Rouelbeau Castle

Rouelbeau Castle in Meinier is a ruined medieval fortress in the countryside outside Geneva. It is the last clearly visible remnant of a castle anywhere in the Canton of Geneva and is listed as a heritage site of national significance. Locals also call it La Bâtie-Cholay.

What kind of castle is it?

Rouelbeau is a lowland fortress rather than a hilltop stronghold. It sits on a low platform ringed by a double moat that was fed by the surrounding marshes. What survives is mainly the base of a rectangular residential block, flanked by two round corner towers. You will not find restored rooms; you get a readable ground plan, made easier to picture by a model on site.

What is its history?

The first building was made of timber. Archaeologists date its completion to July 1318, after roughly a year of work, under the knight Humbert de Chollay. The following year Hugues Dauphin, lord of Faucigny, bought the bâtie, and it probably became the seat of a castellany. Its job was to watch over the route to Hermance, the only outlet to Lake Geneva available to the lords of Faucigny.

In 1355 Faucigny became part of the County of Savoy. Hostilities ended and the fortress lost its purpose. It was gradually abandoned, and people from nearby villages took its stone for their own houses.

What can you see today?

The ruins were protected as a monument in 1921, yet they were left to the elements for decades and the masonry deteriorated. From 2001 the cantonal archaeology service excavated the site for twelve years, and it reopened to the public in September 2016. There is an educational trail explaining the building stages, plus a bronze model of the castle on the platform. The headwaters of the Seymaz river run alongside, and their renaturation is linked to the site's restoration. Water and greenery surround the ruins, and you reach them on foot paths.

When should you visit?

The castle stands in open ground, so a dry day is best, when the area around the moats is not muddy. Check the Canton of Geneva website (ge.ch) or batie-rouelbeau.ch for current details, as we do not list opening hours or fees.

Frequently asked questions

Has Rouelbeau Castle been rebuilt? No. These are preserved ruins with a clear outline of walls and towers. A bronze model shows how the castle looked.

Who built it? According to archaeologists, the knight Humbert de Chollay finished it in 1318. Hugues Dauphin of Faucigny bought it in 1319.

Why was it abandoned? When Faucigny passed to Savoy in 1355, the conflicts ended and the stronghold was no longer needed.

Since when are the ruins open to visitors? Since September 2016, after twelve years of archaeological work.