Discover Divonne-les-Bains

Divonne-les-Bains offers several different reasons to visit: thermal history, a lakeside circular route that can be enjoyed year-round, and sports and leisure activities. If you are looking for a hotel, you can first consider whether culture, exercise, water activities, golf, or horse racing should be the focus of your stay. The following topics will help you match these interests with specific things to do at the destination.

Thermal history and industrial heritage

The Circuit patrimonial de la Ville comprises 20 panels about the history of Divonne-Les-Bains. A two-hour heritage walk explores the history of thermal bathing and leads to historic landmarks in the town. The two formats have different focuses: the Circuit brings together the town’s history on panels, while the walk puts thermal bathing at its heart.

The “Aux Sources du thermalisme” tour takes visitors to the Emma, Vidart, Barbilaine, and Ausone springs, which are considered landmarks in the history of the town and its thermal baths. The tour’s seasonal availability may vary. Another aspect of the town’s industrial heritage is Moulin David: it is France’s oldest operating hydroelectric power plant still in its original location. There, an association runs numerous workshops about water and electricity for children and adults.

By the lake: circular route and solar system

The Tour du lac du Divonne is a 3.3-kilometre circular route that can be enjoyed year-round on foot, on roller skates, by bicycle, or in a Rosalie pedal car. Motorised vehicles are not permitted on the route. When planning your visit, both the route’s length and the specified ways of getting around may be relevant.

Connected to the lakeside path is the Chemin des planètes. It represents the solar system to an infinitesimal scale, taking into account both the size of the planets and the distances between them. One metre represents ten million kilometres. This representation brings together two concrete proportions: the dimensions of the planets and the vast distances between them.

Water, woodland, and sports activities

The Centre Nautique de Divonne has a 50-metre Olympic pool with eight lanes, as well as a 162-square-metre teaching pool with AquaSport activities. For diving, there are boards at heights of one, three, and five metres above a five-metre-deep diving pool. A paddling pool and a children’s slide round out the facilities listed here. The different pools and diving options offer several specific points to consider if you would like to include water activities in your travel plans.

Forestland Parc de Loisirs covers two and a half hectares of woodland and offers several professionally supervised treetop adventure courses. Children’s play areas and outdoor laser tag are also available. The supervised courses are complemented by the specific play and laser tag activities listed above.

The two golf courses mentioned differ in format. Golf de l'hippodrome is a nine-hole pitch-and-putt course next to Lac de Divonne. Its practice facilities include 25 teeing positions, a grass practice area, and a putting green. Golf du Domaine de Divonne is an 18-hole, par-72 course; golf lessons and training courses with professional instructors are also available there. The number of holes and the additional training options help distinguish between the golf facilities described.

Commentated trotting and flat races are held at Hippodrome du Grand Genève Divonne-les-Bains. If a race day is a deciding factor for your trip, check the event dates in advance.

Market and travel planning

The regular Friday morning market at Place Perdtemps offers food products only, with local, organic, or short-supply-chain products. If you plan to visit the market, check the opening times in advance, as they may change. This makes it easy to fit the market into your itinerary alongside the cultural attractions, the lakeside route, or the leisure activities.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Sainte-Euphémie, Champfromier, Cerdon, Bellegarde-Sur-Valserine, Saint-Didier-sur-Chalaronne, Collonges, Villieu-Loyes-Mollon, Culoz.

For the main travel overview: Ain.