The medieval Fortress Miolans was built in the Tenth Century on a cliff overlooking the Combe de Saoie by the Miolans family. Later, the castle was taken over by the Dukes of Savoy, who turned it into a prison. Although over a period of 200 years it held only 192 different prisoners, it was a famed and dreaded place, known as the "Bastille of Savoy".

The most famous of its "guests" was the Marquis de Sade, who managed to escape from the fortress. Some graffiti dating back to the 17th Century bears witness to religious persecution during the Counter-Reformation.

The visit of the castle's prisons and dungeons ended with a walk through the gardens and climb up the guard towers. We could see the miles of vineyards stretching in either direction along the foot of the mountain, Mt Blanc towers on the horizon on a clear day.