A marvellous panorama
At one time, residents of Bourg-en-Bresse would climb up onto the crags of Cuiron or Mont Myon after Sunday’s supper to admire the view. Nowadays, Revermont and its maze of tracks looks more like a natural playground – with hikers along the GR59, mountain bikers just about anywhere, paragliders soaring above Pressiat, canoeists on the river and sunbathers on the beach at Grange du Pin… not forgetting all the cyclists dotted about! This is a favourite training ground for some of the most ambitious athletes, so Revermont’s many slopes are not to be underestimated!
Scaling the limestone cliffs of Jarbonnet is a tightrope walker’s game in the rustic setting of the Ain Gorges. Rock climbing is a favourite activity from here to Neuville-sur-Ain, along the cliffs that line the river. From Balvay vantage point you can see as far as Serrières bridge – although it’s nowhere near as impressive as the two-tiered Cize viaduct which spans the river upstream.
Vines and culture
Almost all the traditional stone houses have their own cellar, even in Treffort, the village built on the rocky headland. Why, you ask? Because this was once a land of vines, before the pylloxera pest wiped them all out. The “Vignes et Cavets” exhibition at the Revermont Museum in Cuisiat beautifully presents this important part of the region’s heritage.
A few kilometres away, Meillonnas village is where some of the finest earthenware was produced in the 18th century, using the area’s clay soils. This unique expertise lives on today at an artisan workshop.
