15 Properties for sale in Ain, Auvergne and Rhône-Alpes, France
Ain
Located in the northern part of the region of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, between Lyon and Geneva, Ain shares a border with Switzerland. It boasts a varied landscape from the snow-covered peaks of the Jura mountains to the plains of Dombes, and so is a favourite with nature-lovers whether you are looking for mountain hikes and skiing or bird-watching and manmade lakes. Taking its name from the River Ain, the department is largely rural and agricultural with a number of pretty villages to explore.
CAPITAL: BOURG-EN-BRESSE - Located at the western base of the Jura mountains, Bourg-en-Bresse is a quiet, pretty town with a pedestrianised old centre. The church of Notre-Dame is a striking 16th-century building and the Royal Monastery of Brou on the edge of the town is a much-visited national monument.
Access from UK
By air: Lyon
By train: Eurostar to Paris or Lyon and then local trains
By road: Bourg-en-Bresse is 719km from Calais
Climate
Average annual temperature: 6.6°C/16.4°C (Ambérieu)
Average annual rainfall: 1,134.4mm
Average annual sunshine hours: 1,948.3
Highlights
Ain is home to one of the largest bird sanctuaries in Europe, the Parc des Oiseaux in the Dombes plateau which houses more than 2,500 birds including some rare species. Hikers and skiing head to the Jura massif and the highest peak in Ain is Le Crêt de la Neige soaring to 1,720km. The department has one Plus Beau Village, the medieval walled village of Pérouges, a former weavers' settlement on a hilltop overlooking the Rhône River and just 36km from Lyon.