Lakes, wetlands and historic buildings shape the themes you can discover in Saint-Savin. Its natural attractions range from four lakes designated as Espace Naturel Sensible to walks along waterways and through marshland. Local history includes several churches, two châteaux and a 19th-century washhouse project. A weekly market adds a specific time and place to these themes. For your trip, you can weigh up nature, sacred architecture, château history and the market as different areas of focus.

Lakes and wetlands

Lac Clair and Lac Jublet are connected by a marshy area. These two lakes, along with Mort and Gris, are designated as Espace Naturel Sensible sites to protect biodiversity. All four are fed exclusively by groundwater and support rare flora and fauna adapted to changing water conditions. Water levels vary depending on the season and rainfall. Wetlands, groundwater and biodiversity therefore come together as part of the commune’s natural heritage.

Walks around the lakes and ponds, and through the marshland, offer a way to discover Saint-Savin’s natural heritage. Those especially interested in ecology can focus on the protected status and the wildlife adapted to changing water conditions. The marsh connection between Clair and Jublet offers a specific example of the landscape. Season also matters when planning, since water levels vary with the seasons and rainfall.

Châteaux and churches

Château de Demptézieu stands on a rise above Saint-Savin and occupies the centre of the former fortified settlement that gave it its name. In 1954, the château was added to the supplementary inventory of historic monuments. Eglise de Demptézieu offers a different perspective on architectural history: it was built in three phases and altered several times. These two buildings therefore highlight different historical aspects—the château’s place in the former fortified settlement and the church’s development in several phases.

Eglise Inachevée is an unfinished church. Construction began on the initiative of Abbé Guillermard, without authorisation from the Ministry of Religious Affairs. Its unfinished state is an integral part of its architectural history. Eglise de Saint-Savin houses a gilded wooden statue of the Virgin Mary. It was restored along with the church in November 1991; its creation is thought to date to the late 17th or early 18th century. This approximate dating distinguishes the artwork chronologically from Château des Comtes de Menon, which is precisely dated to the early 18th century.

The construction of Château des Comtes de Menon by the Counts of Menon at the beginning of the 18th century gave the centre of Saint-Savin lasting significance. Local history thus offers several points of reference: the construction phases of Eglise de Demptézieu, the estimated date of the Virgin Mary statue and the start of construction of Château des Comtes de Menon. You can use these different dates to consider the religious and secular buildings in their own historical contexts.

Weekly market and historic building project

Saint-Savin’s weekly market is held on Wednesdays from 8 a.m. to noon at Place des Halles. Vendors include vegetable growers, a cheese seller, a butcher, a charcuterie seller and a vegetable producer. Wednesday morning is therefore the stated market time for planning your visit. Market details may change, so check the opening times and offerings before you go.

Another chapter in local history is a project for three washhouses in the hamlets of Saint-Savin, Demptézieu and Chapèze, drawn up on 10 August 1847. All three were planned to be 2.95 metres wide, but their proposed lengths differed: 19.50 metres for Saint-Savin, 13.40 metres for Demptézieu and 23.20 metres for Chapèze. The plan therefore provides a comparison of the proposed dimensions and the three named hamlets. It adds a 19th-century municipal undertaking to the architectural history, while the châteaux and churches shed light on other aspects of local development.

Discover more destinations

Allemond, Huez, Auberives-Sur-Varèze, Fontanil-Cornillon, Domène, Saint-Appolinard, Reventin-Vaugris, Cras

For the main travel overview: Isere.