AttractionsTrévoux

As is so often the case in France, you can drive past Trévoux without knowing all the history you could experience. If you just took an hour or so to stop and walk through the town you could see a lot of history. You don’t even need to stop at the tourist office as there are signs throughout the town that explain local history. There are also medallions on the ground that you can follow during a self-guided tour. You can also take a nice walk along the Saône River that borders Trévoux. If you like you can cross over to the other side of via a foot bridge.

Trévoux sits on the side of a hill and is looked over by its Château built sometime during the 13th century. Today the Château is but a ruin but it is possible to visited during selected times of the year. The walk up to the Château makes for good exercise and offers a nice view of the surrounding countryside and the Saône River.

Trévoux was once the capital of the Dombes. There is still the parliament building on the town’s main street near the church. Many of the townhouses in the old part of town were built for these who worked for the local government. Any anyone that did had to live in Trévoux.

Thanks to tax brakes Trévoux was once a center of industry. Including metal wire manufacturing; there is Le musée de la filière (Drawplates Museum). Drawplates are used in wire production. A wire was pulled or drawn (hence the name) through a hole on a drawplate to make it smaller or consistence in size. Antoine Millan, a native of Trévoux is created with inventing more durable drawplates using diamond technology. Also part of Trévoux’s history is the rail link it once had with Lyon finished in 1882 but no longer in service. In fact Trévoux train station is closed and no longer used.

Other industries were also located in Trévoux, as the cover of this catalog from 1928 can attest. The company in this case made special electrical equipment.

Trévoux was also played an important part in French language history, the Journal de Trévoux printed in 1704 was one of the first French dictionaries.

Trévoux is a little less than an hour north of Lyon off the A6 Autoroute exit 32 Anse or off the N6 national road. Trévoux is accessed from the D933 departmental road that runs along the town.