Sarre Royal Castle
Resorts: Sarre
Accompanied visit
Last tour 30 minutes before closing time.
- October to March:
Tue-Sun from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
- April to September:
Tue-Sun from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
open on Mondays in July and August
Closed on December 25th and January 1st.
Opening times are subject to variations: we advice to verify them by contacting the phone number reported in the “Contact” area.
Full price ticket: € 8.00
Reduced entrance-fee: € 6,00 (groups of at least 25 paying visitors, specific deals)
Reduced 19 - 25 years: € 3,00
Free:
- children and teenagers under 18 years
- visitors with disabilities and their companions
- teachers and other persons accompanying school groups.
Passes for the visit of several sites are on sell directly at the castle’s ticket office.
- on line reservation and purchase of the tickets are strongly advised on MiDA
- backpacks and bulky bags are not allowed
Access: entry allowed for groups up to 25 people per visit.
Tickets: advance sale from opening time onwards, following the arrival order, until last visit.
Accessibility: for the physically disabled there is a reserved access: it is possible to access the rear entrance of the castle by car, from which you are then accompanied to the main entrance. The visit is possible by lift. Presence of toilets for the disabled.
Photos and videos: it is possible to take pictures and videos, for private use and not for gain, with any device without flash and support. Shooting with selfie stick is forbidden. Using shots and films for advertising, press or commercial purposes is allowed only upon authorization.
Pets: small animals are admitted inside the monument only if held in one’s arms or transported in a pet carrier.
The castle stands on a promontory in Lalex, which overlooks the Aosta flatland above the national road for Mont Blanc, immediately after the junction for Cogne.
Built in 1710 on the ruins of a fortress mentioned as early as 1242, having passed through various hands, the property was purchased by the King of Italy Victor Emanuel II, who renovated it and used it during hunting expeditions in Val d’Aosta.
The royal castle of Sarre, after becoming the private property of the King, was used as his headquarters for expeditions in the valleys of Cogne, Rhêmes and Valsavarenche.
Several modifications were made to the residence, in order to welcome the first king of Italy, including raising of the tower and construction of new stables. Inside, the rooms were completely reconstructed and modernised. The curator of the Royal Palace in Milan was charged with furnishing the residence, for which he transferred furniture from other royal residences.
Victor Emmanuel’s successor, Umberto I (1844-1900) also destined the alpine castle for hunting activities.
In the final years of his reign, Umberto I took a particular interest in the Sarre residence and commissioned the renovation of its interior. At that time, works included important decorations in monumental rooms, garnished with ibex and chamois trophies.
Queen Maria José also spent her holidays in the castle, even in the years following the monarchy.
In 1989 the Aosta Valley regional authority purchased the estate to restore it. The castle has a longitudinal body with a square tower in the centre, and is a museum of the presence of the Savoy in the Aosta Valley region.
The visit itinerary of the royal castle unfolds over three floors:
- the ground floor introduces the guided tour of the upper floors; some rooms are dedicated to the hunting theme showing the territory, the management methods and the technical specifics of the King’s hunting trips.
- the first floor, which still retains the furnishings and appearance assumed in the second half of the 19th century, recalls the residential dimension of the castle’s Umbertine phase; the rooms are presented, with some exceptions, with the furniture documented by the 1890 inventory.
- on the second floor, the layout presents a setting for chronological scans linked to the members of the Savoy dynasty who lived in the castle from the beginning of the twentieth century to the second post-war period.
See also
Tourist offer
Where to eat
Note - this information is not directly connected to the Cammino Balteo path but it is part of the Aosta Valley tourist offer.