Château de la Haute-Guerche, Medieval fortress in Val-du-Layon, France.

Château de la Haute-Guerche is a ruined medieval fortress of pale grey rubble schist in Saint-Aubin-de-Luigné. Its pentagonal plan, 12 metres wide by 18 deep, holds an upper and a lower courtyard; the residential logis in the upper court has a stair tower, windows facing the Layon with their window seats, latrines and fireplaces. Two of its four defence towers remain, and brick bartizans sit on the wall-walk.

The fortress was originally built in the 13th century with a square bastion and underwent major reconstruction in the 15th century. It suffered fire damage in 1793 during the Wars of Vendée, marking a turning point in its condition.

The name Haute-Guerche refers to the elevated site above the Layon valley. The chapel's restoration earned the site the first Chefs-d'œuvre en péril prize in 1970, and the castle was inscribed as a monument historique on 18 May 1971. Archaeologists have found domestic ovens on the grounds.

The ruins stand on a grassy slope above the Layon, with the keep at the centre and the two conical-roofed towers on the right; a low curved wall with a closed wooden gate marks the entrance area. The site is reached from Saint-Aubin-de-Luigné, now part of Val-du-Layon. Ground is uneven rubble and grass, so wear sturdy shoes.

The keep's jagged top edge and the two round towers with conical roofs are what remain of a high courtyard once defended by four towers. The site also held domestic ovens, found by archaeologists, showing the fortress was lived in, not just garrisoned.