Château de Séchilienne, French castle located in Séchilienne

Château de Séchilienne is a fortress dating to the 13th century featuring a large keep and a round defensive tower that remain partially intact. The main building displays large windows from later periods, while arrow slits and crenellations show its original military purpose.

Aymar Alleman bought the Séchilienne lands from Dauphin André in 1226, and his branch held the castle until the late 16th century, when the Wars of Religion split the family and it was ceded. On 12 August 1944 the remains of the German 157th Infantry Division set it on fire to stop Oisans maquis fighters storing arms there. The commune bought the abandoned ruin in 1949.

The castle gave its name to the hamlet of Le Château and the street Rue du Château in Séchilienne. The circular tower added in the 15th century still has its spiral staircase, and its machicolations, crenellations, arrow slits and pepper-pot roof can be seen today. The green spaces around the ruins now hold a picnic area and a pond open to the public.

The ruins stand on a hill above the Romanche valley, at the lieu-dit Le Château on rue du Château in Séchilienne, near Grenoble. The green spaces around the castle are open to the public and hold a picnic area and a pond. Ground among the ruined walls is uneven, so wear sturdy shoes.

Dendrochronological analysis dated the keep's surviving timber floors to 1455, fixing a precise moment in the castle's use. The same keep is the more massive of the two round towers, and the 15th-century stair tower beside it keeps its machicolations, crenellations, arrow slits and conical roof.