Grilly offers different perspectives on history, landscapes and regional cuisine. Its distinctive features include the Château de la Tour, the Versoix wetlands, views from Mont Mourex and the area's cheese dishes. This makes it easy to choose what to explore during your stay according to your interests: architectural history and art offer a different focus from nature, views or shared paths.
Château History and Art
The Château de Grilly is a former castle dating from the 13th century. Until 1789, it was the centre of the Lordship of Grilly. The Château de la Tour de Grilly is a fortified house dating from the 15th century; it was restored in the 18th and 21st centuries. Listed protection covers specific parts of the building: since 18 February 1971, parts of the façades and roofs, as well as the two fireplaces on the first floor, have been protected.
The Church of Saint-Benoît is also associated with a specific work of art. Its right-hand side chapel houses the painting “Saint Blaise guérissant un enfant”, an oil painting on canvas in a wooden frame. The title and material details provide a point of interest alongside the architecture and history of the Châteaux.
Wetlands, Panoramic Views and a Stone Circle
The Espace Naturel Sensible Marais de la Versoix is on the French side, in the municipalities of Divonne-les-Bains and Grilly. The protected area comprises three wetlands connected to springs and the River Divonne. The Marais de la Versoix are characterised by high biodiversity associated with the wetlands, as well as remarkable species and habitats. This means that, alongside the village's history, Grilly also offers a landscape shaped by water and wetlands.
Mont Mourex offers a different perspective: at an altitude of 755 metres, its 360-degree views extend across the Lake Geneva basin, Geneva and the Alps, including Mont Blanc, as well as the High Jura range. The viewpoint on Mont Mourex is accessible from Grilly. At the summit, there is also a stone circle measuring 145 metres in circumference and 47 metres in diameter. A former association between the site and sun worship is possible, but remains a historical interpretation.
A Bridge and Shared Paths
The Pont de Grilly, also known as the Pont Bugnon, is a stone bridge over the Versoix on the French-Swiss border between Grilly and Chavannes-des-Bois. A wooden predecessor to the bridge connected Gex to the port of Coppet and is documented as far back as 1564. The historical crossing and the present-day bridge should be distinguished chronologically.
Sections of the Voie verte Gex–Divonne also pass through Grilly. The path is shared by pedestrians—including those walking dogs—and cyclists. This offers a different focus from the views on Mont Mourex: here, the emphasis is on sharing a path, while up there, it is on the panorama and the stone circle at the summit.
Cheese, Cuisine and Concerts
Local food culture includes the Fromagerie de Grilly and the Restaurant des Bergers. The traditional cheesemonger offers advice on 350 cheese varieties. The restaurant serves home-cooked food, including fondues, Malakoff and other cheese specialities. A farmers' brunch is also offered there every Sunday. This provides a distinct culinary focus, different from the historical and landscape-related themes.
For music, Grilly offers live concerts at the Bar l’Échappée Belle. If a concert is important to your travel plans, check in advance whether one is taking place during your stay; no regular concert schedule is specified.
Discover more destinations: Tramoyes, Jassans-Riottier, Servignat, Coligny, Neuville-Sur-Ain, Thoiry, Montrevel-En-Bresse, Lompnieu.
For the broader travel overview: Ain.
