Medieval walls, Gothic tracery, trompe l'oeil detailing…Chambéry's château has acquired a wealth of styles since its founding in the 11th century. Once home to the counts and dukes of Savoy, the stately stronghold has housed the Préfecture and Conseil Général of the Savoie département since 1860. The gardens and Cour d'Honneur (courtyard) are open free of charge; to see 14th- and 15th-century Tour Trésorerie (Treasury Tower) and stained glass inside Ste-Chapelle, built in the 15th century to house the Turin Shroud, take a tour.
Guided tours (adult/child €6/4.50) depart at 2.30pm Tuesday to Sunday from May to September, and at 2.30pm Saturday and Sunday October to April. They begin at the château's Acceuil des Guides office in July and August, and at the Old Town's Hôtel de Condon, around the corner from the cathedral, the rest of the year.
In the small exhibition, scale models, engravings and paintings present the history and architecture of the château.
The chapel's 70-bell Grand Carillon (1993), one of the largest ensembles of bells in the world, peals in concert on the first and third Saturday of each month at 5.30pm (more frequently in summer).
