But it was only at the end of the 19th century that René de Menthon, grandfather of the present owner and admirer of Viollet-le-Duc, made him undergo his greatest transformation - neo-Gothic - and brought to this castle that romantic aura which made its success today. It is said that Walt Disney, on a journey near the lake, was seized with admiration before the picture of his high towers carving in the sky. And so the castle of Menthon-Saint-Bernard served as a model for the Sleeping Beauty!Massive and mysterious, imposing and delicate, the castle contains many treasures, distributed in no less than 105 pieces: pieces of furniture, carpets, decorative objects of all the epochs that it crossed. Not forgetting, for the bibliophiles, an extraordinary collection of incunabula and old books, among which a complete edition of the Encyclopedia of Diderot and Alembert.With My Home In Annecy, book your holiday at Lake Annecy and do not miss this exceptional visit!The castle is open from May to September and welcomes about 40,000 visitors each year.For more information: http://www.chateau-de-menthon.com/en/index.php