The most Italian of French cities. The charm of its mysterious traboules, its curious trompe-l'oeil, the shimmering colors of its historic heart ... Discover this City of Art and History!

Urban stroll through 1000 years of history

Chambéry offers its visitors an extremely rich historical journey. Its pedestrian center has many traboules to walk through to discover a place steeped in history.
For six centuries, Chambéry and Savoy, Turin and Piedmont, were united under the authority of the
House of Savoy. It was not until 1860 that Chambéry became French.

And that's why it blows a little Italian air in Chambéry, thanks to its colorful facades and its architecture.

"If there is a small town in the world where we taste
the sweetness of life is Chambéry. "
Jean-Jacques Rousseau

The city is home to many treasures, unmissable monuments such as the castle of the Dukes of
Savoie or the Saint-François-de-Sales Cathedral, many gems to discover, alleys
in squares, from religious buildings to mansions ...

Some alleys and preserved buildings will plunge you directly into the Middle Ages, including the unmissable Rue Basse du Château dating from the XNUMXth century.rd century.

Take a look, make no mistake!

In the heart of the city of Chambéry, at the bend of a traboule, in the middle of a square,
decorative elements pass themselves off as reality. Coming from Italy, the art of trompe-l'œil developed in the XNUMXthrd century and continues today. The vault of Saint-François-de-Sales cathedral has the largest trompe l'oeil in Europe in a religious building (6 m²).

  • Saint-François-de-Sales Cathedral
  • Elephant Square
  • Castle of the Dukes of Savoy
  • Curial Square

The essentials of Chambéry

  1. Elephant Square : and you will find 4! They are certainly the emblem of the city! This monument, nicknamed the “4 without asses” because we can only see the front half of the elephants, recalls the Indian military campaigns of General Comte de Boigne, whose bronze statue dominates the monument.
  2. The traboules of the historic center, particularly around Place Saint Léger.
  3. The trompe-l'œil and ironwork which adorn the many mansions.
  4. Le Castle of the Dukes of Savoy, built from the XNUMXthrd century, which now houses the Prefecture and the Departmental Council of Savoy. In the medieval wing, the rooms of the old Chamber of Accounts present the history of the castle and the House of Savoy (accessible to the public). The Yolande Tower houses the Grand Chime de Chambéry, one of the largest in the world with its 70 bells that ring regularly throughout the city.
  5. La Saint-François-de-Sales Cathedral, former Franciscan church, built in late XNUMXth century cathedralrd century. Its great romantic organ is one of the most important in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes.
  6. Le Museum of Fine Arts whose building was a granette (grain market) in medieval times. The museum offers a prestigious collection of Italian paintings from the XIVrd in the XVIIIrd century.
  7. La Railway roundabout, a masterpiece of Eiffel-type metal architecture from the beginning of the XNUMXth centuryrd century. It is still in operation today.
  8. La House of Charmettes, country house of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, who stayed there with Madame de Warens from 1736 to 1742.
  9. La Nivolet cross offers the most beautiful belvedere over Chambéry, the Belledonne massif, Bourget lake and Aix-les-Bains. You will even see Mont Blanc!
  • Nivolet cross

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Photos: C. Haas; Savoie Mont Blanc Tourism - Raih / Chabance