Morestel Heritage Trail

The special light of Morestel has attracted many an artist... and the picturesque medieval setting of this ancient fortified village adds even more charm to its appeal. Morestel still boasts many traces of its historical past.

Explore the alleyways of the upper part of the town, generally known as the "Old Town", and let the Heritage Trail guide you through the history of Morestel.

Morestel grew at the foot of the rock on which the castle stands. The village was almost certainly surrounded by a rampart wall during the first half of the 14th century. There were two entrance gates, the Saint Symphorien gate, of which traces are still visible on the wall, and the Murine gate, at the other end of the village's shopping street, called "Grande Vie" (from the latin word "via", meaning road). This street was renamed "Rue Ravier" in 1945. Outside the castle walls, two districts developed near these gates.

Within the enclosure, a profusion of houses, some of them backing onto the rampart wall, as well as barns and parks were built, along with the so-called "Fortified Manor Houses" of the local nobility