Château Viale

About this place

Château Viale is a stone castle on a hill near Kpalimé, in the Plateaux region of western Togo. It looks like a small European fortress amid tropical forest, with its tall round tower and stone walls. It overlooks green valleys and rolling hills, and it is one of the region's known landmarks. It takes its name from the Frenchman Raymond François Viale, who was taken by the view and began building it in 1940, during the Second World War, with work lasting until 1944. It later hosted cabinet meetings and lodged African heads of state until 1979. It was renovated between 1979 and 1982 and has since served as a presidential residence. You see a grey stone building with arched windows and a tall round tower with a conical red-tiled roof. The castle stands on a raised stone base with a side stair, before a broad stone-paved square. A long paved drive leads to it between trees and flowers. It is about 7 km from Kpalimé in a straight line. It is an official residence, so visits may be limited to the outside, so ask at the gate what is allowed and follow the guards' instructions.