Photo : Ahector1 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Château de Rochechinard
The ruins of the castle of Rochechinard occupy a rocky plateau in the Royans, in the Drôme, above the village of the same name. The site was occupied from the 12th century by a fortress held by the lords of the Royans; the surviving buildings date from the 14th and 15th centuries. The Alleman family owned it from 1340 to 1547. In the winter of 1483-1484 the Ottoman prince Djem, known as Zizim, brother of Sultan Bayezid II, was held prisoner here.
The castle has been registered as a historic monument since 1994 and belongs to private owners. It is reached on foot by a path from the car park of the Rochechinard museum; a short stretch is steep. The ruins of the old feudal fortress offer a view over the Royans valley.
