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Route One

Tour of the Ain

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Day    Route                                          Distance             Height Gain
1        Bellegarde to Yenne                       63.4km               898m
2        Yenne to St Rambert-en-Bugey       64.3km               912m
3        St Rambert-en-Bugey to
          Chatillon-sur-Chalaronne                77.2km               500m
4        Chatillon-sur-Chalaronne to
          Thoirette                                      74.4km                615m
5        Thoirette to Hauteville-Lompnes      66.9km               1197m
6        Hauteville-Lompnes to Bellegarde   46.1km                535m
          Totals                                         392.3km             4657m

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The Tour of the Ain explores a very accessible but poorly known département of south-east France. Despite its proximity to both Lyon and Geneva, the Ain has remained relatively unspoilt: an authentic corner of La France profonde, dotted with sleepy villages, rambling farms and dense forests. The geography of the area is dominated by three large rivers: the Saone, which marks the département’s western border; the Rhone, which marks its eastern and southern borders; and the Ain, which runs through the middle. The countryside to the west of the River Ain is almost completely flat and dotted with hundreds of lakes and marshes, whereas to the east the landscape is much more rugged: this is the southern end of the Jura Mountains. The area’s unspoilt countryside and picturesque villages, combined with a very well developed network of virtually traffic-free roads, make it a fabulous place for cyclists. One of the reasons why the roads are so quiet, even during the summer holidays, is that the Ain is very much a tourist backwater. Consequently, most towns and villages have very few hotels and restaurants and the overnight-stops noted here had to be chosen as much for the range of facilities they offer as for their historical, cultural or scenic interest.

This circuit focuses on the southern part of the département, and takes you through the mountains of the Haut-Bugey and the wetlands of the Dombes. Although the route includes some quite long climbs, the Tour of the Ain is the least mountainous circuit in this guide and therefore provides an ideal introduction to cycle touring in the mountains. The tour can easily be extended by combining it with the Tour of the Chartreuse-Bauges, or by incorporating one or more of the 25 sign-posted circuits described in a cycling guide published by the Ain Tourist Board (available from www.ain-tourisme.com).

Bellegarde-sur-Valserine, a small town on the banks of the Rhone, was chosen as the start and finish point for the tour because it is within easy reach of Geneva airport. There is a regular train service from Geneva and the journey takes around 25 mins. Despite being only 40km from Geneva, cycling to Bellegarde is not recommended, as it is impossible to avoid the very busy and dangerous main roads. If you are flying into Lyon, it would be better to start at Meximieux.

Bellegarde offers little to retain even the most open-minded visitor – perhaps its greatest claim to fame is that it was the first town in France to install electric streetlights, in 1883. However, the town is quickly left behind as you head south-east into the Bugey, via the Col de Richemont. Although long (around 15km), the climb is never too steep and you will soon be at the top with the satisfaction of having the hardest part of the day’s cycling behind you. Once over the Col de Richemont, the road emerges from the forest to give spectacular views of the idyllic Séran Valley and the rolling hills of the Haut-Bugey. The next 20km wind gently downhill, across the western flanks of the Grand Colombier, to the village of Talissieu. If you found the climb to the Col de Richemont easy, you may like to make a detour over the Grand Colombier. There are several roads to the top of this mountain; the steepest starts in Virieu-le-Petit and rises 865 metres in a little under 9km with gradients of up to 19%. As you would expect from the highest mountain in the area, the views from the top are superb. The standard route from Talissieu to Ceyzérieu crosses the northern edge of the Lavours Marsh, one of the last remaining, large continental marshes in western Europe and now a nature reserve. It is also one of the few places in France where you can see highland cattle! The reserve’s visitor centre, a very pleasant café and the start of a 2.4km long nature trail are in Aignoz, 1.5km east of Ceyzérieu. The countryside to the south, with its unspoilt villages and vineyards, set against a backdrop of spectacular mountains, is picture-postcard France at its very best. The area also has its little surprises, such as the sculptures at the Lac de Barterand, the largest of which depicts a local legend of the giant Gargantua breaking open the mountainside to free the mermaid of the vines who had been trapped inside (no one seems to know why she had been imprisoned). From the lake, a short descent takes you back down into the Rhone Valley at a point where there are two branches to the river. The first branch is quickly crossed, but you won’t cross the second until you reach the small market town of Yenne, 9km further along the road.

From Yenne, the route heads due west along the route nationale, through the Gorges de la Balme. After about 5km, in the village of Virignin, you leave the traffic behind, and the rest of the day follows quiet country lanes through forests, fields and open moorland. This is perfect cycling country where other vehicles are rarely seen – you can consider yourself unlucky if you are passed by more than a handful of cars in the 50km that separate Virignin from St Rambert. However, there are also very few opportunities to buy any sort of refreshments so, unless you want to rely on one of the cafés in Lompnas or Ordonnaz being open, take a packed lunch with you. The wooded banks of Lake Ambléon, just before the Col de Fosses, provide an ideal picnic site. Other than the superb scenery, there are few tourist attractions along the route (one being the Palaeoecology Museum in Cerin). St Rambert is the only village in a 20km radius to have hotels (both 1.5km east of the village), a B&B (in Serrières, 1km west of the village) and a campsite (1km east of the village). It is a former industrial village that is now makingstrenuous efforts to raise its tourist profile, having recently opened both a local heritage museum and an art gallery.

