Bellegarde-Sur-Valserine: River and Heritage

Bellegarde-Sur-Valserine brings together the Valserine and traces of architectural, transport and industrial history. Several distinct themes can help you plan your trip: the river landscape at the Pertes de la Valserine, historic buildings, and routes where information panels tell the story of the town and its transport history. If you are looking for a hotel in Bellegarde-Sur-Valserine, you can use these themes as a starting point and consider which aspects of the town matter most for your stay.

The Valserine and the Pertes

The Sentier des pertes de la Valserine follows a prepared path to the Pertes. There, the river water disappears into a bottomless chasm and re-emerges beyond a labyrinth of limestone gorges. Several footbridges let you walk alongside or cross the river; the route also includes a picnic area. The footbridges and picnic area serve different practical purposes: the footbridges let you walk alongside and cross the river, while the picnic area provides a place to take a break along the route. The Valserine was the first French river to receive the “Rivières Sauvages” label. This adds another perspective to the view of the gorges: alongside the visible course of the water is the river’s environmental designation.

Buildings and history

The Viaduc du chemin de fer is a structure with a connection to transport history. It was inaugurated in 1858 and spans the Valserine more than 50 metres above the river below. Its name and year of inauguration place it in railway history; its connection to the river also ties it to the landscape. Two other dates matter for the Théâtre Jeanne d'Arc: members of the Société Catholique de Gymnastique “l'Alerte” built it in 1935; since 1979, it has been a municipal theatre. The year it was built and its later institutional role mark different stages. At Espace Louis Chanel, the remains of the Darblay paper mill are part of the heritage, including a pillar of the cableway and vault caps. Vault caps are parts of a vault; alongside the pillar, they are another type of structural remains.

Routes to the town’s and transport heritage

Among the routes with a cultural focus, you can choose between town architecture and transport history. The comic-book trail Sur la piste de Martin takes you through Bellegarde’s architectural heritage with 20 information panels distributed throughout the town centre. The Voie du Tram was closed in 1940 and redeveloped between Bellegarde and Chézery starting in 1991; walkers can discover information panels about the history of the tramway there. This gives you a clear contrast between the themes: Sur la piste de Martin explores architectural heritage in the town centre, while the Voie du Tram focuses on the history of the tramway. The dates describe the development of the Voie du Tram, while the panels indicate its historical focus. This lets you choose between the routes according to whether you are more interested in Bellegarde’s architectural heritage or the history of the tramway.

Discover more destinations: Saint-Bois, Massieux, Vescours, Ambérieux-en-Dombes, Châtillon-En-Michaille, Reyrieux, Sainte-Julie, Saint-Étienne-Du-Bois

For the broader travel overview: Ain.