From the lakeside approach to Yvoire, the château appears as if out of the water. The small peninsula it is built upon is perfect for holding this keep, although the location mostly leaves our imagination to build a thriving picture of this town and the castle here. This is suitable as, in ancient French tradition, this is a private settlement and public approaches are severely restricted.
Yvoire’s history begins in the Roman period, and continues into the medieval. It is with the Counts of Savoie that history again becomes interesting here, however. Amadee V was the one to invest in the city and to refurbish, reconstruct and fortify the area, including the donjon. The city’s medieval past is very clear today as well, with winding streets and cobbled pathways guiding the intrepid traveller from one house to the next. Amadee’s gatehouses also remain and are another thing to behold here, though the lakeside fortification were dismantled by keen Genevans who invaded in 1592 and carried out a piecemeal demolition of Yvoire (including firing the keep which was only re-roofed in the early 20th century).
I would have to caution most visitors to come in the spring or summer as one of the main sights is Le Jardin de Cinq Sens which is incredibly less exciting in the gloomy December when I took my first steps in Yvoire. I also believe that the city in general is a lot more floral in a blooming season, and one can see some leave-shod trees in the view at the château below:
