Château du Touvet, Medieval castle in Le Touvet, France.

Château du Touvet is a castle in Le Touvet, between Grenoble and Chambéry, built from the 13th century onward. Its tall pale masonry main block has rows of rectangular windows under a steep dark grey slate roof, with a lower hipped-roof wing to the right and a projecting central section topped by a small triangular pediment. A pale gravel courtyard bordered by low trimmed shrubs lies before the facade, with wooded hills beyond.

Built in the 13th century by the d'Entremont family, the castle guarded the border between the Dauphiné and the Duchy of Savoy. Guigues Guiffrey, an archer in Bayard's company, bought it in 1528; it then passed to the Monteynard and Marcieu families. In the 18th century Count Pierre de Marcieu rebuilt it as a pleasure residence. It has belonged to the same family for over 500 years.

The castle has belonged to the same family for over 500 years; the current owners, Bruno and Isabelle Pourroy de Lauberivière de Quinsonas-Oudinot, descend directly from Marshal Oudinot. The gardens, designed by Letellier and Potin, are listed as "jardins remarquables de France". Part of Gérard Jugnot's 1996 film Fallait pas !… was shot here.

Visit on dry days to fully explore the gardens, which require walking across uneven terrain and multiple levels. Comfortable shoes are essential since you will spend time navigating the slopes and pathways throughout the grounds.

The water stair was built between 1758 and 1765 for Count Pierre de Marcieu, lieutenant-general and commander in chief of Dauphiné, who also laid out the terraces à la française. The gardens were designed by Letellier and Potin and are listed as jardins remarquables de France; the water stair itself was classified a monument historique on 17 March 1959.