Savoyard Charm Apartment

About Menthon St Bernard

Lake Annecy, in the Haute-Savoie department of the Rhône-Alpes is big enough to hide more than a few secrets. Amidst its mountains, forests, country roads, rocky grottos and obscure legends of the lake there are dotted myriad beautiful and serene little villages. It’s difficult to say which of these is the most beautiful, prettiest and quietest, but we have to then Menthon-Saint-Bernard would be near the top. It’s easy to reach Menthon-Saint-Bernard relatively quickly from nearby Annecy, either by a 10 minute road or lake trip, or if you’re up to it, then a half an hour bike ride through the pretty Veyrier-du-Lac.

The Castle of Menthon (Château de Menthon-Saint-Bernard) sits as a silent protector perched on the mountainside above the little village of Menthon St Bernard. Its history spans all the way back to the 12th century, though the latest additions to the chateau were made as late as 1880, when several new towers were added creating the pretty and alluring, fairytale-like romantic façade that we see today. Speaking of fairytales, it’s the Castle of Menthon in its current state that would eventually inspire Walt Disney to go on to create Sleeping Beauty’s Castle.