Explore Les Marches through its local history and wine-related offerings. The town center is home to a 14th-century château and other historic architectural features; the Circuit patrimonial des Abymes passes through Les Marches and vineyards at the foot of the Chartreuse massif. This brings two clearly distinct themes together in your travel plans: historic buildings and border history on the one hand, and wine and food on the other.
Château, town center and border history
Les Marches was founded as a new town in 1301. The château in the town center was built in the 14th century to reinforce the border of the County of Savoy. These two details highlight different aspects of the town’s history: its founding marks the establishment of the new town, while the château served an explicitly border-related purpose. If you enjoy placing historic sites in their chronological context, you’ll find two clearly distinct points of reference here.
In the town center, Les Marches preserves towers, defensive walls, fortifications, old houses and a bread oven. The walls and fortifications draw attention to the town’s defensive character, while the houses and bread oven add features associated with everyday life. The historic townscape is therefore made up not just of a single building, but of various traces of both fortification and daily life.
The Sardinian boundary stones in Les Marches date from between 1672 and 1852 and document the former border between Savoy and France. They continue the theme of borders in a later period than the château: the château was built to reinforce the border of the County of Savoy, while the stones mark a former border between Savoy and France. You can consider the architectural history and historic boundary markers as distinct ways of exploring the town.
Church and route through the vineyards
The Église des Marches is neoclassical, was built by G. Trivelli and dates from the early 19th century. The term “neoclassical” describes its architectural style; its date distinguishes it from the older fortifications in the town center. The church can be visited independently throughout the year. Check local visiting arrangements in advance, as they may change.
The Circuit patrimonial des Abymes passes through Les Marches and through the vineyards at the foot of the Chartreuse massif. The same route therefore runs through both the town and vineyard areas. For travelers who want to explore local history and the wine-growing landscape together, the circuit offers a tangible connection between the two.
Wine, cheese and food
Domaine des Granges Longes offers wine tours and tastings. By reservation, it also offers introductions to food and wine pairings, as well as tastings of local cheeses with wines from the wine-growing area. The options range from tours and tastings focused on wine to bookable introductions that also include food or cheese. Reservation and cellar access arrangements may change; check them in advance.
Les Marches also has a small weekly food market. Vendors include a rotisserie chicken seller, a cheesemonger and seasonal produce sellers. Unlike a visit to the Domaine, the focus here is on a range of food vendors at the market. If you’re planning to visit, check the date in advance, as market hours may change.
Discover more destinations: Sainte-Hélène-Sur-Isère, Attignat-Oncin, Aiguebelette-Le-Lac, Pussy, La Ravoire, Ruffieux, Notre-Dame-De-Bellecombe, Bonneval-Sur-Arc.
For the broader travel overview: Savoie.
