Montluel combines medieval traces with a remarkable pharmacy history, a weekly market and routes through varied landscapes. If you are planning a stay, you can choose between local history, the Friday morning market and a route through a valley, forest and across a plateau. The winding streets invite you to explore the medieval traces on foot.
Medieval Traces in Montluel
The Église Notre-Dame-des-Marais was built mainly in the 15th and 16th centuries. It is listed as a historic monument, with the exception of the bell tower and west façade. A walk through the winding streets reveals further medieval traces of the town.
The Tour Carrée is the only surviving remnant of the medieval fortifications. The fortifications, dating from the 12th century, were demolished under Louis XVI. Today, the tower houses a permanent exhibition on vintage cameras and film technology. This building thus brings together the history of the fortifications and an exhibition on photography.
Pharmacy History and Town Life
The Apothicairerie de Montluel was established in the town’s hospice in 1765 and remained in operation until 1942. Its furnishings include carved wooden panelling from a former Jesuit pharmacy in Lyon, as well as a painted canvas ceiling. Other features include an 18th-century faience collection, extensive furnishings and a polychrome stone Pietà from the early 16th century. This Pietà was invoked during plague epidemics. The combination of pharmacy furnishings, craftsmanship and religious practice gives this place a distinctive cultural and historical perspective.
The Musée d’Art et d’Histoire Locale focuses on life in Montluel, as well as agriculture and winegrowing in the early 20th century. While the apothecary presents an older history of medicine and furnishings, the museum offers a glimpse of a later period in local life. Those interested in the town’s development can therefore explore different historical themes.
Town Walk or Countryside Route
Le Trésor de Montluel is a free, fun treasure hunt on a route through the town. It introduces Montluel’s key places through their stories and anecdotes. The activity is suitable for all ages from four upwards; the route is approximately two kilometres long and takes about an hour. This provides a practical guide if you would like to explore the town in a playful way.
The Circuit pédestre de la Côtière offers a different perspective: it leads through the Cottey Valley, through forests and across the plateau between Pizay and Montluel. The route is freely accessible year-round. The two activities have distinctly different focuses: Le Trésor takes you to places and stories within Montluel, while the Circuit passes through a variety of landscapes. You can choose whether to focus on the town itself or the surrounding area along the route.
Weekly Market and the Dombes
The weekly market takes place every Friday from 8 a.m. to noon on Place des Tilleuls. Stalls include fishmongers, fruit and vegetable sellers, cheesemongers, and vendors of clothing, hardware and fabrics. The morning offers a clear time window for a market visit. As market times can change, check the schedule again before your visit.
The Sereine is also part of Montluel’s landscape, with flower-lined banks stretching along the river. Regionally, Montluel is traditionally known as the gateway to the Dombes; at the same time, the town lies entirely within this landscape of ponds and forests. When choosing a hotel in Montluel, you can first consider whether you would like to focus your stay on the town’s medieval history, the weekly market or the landscapes of the Dombes.
Discover more destinations: Sainte-Euphémie, Biziat, Ambérieu-en-Bugey, Culoz, Divonne-Les-Bains, Jayat, Dagneux, Gorrevod.
Go to the main travel overview: Ain.
