Inside the Castle

The guided tour takes you through six levels, past 158 doors and up the 81 steps of the suspended grand staircase. The entrance hall floor displays a mosaic of the Lacroix-Laval and Vire du Liron coats of arms, flanked by the iconic lions of Lyon beneath a comital crown. On the first floor, the state rooms retain carved wood panelling, coffered ceilings, and hand-painted wallpapers in vivid colours — including exotic figures and orientalist motifs that hint at the family's connections to the Compagnie des Indes.↗↗

On the second floor, the private chapel is a jewel box of 19th-century craftsmanship: groin-vaulted ceiling, painted decorations, stained glass, and carved corbels all survive in place. The tour covers everything from brick-vaulted cellars to the attic, making Montivert one of the few furnished, still-inhabited châteaux in France open to the public from cellar to rooftop.↗↗

Nearby, the estate's farm buildings (the régie) are being rehabilitated to become the heart of Montivert's visitor activities — a reception area, boutique, temporary exhibitions, and a small museum space. The outbuildings include a shepherds' barn, a bread oven, a walled kitchen garden, and a spring house, all registered as Historical Monuments. Visitors can see the exteriors during the free park walks.↗↗

The Park and Its Trees

From mid-April to early November, the château's 19th-century park is open to free, self-guided exploration between 9am and 7pm. The landscape was designed by the celebrated visionary gardener Comte Paul de Lavante de Choulot, who sketched this very site. The park is being developed into a regional arboretum, with beeches, purple beeches, limes, Douglas firs, oaks, birches, sycamore maples, and many other century-old species.↗

The star attraction is the collection of giant sequoias, including a remarkable specimen planted by the Comte Christian de Lacroix-Laval directly beneath his mother's bedroom window — its trunk now brushes the château's western facade. Walking the paths around the castle gives you a sense of the full scale of this estate, set deep in a forested valley with no traffic, no neighbours, and nothing but birdsong and the sound of a restored spring water system.↗↗

Getting There and Practical Info

Montivert lies below the D112 road between the hamlet of Beauvert and the village of Saint-André-en-Vivarais, at the junction of the Ardèche and Haute-Loire departments. The nearest famous spot is the gourmet village of Saint-Bonnet-le-Froid, just 4 kilometres away — a reason enough to pair your visit with a meal. Vehicles are not permitted inside the park; free parking is provided at the roadside before the gate.↗↗

The interior castle tour is guided only and requires an appointment by phone or SMS to 06 33 52 71 83. Allow about two hours for the full visit — there are 64 rooms to explore. The guide speaks English and French. Castle entry is 5 euros for adults; children under 18 go free. Payment by cash or cheque. Pets are not accepted. The entrance is not wheelchair accessible.↗↗

Why It Matters

In 2013, Montivert nearly reached a point of no return — the costs of maintaining a 2,400-square-metre listed building in a remote valley were crushing. The decision to open it to the public with a modest admission fee, channeling 100 percent of revenue into restoration by local artisans, has given the castle a second life. Around 15,000 people visit each year, and the owners — descendants of the family that built it — live among the rooms and work alongside restorers. Every year the castle looks a little different as décor is painstakingly brought back. That ever-changing character is part of the magic: you are witnessing heritage rescue in real time.↗↗

Pairing Your Visit

The surrounding northern Ardèche highlands offer numerous hiking trails. The tourist office website and the commune's own site list detailed routes. Saint-Bonnet-le-Froid, a celebrated gourmet village, is only 4 km away and worth the detour for its restaurants and artisan producers. The summer children's colony in Saint-André — France's oldest continuously operating one, founded over 115 years ago thanks to a Lacroix-Laval countess's generosity — is a remarkable piece of local social history connected directly to this château.↗↗

The owners are committed to sustainable tourism: the original spring water system is being restored and used wherever possible, waste is recycled, local suppliers are prioritised, and solar panels are planned. It is a castle visit that leaves a light footprint.↗