Château de la Garde, Medieval castle ruins in Albaret-Sainte-Marie, France.

Château de la Garde, also called Château de La Roche, is a ruined feudal castle on a wooded hill above the Truyère in Albaret-Sainte-Marie. Its rough grey and beige masonry forms an irregular outline with broken wall tops; a tall round tower with a jagged top stands on the right, and a dark rectangular window opening survives in the central section.

The castle was probably built at the end of the 14th century to protect the Château d'Apcher further south. It belonged to the barony of Apchier, one of the eight baronies of Gévaudan, and overlooked the Truyère facing the barony of Mercœur and Auvergne.

The castle belonged to the barony of Apchier, one of the eight baronies of Gévaudan. Its position above the Truyère faced two rival powers, the barony of Mercœur and Auvergne, and it was meant to protect the Château d'Apcher to the south. The name La Garde refers to this watch role.

The site is accessible by a path starting near the war memorial beside the village square. The route goes uphill, so sturdy footwear and some physical effort are needed to reach the ruins.

The castle's shield wall, 2.40 metres thick and built of bossed stones, has no ditch in front of it — a rare feature for a late 14th-century fortress. The wall was meant to protect the Château d'Apcher further south.