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From Roman times the site of Sail-sous-Couzan, in the Loire, was used for its mineral springs. In the Middle Ages the commune prospered despite the abandonment of these precious springs.
According to tradition, a castle already stood on the rocky promontory in the 8th century, protecting the people of the area from brigands and from the Saracen raids frequent at the time.
La Bastie d'Urfé is a château in the Forez, at Saint-Étienne-le-Molard, open to visitors.
In the heart of the 'Montagnes du soir', in the only ski resort of the upper Forez, the Château de Chalmazel overlooks the Lignon valley.
Perched on a rocky peak since the 13th century, the Château de la Roche is the emblematic monument of the Loire gorges, high above the river.
After the division of lands in 1173, the castle of Montrond was built by the Counts of Forez to secure the region.
The first historical traces of the Château de Bouthéon go back to the 13th century, when it was probably just a keep.
The Château d'Essalois was partly built in 1580 by Léonard de Bertrand, lord of Essalois and Master of Waters and Forests of Montbrison.