Royal Prisons of Saint-Amour
Located in the commune of St-Amour (Jura), come and step inside real prisons of yesteryear and step back in time. These XVIIIᵉ century prisons offer a unique visit in terms of their history, but also their secrets.During the reign of Louis XIV, there was a lot of smuggling in this region of Franche-Comté. The Justice des Gabelles was established to remedy the illicit trade in salt, tobacco and cloth. Completed in 1741, the building served as an auditorium and prison. After the French Revolution and until 1869, it was used solely as a transit prison for prisoners walking from Lons le Saunier to Bourg en Bresse. An audio tour recalls the life of this very special, authentic building.During the tour, we follow the journey of a prisoner convicted of smuggling. We go from the guardhouse to the dungeons, crossing the corridors to “hear” their true story, at the corner of a door or the bend of a staircase. These prisons are secure and partly restored. You’ll visit the jailer’s quarters, the chapel, the prisoners’ courtyard, two detention rooms and three dungeons with their wicket doors. But don’t stop at just the prisons in this charming little town. Once you’ve contacted the Saint-Amour Tourist Office, you can set off on a discovery tour of the town, solving riddles along the way as you make your way through the narrow streets and mysterious places of Saint-Amour. Like an Escape-Game, you’ll have to find a symbolic object in the town. Discovery, culture and questions await you, in a playful way from our campsite in Saint-Nizier le Bouchoux.
More info
Les prisons royales de St-Amour
18 rue du commerce
39160 Saint-Amour
03 84 48 76 69
15 km
