Crémieu medieval city

Historic site and monument

Image illustrative — © Didier Jungers pour l'office de tourisme des Balcons du Dauphiné

Bureau d'Information Touristique de Crémieu
9, place de la Nation
38460 Crémieu

Crémieu, an iconic medieval town in the Balcons du Dauphiné region, charms visitors with its 15th-century market hall, ramparts, and Augustinian convent. As the starting point of the greenway, it offers a well-preserved and vibrant cultural heritage in the heart of a natural setting ideal for hiking.

Crémieu, the gateway to Greater Lyon in the Balcons du Dauphiné region
Crémieu is located in the heart of the historic Dauphiné region, at the junction of the departments of Ain, Rhône, and
Isère. The first written records of its existence date back to the late 12th century. At that
time, the town was the seat of a mandement—an administrative district within the
barony of La Tour, which was incorporated into the Dauphiné in 1282. The Dauphiné was incorporated into the French Crown in
1349. It was in 1315 that the Dauphin Jean II, Lord of the Dauphiné, decided to grant Crémieu a charter
of privileges. This seigneurial act, by granting new rights and privileges to the people of Crémieu, would
pave the way for sustained growth, marked in particular by the construction of a new town on the site of
former marshes, between the town’s two hills: to the west, Saint-Laurent Hill with the
Dauphin’s castle, where the old quarters were established; and to the east, Saint-Hippolyte Hill with its
Benedictine priory surrounded by fortifications. This new town, too, needed fortifications because Crémieu,
located on the border between the Dauphiné and Savoy (with the Ain department largely belonging to Savoy), had to
be able to play a military role in the event of an invasion. This second set of ramparts was therefore built in the
14th century.