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Origin and history

The Château de Challes-les-Eaux, also known as Château des Comtes de Challes, is a 13th century building located in the Savoie department in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. Originally, it was used as a residence for the Counts of Challes, then for the Marquis of the same name, after the seigneury was passed on to the Milliet family in the 16th century. This castle embodies the Savoyard feudal heritage, marked by family alliances and architectural transformations over the centuries.

The building of the castle was attributed to Étienne de Challes in the 13th century. In 1590, the direct line was extinguished with Louis de Challes, and his property passed to Louis Milliet, Baron of Faverges. The Milliet family, originally from Geneva, successively obtained the titles of Marquis de Challes (1669) and d'Arvillars (1678). The castle remained in this family until the Revolution, even welcoming Jean-Jacques Rousseau, who gave lessons in music to Miss Milliet in the 1700s.

At the time of the Revolution, the estate was sold to Jacques-Antoine Balmain, then passed into the hands of Dr.Louis Domenget, who discovered in 1841 a mineral source transforming the fate of Challes-les-Eaux. The castle became a spa hotel under the "Société des eaux mineraux de Challes", before being bought in 2002 by Gérard Trier. Today, it is operated as a three-star hotel-restaurant by its son, Florian Trier, perpetuating its centuries-old history.

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