A multi-faceted realm, the Ain is packed with hugely diverse landscapes. Here, a snow-capped peak or green meadows. There, a mosaic of ponds or rolling bocage...
Bresse, which provided the Ain with its capital, Bourg-en-Bresse, is a land of bocage - rich green pastureland apportioned by hedgerows, willow and oak, with a smattering of typical Bressan farms with eye-catching, ancient "Saracen" chimneys. The hallmark of Dombes is its myriad ponds. There are 1,200 in the area, making it France's biggest freshwater fishfarming location. Bugey is an anthology of coombs, ridges and plateaux that form landscapes punctuated by emerald waterfalls, lakes and ponds. Pays de Gex, wedged between the Juradépartement and Lake Geneva, features the highest summits in the Jura Mountains.
Lakes and Waterfalls
Also nestled in the Ain's many coombs and valleys are an abundance of natural lakes. Some call to mind the great lakes of Canada - Lake Genin, for instance. Others, such as Lakes Nantua, Barterand and Arboréaz, hold the still waters magnificently filmed in The Children of the Marshland. In remote valleys, raging torrents and stunning waterfalls - such as the one at Cerveyrieu - await canyoning addicts. The sites of Trefond-Pernaz and Rheby, and the waterfalls of Chaley, are not to be missed. Another must-visit destination is the majestic waterfall of Glandieu.A patchwork of plateaux, forests and age-old villages, the Ain is home to the highest peaks in the Jura Mountains. Downhill skiing, cross-country skiing and snowshoe trekking coexist with other more unusual activities such as lake skating, dog-sley excursions, ski joëring and the biathlon.
In summer, the Ain reflects a singular harmony between nature and man, and offers an incredibly appealing mountain expanse. The scenery radiates a profound sense of serenity: lakes, forests, ridges, pastureland, and - just when you least expect it - a village...
