Being Medieval in Cremieu: Chateau, Castle and Winding Streets near Lyon
A short hop from Lyon sits Cremieu, a small medieval town that has held on to its old shape – ramparts, gateways, a great covered market hall, and winding streets that feel several centuries removed from the city.
If you have time for nothing else, watch the film first. Everything below is the context.
Where I went
Cremieu is about an hour east of Lyon, in the Isere, on the edge of the old Dauphine region. It is small enough to walk end to end in an afternoon: in through one of the medieval gates, along the main streets to the covered market hall, and up the hill to the castle and former priory that look down over the rooftops. It is easy underfoot, apart from the short climb to the top, and makes a simple day trip from the city.
Why this place
Cremieu is the kind of town that rewards slowing down. It grew up as a fortified market town in the Middle Ages and was never swept away by anything bigger, so a remarkable amount survives – the walls, the gates, the timber-roofed market hall, the narrow lanes. It is not a museum-piece; people live and shop here as they always have. But walk it with half an eye on the architecture and the medieval town reveals itself street by street, which is exactly the kind of place I most like to film.
What you will see in the video
- The medieval covered market hall, with its heavy timber roof.
- The old town gates and surviving stretches of rampart.
- The climb up to the castle and the former priory above the town.
- The winding lanes and squares of the old centre.
- [Patrick – add the specific buildings or viewpoints featured.]
Practical notes
- Best time of year: spring to autumn.
- How long: a half-day, and an easy day trip from Lyon.
- Walkability: gentle in the town, with one climb up to the castle and priory.
- Getting there: about an hour from Lyon by car, or via regional bus and train connections.
- What I wish I had known: [Patrick – the tip from the day, e.g. the market day or opening times.]
A little history
Cremieu was an important market town in the Dauphine, the historic region that gave France’s heirs their title of ‘Dauphin’. Its covered market hall has stood for centuries and is the town’s best-loved building; the gates and ramparts trace the line of its medieval defences; and the religious houses on the hill, including a former priory, speak to its old standing. For a town this size, it has held on to an unusual amount of its past.
Related walks
If you enjoyed this one, you might like the rest of the France trip:
- Aix-les-Bains: A Stunning Lake and a Surprise Boat Trip — the lake town of Lac du Bourget and a surprise boat trip.
- Eating My Way Through Lyon: Frog, Oysters and More — eating my way through the kitchen capital of France.
- Walking Croix-Rousse: Is It Still Lyon’s Silk Quarter? — wandering Lyon’s old silk-weaver hill.
- Too Much Train Pain: What Was My Plan B? — when the train plan falls apart and Plan B kicks in.
- Staying at the Hotel Filthy: A French Farce in Three Acts — a 24-hour misadventure in Calais — and how it turned into a three-act farce.
- How to Cross the Channel at Calais — every method, from the free bus to Sangatte Beach.
Stay in touch
New walks land on the channel regularly — the easiest way to follow along is to subscribe on YouTube. The full set of written companions to every film lives in The Journal, and there’s a curated set of the longer pieces on the Featured Films page. If you’ve got an idea for somewhere I should walk next, send it through the Contact page — I read everything.
Patrick Ashton is a UK-based filmmaker walking the overlooked corners of Britain and Europe. More about Patrick →
