Thil: Heritage, Nature and Local Events

Thil combines architectural features and traces of history with walking trails, nature observation and recurring events. If you are looking for a hotel for your stay, you can start planning your trip around your main interest: Would you like to explore architectural and local history, spend time outdoors, or plan around an event date? The examples below focus on different interests and help you match them with a suitable time to visit.

Heritage and Local History

Château de Thil stands out for its wooden pillars, majolica tiles on the façade and distinctive roof. These architectural details give visitors interested in architecture specific features to look out for. The dovecote was one of the outbuildings of Château de Thil and can therefore be understood as part of the château complex. “Hargé-le-Rideau” offers a different perspective on scale: its greenhouse contains a scale replica of Château d’Azay-le-Rideau at a scale of 1:50. The scale makes clear that it is a model and distinguishes the replica from the château it depicts. The house of Louis Hargé on Route de Montluel is also a point of local interest: it contains several original installations of Art Brut.

Thil’s history also includes the medieval Port de la Riotte and the former cable ferry. It served the Quai dit des Amours and crossed the Canal de Miribel. The ferry has since disappeared, making it a historical trace rather than a present-day crossing over the canal.

Trails, Lakes and Landscape

For walkers and runners, the 7 km trail from Thil to Niévroz is an easy, flat route. It starts at the City Stade de Thil. This makes the trail a standalone option for outdoor activity, while the municipal lakes offer a different way to experience nature.

At the commune’s two lakes, the Pêcheurs Thilois look after the grounds. The lakes are used for fishing and observing fauna and flora. Fishing is possible there year-round and can be enjoyed alone or with family. Part of the commune of Thil lies in the Miribel-Jonage basin. This means there are landscape-related options in the commune as well as the specific trail and lake experiences.

Events and Regional Offerings

La Côtière des Arts holds an annual arts and cultural event in Thil. Around twenty regional artists present paintings, sculptures or literary works. The Nocturne de l’Oignon de Thil takes place every year on the second Saturday in November; all participants receive onion soup at the finish. If you would like to plan your trip around an event, check the dates before booking.

Another point of interest on Route de Montluel is Fraisochamp: at Route de Montluel, 01120 Thil, the business runs a market and a pick-your-own facility. On Fridays and Saturdays, Fraisochamp offers freshly made farm bread. For planning purposes, there is a specific difference: the Nocturne takes place annually in November, while the bread is available on two particular days of the week.

Plan Your Journey

The Colibri Côtière line connects Rillieux Semailles with Thil Quai des Amours. Check the timetable for your travel date before including this connection in your plans.

Discover more destinations: Hotonnes, Montrevel-En-Bresse, Châtillon-Sur-Chalaronne, Sermoyer, Chaneins, Ambérieu-en-Bugey, Versonnex, Saint-Genis-Pouilly.

For the main travel overview: Ain.