Ain: Holiday Apartments and Holiday Homes

The Haute Vallée de l’Ain combines an unusually diverse landscape with numerous activities: options here range from fishing, swimming, climbing, free flight, canoeing and kayaking to hiking, mountain biking, rowing, horse riding, canyoning and caving. Anyone wishing to rent a holiday apartment in Ain can then continue searching for accommodation.

Nature

Ain has 40 designated Espaces Naturels Sensibles covering a total area of more than 15,500 hectares. A tourist map and an annual activity calendar are maintained for these natural areas.

Ain’s natural heritage includes lowland and mountain landscapes, wetlands, dry grasslands, high-altitude forests and caves. The Dombes contains 1,100 ponds, providing a habitat for a diverse range of flora and fauna.

The Espaces Naturels Sensibles Gorges de l’Oignin covers 422 hectares. It contains a preserved mosaic of different habitats that supports exceptional biodiversity. The Gorges de l’Oignin are used for fishing, hiking, mountain biking and golfing.

The Grotte et reculée de Corveissiat has been designated as a listed site, a Natura 2000 site and an area protected for its biotope.

The Saône and the Rhône border the Ain département, while the Ain River crosses the département; these waterways offer routes for exploring by bicycle and on foot.

Activities

Ain’s hiking landscapes change with the seasons, ranging from the wildflower meadows on the Plateau de Retord and the lakes of Haut-Bugey to the Bugey ridges and the wintry mountains of the Jura. Mountain guides can accompany visitors along the trails and help identify wildlife and landscape features.

The protected area of the Haute Vallée de l’Ain includes the Cize-Bolozon viaduct, the loop of the Ain and several viewpoints, including the Belvédère des Roches and the Rochers de Jarbonnet.

The mountain areas of Ain offer cross-country skiing, downhill skiing, snowshoeing, dog sledding and ice skating on frozen lakes.

Monts Jura offers summer tobogganing, mountain biking, golf, paragliding and a huge zip line in summer, as well as hikes in the Haute Chaîne du Jura nature reserve.

The northern section of the ViaRhôna is secured, has only slight changes in elevation and includes protected and shared-road sections.

Culture and Gastronomy

The Royal Monastery of Brou is a flamboyant Gothic building commissioned by Margaret of Austria in the 16th century in memory of her husband. The Château des Allymes showcases seven centuries of history linked to the conflicts between Dauphiné and Savoy.

In addition to being a heritage site open to visitors, Fort l’Écluse offers a via ferrata and an adventure course.

Bresse poultry is produced according to strict traditional breeding regulations; Bresse chickens are raised for 120 days.

The gastronomy available to visitors in Ain includes Bresse poultry, quenelle with Nantua sauce, Galette de Pérouges, Comté, Bleu de Gex, Morbier and Bugey wines.

Other Locality Pages

Other locality pages in the Ain département: Divonne-Les-Bains, Prévessin-Moëns, Nantua, Cerdon, Viriat, Thoiry, Saint-Maurice-De-Beynost, Saint-Genis-Pouilly, Replonges, Oyonnax, Monthieux, Massieux, Ferney-Voltaire, Échenevex, Crozet, Châtillon-Sur-Chalaronne, Bourg-En-Bresse, Bellegarde-Sur-Valserine, Asnières, Arbigny, Aranc, Ardon, Gex, Cormaranche-En-Bugey, Lélex, Pont-D’ain, Vonnas, Chanay, Saint-Étienne-Du-Bois, Meximieux, Segny, Hauteville-Lompnes, Mionnay, Chavannes-Sur-Suran, Belley, Pont-De-Vaux, Giron, Lalleyriat, Châtillon-En-Michaille, La Boisse, Versonnex, Trévoux, Montagnat, Mijoux, Montmerle-Sur-Saône, Treffort-Cuisiat, Béligneux, Chézery-Forens, Ars-Sur-Formans, Miribel, Villebois, Maillat, Relevant, Artemare, Château-Gaillard, Villars-Les-Dombes, Saint-Vulbas, Échallon, Saint-Didier-De-Formans, Montrevel-En-Bresse, Saint-Jean-Le-Vieux, Dagneux, Massignieu-De-Rives, Péron, Gorrevod, Reyrieux, Neyron, Civrieux, Lagnieu, Jujurieux, Ambronay, Messimy-Sur-Saône, Culoz, Saint-Rambert-En-Bugey, Pérouges, Bellignat, Priay, Beynost, Hotonnes, Chevillard, Oncieu, Neuville-Sur-Ain, Confrançon, Sermoyer, Servignat, Loyettes, Ruffieu, Thoissey, Jasseron, Buellas, Hautecourt-Romanèche, Saint-Alban, Vongnes, Bohas-Meyriat-Rignat, Saint-Bernard, Montréal-La-Cluse, Chaneins, Jayat, Collonges, Coligny, Malafretaz, Bâgé-La-Ville, Thil, Saint-Nizier-Le-Bouchoux, Poncin, Champagne-En-Valromey, Lhuis, Saint-Trivier-De-Courtes, Champfromier, Biziat, Peyrieu, Francheleins, Montluel, Confort, Sainte-Julie, Saint-Étienne-sur-Reyssouze, Sainte-Euphémie, Cleyzieu, Villieu-Loyes-Mollon, Misérieux, Saint-Maurice-de-Gourdans, Châtillon-la-Palud, Curciat-Dongalon, Chanoz-Châtenay, Ornex, Blyes, Saint-Didier-sur-Chalaronne, Journans, Jassans-Riottier, Ambérieu-en-Bugey, Chazey-sur-Ain, Grilly, Saint-André-de-Corcy, Simandre-sur-Suran, Saint-Laurent-sur-Saône, Brégnier-Cordon, Ramasse, Valeins, Ambérieux-en-Dombes, Fareins, Évosges, Vescours, Mogneneins, Druillat, Niévroz, Servas, Attignat, Corbonod, Marchamp, Mantenay-Montlin, Pirajoux, Tossiat, Saint-Bois, Dompierre-sur-Chalaronne, Bény, Cessy, Lompnieu, Le Grand-Abergement, Tramoyes, Samognat, Bourg-Saint-Christophe, Cormoranche-sur-Saône.

To the higher-level travel overview: Rhône-Alpes.