- Stage town for the 10th time
- Sub-prefecture of Haute-Savoie (74)
- Population: 37,700 (Thononais and Thononaises)
The second largest town in Haute-Savoie hosted the Tour de France for the first time in 1955. When it set off from the shores of Lake Geneva, the peloton wasn’t completely aware of the extent of Charly Gaul’s ability. He attacked not long after the start and then went solo on the Galibier before triumphing in Briançon with a lead of almost 14 minutes. The 23-year-old Luxembourger finished third on the podium in Paris, behind Louison Bobet and Jean Brankart. In terms of stage finishes, the last one in Thonon was in 1981, when Sean Kelly won in a sprint.
THONON-LES-BAINS
Rives Harbour
This is the marina of the town of Thonon-les-Bains and a very popular place for walks. It is home to the Ecomuseum of Fishing and Lake Geneva, dedicated to fishing on the lake, housed in preserved and restored fishermen's huts. The fishing village was developed in 1987 with a quay, following on from the creation of the landing stage. The harbour funicular connects the port of Rives to the upper town, built on a plateau overlooking Lake Geneva. It was built in 1888. It is 230 metres long with a 40-metre elevation gain, and its route is curved. Also located in the Rives district, the Tour des Langues, which still dominates the fishing village, was built in the 12th century. It was here that butchers came to pay their taxes to the lord, depositing the tongues of the oxen or cows they had slaughtered. The neighbourhood is also home to the Château de Rives, a former 14th-century priory (listed as a historic monument in 1932), which houses the Museum of the City of Thonon.
Ripaille Castle
Construction: 14th to 19th century.
Style: Medieval and Renaissance.
History: Ripaille Castle is a 15th-century pleasure palace located on an estate on the shores of Lake Geneva. In this château, Duke Amadeus VIII of Savoy welcomed Pope Eugene IV around 1440. Shortly after this visit, the Duke of Savoy became Pope Felix V, although his election was not recognised by the majority of the Catholic Church. His supposed mitre is kept in the treasury of the Abbey of Saint-Maurice d'Agaune. The estate includes a 53-hectare forest, an arboretum with 58 different species of trees, and a vineyard classified as an AOC Vin de Savoie.
Special feature: within the forest park, a monument to the Righteous was inaugurated in 1997.
Listed as: Historic Monument in 1942, 1991 and 2025 (entire estate).
Sonnaz Castle
Construction: 17th century.
History: Sonnaz Castle is a residence belonging to the noble Gerbaix de Sonnaz family, built in 1666 on the ruins of the former Thonon Castle. The latter was built in the 15th century by Mary of Burgundy, wife of Amadeus VIII, Duke of Savoy, and then ceded to the Gerbaix de Sonnaz family.
Current use: Château de Sonnaz now houses the Musée du Chablais and the tourist office.
Town hall
Construction: 19th century.
History: in 1536, the Bernese conquered the left bank of Lake Geneva. They established the bailiwick of Thonon and built an official building, which was destroyed by fire in 1815. After several projects, Vaud architect Henri Perregaux designed a building with large open arcades on the ground floor and an interior courtyard providing additional light. In 1823, the work was awarded to another Swiss architect, Charles Pellegrini from Ticino. It took almost ten years for the project to be completed.
Characteristics: Henri Perregaux designed other neoclassical town halls in Morges and Moudon, but the town hall in Thonon is undoubtedly one of his most ambitious works. This building, simple in style but with carefully studied proportions, is entirely openwork with semi-circular arches on the ground floor and two upper floors lit by rectangular windows. An axial avant-corps, on three axes of openings, features a balcony with sober ironwork and a pediment bearing a coat of arms.
Listed as: historic monument in 1972.
Saint-Hippolyte Church
Construction: 14th to 18th century.
Style: Baroque.
History: originally dating from the 12th century, it was built over a Romanesque crypt in the 14th century and was remodelled in the 17th century in the Savoy Baroque style, with exuberant decorations and frescoes. The church became a papal chapel in 1439, was used as a Protestant temple during the Bernese invasion in 1536 and returned to Catholic worship in 1594 under the influence of Saint Francis de Sales.
Distinguishing feature: the crypt is the oldest part of the building, dating from the 12th century, and bears witness to the original Romanesque church. It features remarkable Romanesque capitals, some inspired by those of the Abbey of Saint-Martin-d'Ainay in Lyon, and arcades on columns that may have been reused.
Listed as: historic monument in 1909.
