Attractions and Places To See around Saint-Chef - Top 20

Found somewhat by chance and at a very affordable price, this hotel restaurant is a superb stopover for a bike ride!

Beautiful little town, quite touristy, but worth the detour

Lovely view of the pond. A little cool spot when it's hot.

The Bienassis fortified house, built by the Vallin family at the end of the 14th century, was organized around an enclosed courtyard and included a pavilion surrounded by watchtower turrets. The current building was completed in 1897 for Casimir Gournet, who wanted to give the old feudal residence the appearance of a medieval castle. Alphonse de Lamartine made several stays in Bienassis with his friend Nicolas Prosper Guichard, between 1804 and 1808. The castle, built of limestone rubble, consists of an L-shaped building covered with a long-pitched roof covered with mechanical tiles extended to the south by a high quadrangular tower with a porch in the work. The north wing has four levels of elevation: three cellars on the basement floor, a square floor and an attic floor. The tower rises on three levels: a ground floor with ribbed vaults and two square floors, the buildings are crowned with false machicolation. The corner turrets are covered with conical slate roofs. The stained glass windows of the ground floor living room are decorated with two bust-length women and two bust-length men in rondels. The coat of arms of the Joubert de Montlevon family can be found on one of the windows of the first living room on the ground floor. In the library, two shields with scrolling scroll motifs, a shield decorated with three female heads, a shield decorated with a passing griffin, and a shield decorated with two hammers with the initials C G for Casimir Gournet adorn the windows. Source: Châteaux de France

Chapeau Cornu Castle was originally a fortified house built on the site of an ancient Roman camp. Between 800 and 1100, feudalism took hold. The sovereigns of Vienna and the Bishop created “rear fiefdoms” to ensure security and repel attackers. In the 12th and 13th centuries, there were two allied families: the Capellas and the Cornutis. It is by derivative of these 2 Latin names that “Chapeau Cornu” was born. In 1300, Amédée de Rossilon was governor of Chapeau Cornu. He left this property to his nephews Pierre and Louis Chapel. After Pierre's death in 1358, Louis succeeded him. Pierre will leave 2 daughters, one of whom Antonia marries the Knight Etienne Laure, Lord of Veyssillieu. The latter was killed by the English while fighting under Duguesclin. His son Jacquemont Laure avenged him and his daughter Béatrice married Imbert de Groslée, Seneschal of the King, in 1413. His sons and descendants remained in Chapeau Cornu until 1650. It was in 1601 that Chapeau Cornu took the name Château. But in 1638, the Castle fell into disuse. The last occupants, the Matthieu de Rame couple, left no children and in 1693, the property passed to Aymard Micha de Burcin. He expanded the estate through multiple purchases and died in 1755, donating all his property to his cousin Philippe Guillaume de Grammont. After the storming of the Bastille on the night of July 25 to 26, 1789, “the great fear” began. A band of rioters, determined to destroy the property of the squires, arrived in Chapeau Cornu at 1 a.m. The steward at the time had the idea of treating them as guests and opened the doors of the wine cellars to them. The damage underground is impressive: the undrinked wine is emptied but the castle remains intact. After the Revolution, the castle was purchased by Jean André Barge from the de Certeau family. He diverted the bed of the stream coming from the hill which then passed into the castle. He had the large buildings to the south-east and east built on the vault. Ruined, he sold part of the land to people from Vignolles. In 1855, the castle and 80 hectares surrounding it were bought by his son Ferdinand de Certeau. The estate remained in the family until 1891. The Bourgoin Court then ordered a judicial liquidation and had the property sold in several lots. Source: Vignieu website

Nice view of the Chapeau Cornu castle from the road.

Rosière Pond NATURAL HERITAGE Rosière Pond BACK TO THE LIST Rosière Pond© Martial-Couderette The Rosière pond is located to the north-east of the town of Bourgoin-Jallieu on the edge of the town of Ruy-Montceau and offers an ideal relaxing setting. The association “Les Amis de Rosière et de la Nature” manages the pond made available by the city. The Rosière pond, fed by the Loudon stream, was built in the 18th century to power a hemp mill (the current restaurant). This pond was the property of the GENIN family for a long time before being bought by the town of Bourgoin-Jallieu in 1978. Since then, the town of Bourgoin-Jallieu has done everything possible to make this site a protected natural place, walks and hikes and a fishing spot. Many hiking trails start from the pond. Source: Isère Tourism

The N.D de la Salette chapel was built in 1866. Nestled on a promontory belonging to the commune of Veyssilie, it offers a lovely view of the Isère plain.