The third leg of the tour starts with a final incursion into the Bugey, past the village of Cleyzieu to Vaux-en-Bugey, before turning its back on the hills to cross the floodplain of the River Ain. Of all the picturesque villages in the Ain, the most spectacular is undoubtedly the mediaeval citadel of Pérouges. The village was probably founded in Roman times, but most of the buildings that you can see today date from the 15th century. Wandering through the cobbled streets is like walking back through time, an impression that is enhanced by little details, such as the bakery that leaves its bread to rise in the sun of an open window. Pérouges is also the gateway to the wetlands of the Dombes, a huge expanse of lakes and marshes that boasts extremely rich flora and fauna. Although most of these lakes (there are more than a thousand of them) have existed for centuries, they are nearly all man-made – fish farming is not a recent development. They provide an excellent habitat for many species of sedentary and migratory birds, including kestrels, grey herons and storks. An even greater variety of birds, from all around the world, can be seen at the Villars-les-Dombes Bird Garden, 20km north-west of Pérouges.

The day ends at Chatillon-sur-Chalaronne, a very pretty town of half-timbered houses that prides itself on its gastronomy. There is no better place to try frog’s legs, a local speciality, followed by local freshwater fish or wildfowl. For the inquisitive visitor there are also several interesting museums and historical buildings to visit, including the castle ruins and the 17th-century market hall, which still houses the local market every Saturday morning.

Day 4 picks up where day three left off, crossing the northern part of the Dombes and skirting round Bourg-en-Bresse, the capital of the Ain. Cycling through such peaceful countryside is always enjoyable, but the pleasure is even greater early in the morning when the air smells freshest and the mist still hovers above the lakes. Once across the wetlands, the itinerary turns north and follows the eastern edge of the Bresse Plain to Treffort. This is an excellent place for a short break before leaving the flat plains behind and heading back into the mountains. The cafés are in the main square at the bottom of the hill, however the prettiest corner of the village, with its 14th-century church and castle, is at the top of the very steep Rue Ferrachat. The view across the Bresse Plain to the hills west of Macon is well worth the climb. From Treffort the route runs more or less due east across the foothills of the Jura to Thoirette on the banks of the Ain. Thoirette has little to offer the cultural tourist, but its superb riverside location and very welcoming hotels and campsite make it an ideal stopping-off point.

On leaving Thoirette, the route turns right to follow the banks of the Ain southwards for about 20km. The strenuous cycling starts just before the village of Merpuis, where a steep, but short climb leads through Challes, over an unnamed pass and down to Cerdon. Cerdon has three claims to fame: its show caves, its working coppersmith’s and an eponymous sparkling rosé wine. Unfortunately, getting to the show caves involves a detour of about 6km (turn right from D85A onto D11, then D11H and N84), but the coppersmith’s and wine museum are in the village itself. Many local wineries are also open to the public: a map in the village gives details. Once past Cerdon, the road rises again to go over the Col de Montratier and onto the central plateau of the Haut-Bugey. From here it is possible to head straight to Hauteville-Lompnes, but the most picturesque route branches off the main road at Châtillon-sur-Corneille to explore the hidden valleys to the south. This is deepest rural France and certainly not the sort of place you would expect to find an Australian restaurant (in the tiny hamlet of Pezières – 18km from Cerdon). Hauteville-Lompnes, the next port of call, is the capital of the Haut-Bugey. For a small town of less than 4000 inhabitants it can be quite a lively place with music, dance and arts festivals all through the summer.

The final leg of the tour is quite short, although there are several ways in which it could be extended (eg. via Brénod, Col de Belleroche, Le Poizat and Col de Bérentin). The most direct route takes you over the Col de Cuvillat and through Les Abergements to the Plateau de Retord, home to one of the area’s largest cross-country skiing centres. The journey truly ends on a high, as the pass that marks the eastern edge of the plateau, the Col de Cuvéry, is the highest point on the circuit and the14km descent back to Bellegarde is great fun. If you are not in a rush, why not celebrate the end of the tour with lunch at the excellent Auberge de la Fontaine in Ochiaz, just outside Bellegarde?

Getting there

By car

Bellegarde-sur-Valserine is 775km from Calais.

By plane

Via Geneva: Take the train from the airport to Geneva central station (Cornavin). The number of trains from Geneva–Cornavin to Bellegarde varies from one train every two hours to three trains per hour, depending on the time of day. The journey takes around 25 mins.

Via Lyon: If you fly into Lyon St Exupéry, you can start the tour by cycling from the airport to Meximieux. Directions are given in Appendix 1.

Via Chambéry: If you fly into Chambéry, you can join the tour at Yenne (end of Day 1). Directions from the airport to Yenne are given in Appendix 1. A better option for the final day of the tour would then be to follow Day 6 as described to Le Grand Abergement. From here take the D39 to Hotonnes, and then follow the D9 for about 4.5km to join Day 1 of the standard route at the D9/D30 junction, just below the Col de Richemont.

When to go

Due to its modest altitude, this tour is feasible from April to October. The roads are always quiet, even during the peak holiday months of July and August. Given the limited number of hotels and campsites, it is advisable to book accommodation in advance.

Maps

Michelin: Local – Sheet 328, Ain, Haute-Savoie
Michelin: Regional – Sheet 244, Rhône-Alpes
IGN: Top 100 – Sheet 44: Lyon, Genève and Sheet 51: Lyon, Grenoble