Château des Rubins – Observatoire des Alpes
The Château des Rubins – Observatoire des Alpes opens its doors to a new scenography made up of around fifty interactive modules spread over four floors:
1) geology and glaciology
2) fauna and flora
3) The history of man in the mountains
4) Changes in the climate
The new course is intended for the curious and for a family audience. It covers more than 500m2 for a visit duration of approximately two hours. The information is light, but precise.
The Château des Rubins – Observatoire des Alpes also offers a wide range of activities and workshops for families. It comes in three ways:
1) The "Rubinoscopes": these activities are demonstrations or experiences designed in the form of short 15/20 minute segments on the scenographic route. They do not require reservations and are offered at no extra charge to the entrance fee (a minimum of 10 people is required for the activity to take place).
2) “At the castle lab”: in a longer format: 1 hour to 2 hours, these workshops give pride of place to experimentation, thus allowing certain themes to be explored in greater depth. They are offered on Wednesdays or Sundays, by reservation, all year round at the price of €6,50 per child and €8,50 per adult.
3) "The observatory's meetings": all year round, the castle organizes talks with recognized specialists in the theme: historian, artist, craftsman, archaeologist... These guests have only one watchword : popularize. Dates will take place on Sunday mornings with a coffee/croissant welcome for the price of an entrance ticket to the castle (7,50€) at the rate of one every two months.
A shop with souvenirs and local products is also available during the same opening hours as the castle.
Built in the 19th century as a fortified house, the Château des Rubins was spared by the Revolution and the fire of April 1840, XNUMX which ravaged Sallanches.
In the 16th century it served as a residence for the nobles of Loche, bailiffs of Faucigny. Its massive facades are brightened by large Renaissance mullioned windows. Its square tower is topped with a spigot roof resting on a crenellation. Its iron-clad ogival door gives access to a beautiful spiral staircase.
Transformed into apartments in the 1978th century, it was then purchased by the city in XNUMX.
In 1985, the Centre de la nature montagnarde (CNM) invested in the premises in order to design an interpretation centre for the alpine natural heritage, with presentations of biodiversity, educational activities and events, exhibitions and conferences. The renovation of the basement of the building and the various extensions carried out in 1997 appeared outdated and inconsistent with the heritage identity of the castle, which is why a major restoration was undertaken, with the aim of upgrading the interiors, bringing access for people with reduced mobility into compliance, and renovating certain openings as well as the entrance façade. The architectural duo Pierre Janin and the PNR workshop stepped up to the plate to achieve this ambitious objective.
After two years of work, the Château des Rubins – Observatoire des Alpes opens its doors in July 2021 with an innovative scenography made up of around fifty interactive modules spread over four floors and as many themes.
Some important dates:
1310: Hugues, Dauphin of Viennois and Baron of Faucigny, granted the inhabitants of Sallanches their first privileges, a sign of the town's prosperity.
1339: The parish had 15 strongholds and 20 noble families.
1563: At the end of the XNUMXth century, it belonged to the Loche family, bailiffs of Faucigny.
1754th century: it belonged to the de Chasseys who sold it in XNUMX to the chapter of the collegiate church of Sallanches.
1730: The Château des Rubins belonged to Etienne de Choulay
1747: The ecclesiastical institution (Chapter of Sallanches) acquired the castle from Philibert de Chasseys and Georgine de Menthon de Choulex.
1840: The Château des Rubins is miraculously spared from the flames of the great fire. It is also from this date that the castle bore the name of "grey cats" because three old ladies dressed in gray lived there.
1978: The castle is purchased by the City of Sallanches where the Mountain Nature Center is located until 2019.
1997: It will be modified and will have two additional levels with a gallery which will provide a link with the old building.
2021: After 2 years of work, it now houses the Alpine Observatory, a museum on the mountain, environment, ethnology, etc.
Location details
- Downtown
- In the city
Opening
Exceptional Closure(s)
- 01/01/2025
- 11/11/2025
- 25/12/2025
Rates
Rates | Min. | Max. |
---|---|---|
Full price | 7,50 € | Not disclosed |
Reduced price | 6,50 € | Not disclosed |
Kids | 6,50 € | Not disclosed |
Big family | 23 € | Not disclosed |
Visit and adult workshop or lab: €8,50
Visit and workshop or school activity: €6,50
Group adults: 6,50€
Group of people with reduced mobility: €6
It is necessary to book for all our events via our online ticket office: www.billetweb.fr/pro/chateaudesrubins
Payment methods
Services
Equipment
Services
Activities on site
- Animation
- Manual workshops
- Permanent exhibition
Home animals
Accessibility
Physical disability
PMR parking is available at the entrance to the castle near reception.
Visual impairment
Mental handicap
To download
Linked offers
On the spot…