Must-see places

On our website, you will discover that in THONON…A former prison dominates the viewpoints around Lake Geneva and now houses the Musée du Chablais and the Tourist Office. The dukes of Savoy took up residence here and installed a pope in the heart of the Ripaille estate. St François de Sales broke through the walls of the church and a basilica was built in his honour. Today, this houses the stunning Maurice Denis frescos. And Lake Geneva is: 582 square kilometres, 73 km in length, 309 m deep (the same height as the Eiffel Tower) and has an average temperature of 22° in summer!

# Ripaille Castle

Historic, cultural and winemaking centre in Haute-Savoie, the Castle de Ripaille is also one of the biggest and most remarkable natural sites on the banks of Lake Geneva.

Ripaille, formerly the semi-religious retreat of the first Duke of Savoy, Amédée VIII, a Carthusian monastery during the 17th & 18th centuries protected from the ‘world’ by a high wall which still encloses it today and owned in 1900 by a great industrial aesthete, is a place where local people and visitors can come and find peace.

516-616px Ripaille château par Sémpahore

1360-471px ripaille château thonon par Sémaphore

# Geneva Lake

Undoubtedly the unmissable and most famous for its grandeur and landscapes with Riviera ambiences. A link between France and Switzerland, it offers 53 km of French shoreline in the communes of “Le Chablais”.

Walks along the shore, hikes to take height or simply relaxing in the sun, Lake Geneva will make you travel by foot, boat or bicycle… you have 180 km to go around!

# Visitation Cultural center

Discover a cultural hub in the heart of the former convent of the Visitation which brings together learning, music and contemporary art. The media library, the chapel – a contemporary art space, the Thonon et l’harmonie Chablaisienne de Thonon et du Léman music and dance school, the Chablaisienne academy, the Amédée choir, the Sabaudia folk group, the Friends of Eberbach and the Savoie genealogical centre all ensure that this hub is at the cultural core of Thonon. This 17th century building has been updated to promote social cohesion as well as contribute to the vibrancy of the town and host various cultural events.

"Architecture is the incorruptible witness of history"

1360-471px pole culturel de thonon — Octavio Paz

#Basilica of Saint François de Sales

This religious structure was completed at the beginning of the 20th century. Maurice Denis painted his last murals here. The Baroque St-Hippolyte church adjoins the structure.

488-338px basilique st françois de sale thonon

#Chablais museum

Opened in 1863, the museum is in the vaulted cellars of the Château de Sonnaz, a 17th century residence perched above the Port de Rives and Lake Geneva, which hosted many Savoy princes.

# Ecomuseum of Fishing and The Lake

Opened in 1987, the Fishing and Lake Ecomuseum naturally found a home in a fishing village in the Port de Rives. Set up in three traditional huts, it keeps alive the memory of professional fishermen.

488-338px écomusée de la pêche et du lac 2

#Valvital thermal baths

The benefits of the water in Thonon have been recognized since ancient times. From the Romans, who were already reporting its diuretic properties, to the Valvital spa of today, people have found the Thonon waters to have the purest of qualities. Today, the town which has ‘les bains’ (baths) as part of its name, sees people coming from all over the world to enjoy the rheumatological, diuretic and dietary benefits of the spa.

Valvital spa in Thonon has a relaxation area covering 600 square metres, a 32°C thermal pool with a panoramic view over the park, bubble beds and seats, swan neck jets, a series of immersion massages as well as a musical cave, sauna, hammam, cold water plunge pool, ice fountain, experience showers and fun water treatments.