Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region
Departments: Côte d'Or, Doubs, Jura, Nièvre, Haute-Saône, Saône-et-Loire, Yonne, Territoire de Belfort
Population: 2.8 million.
Prefecture: Dijon
Area: 47,784 km²
Specialities: Burgundy and Maconnais wines, Jura wines, cheeses (Comté, Mont d'Or, Morbier, Bleu de Gex, Cancoillotte), beef bourguignon, Bresse poultry, kir.
Sports clubs: FC Sochaux-Montbéliard, AJ Auxerre, FC Gueugnon (football), Elan Sportif Chalonnais, JDA Dijon (basketball), Jeanne d'Arc Dijon (handball).
Competitions: motor racing at the Dijon-Prenois circuit, Franck Pineau cyclosportive in Auxerre
Economy: automotive (Peugeot-Montbéliard), Alstom, General Electric (rail), steel, mining, parachemistry, pharmaceuticals, electronics, plastics, paper, mechanical and automotive industries, agriculture (cereals, beet, cattle farming, cheese). Forestry. Watchmaking. Tourism.
Festivals: Eurockéennes de Belfort, Beaune Hospices Charity Auction, Grandes Heures de Cluny, Rencontres Musicales in Vézelay, Ecrans de l'Aventure in Dijon, Dijon International and Gastronomic Fair, Fenêtres sur Courts in Dijon. Courbet Bicentennial. Besançon Early Music Festival.
Tourist attractions: Fontenay Abbey, Vézelay Basilica, Notre-Dame-du-Haut Chapel in Ronchamp, Burgundy vineyards, Besançon Citadel, Palace of the Dukes of Burgundy in Dijon, Royal Saltworks of Arc-et-Senans, Autun Cathedral, Guédelon Castle, Hospices de Beaune, Citadel and Lion of Belfort, Cluny Abbey, Ballon d'Alsace, Solutré Rock.
Websites and social media: www.bourgognefranchecomte.fr
JURA (39)
Population: 256,000
Prefecture: Lons-le-Saunier
Sub-prefectures: Dole, Saint-Claude
Area: 5,000 km²
Specialities: Comté cheese, Morbier cheese, Vache Qui Rit cheese (portioned cheese), Jura wines (7 AOCs including Vin Jaune, Château-Chalon, l’Etoile, Macvin, Marc du Jura, Crémant du Jura, Vin de Paille), toys, Saint-Claude pipes, watchmaking, eyewear, woodworking, industrial subcontracting, wildlife observation (lynx, eagle, black grouse, chamois)
Competitions: La Forestière (40 to 100 km mountain bike race), La Transjurassienne (a must for Nordic skiing in France), the Tour du Jura cycling race, Critérium de Dole, Chalain International Triathlon, Vouglans International Triathlon, Lons International Show Jumping, Rock'N Horses, Transju Trail, Trail des Reculées, Jura International Tennis Open.
Tourist attractions: Les Rousses resort, Jura lakes, Royal Saltworks of Arc-et-Senans, thermal baths (Lons-le-Saunier), Museum of Fine Arts and Maison Louis Pasteur in Dole, Pipe and Diamond Museum in Saint-Claude, Morez Spectacle Museum, Hérisson Waterfalls and Plateau des 7 Lacs (listed as a Grands Sites de France), Pic de l'Aigle and Belvédère des 4 Lacs, Lake Vouglans, Reculée de Baume-les-Messieurs, Gorges de l' Langouette and Haute Vallée de la Saine, Hautes Combes, etc.
Festivals/concerts: Idéklic Toy and Children's Festival (Moirans-en-Montagne), Moulin de Brainans, Cirque et Fanfare (Dole), Bouche à Oreille Festival (Musiques en Petite Montagne), NoLogo Festival (Fraisans).
Economy: plastics, chemicals, agri-food, bar turning, luxury goods subcontracting, eyewear, watchmaking, timber construction, livestock farming, four-season tourism, thermal spas, automotive and aeronautical subcontracting, viticulture, cheese production.
Websites / FB: www.jura.fr / https:/ / www.facebook.com/departementdujura/ / https:/ / www.instagram.com/departementdujura/ / www.jura-tourism.com / https:/ / www.facebook.com/juratourism/ / https:/ / www.instagram.com/juratourisme/
Km 4.3
Le Vaudioux (Pop. 170)
La Billaude Waterfall
Or Saut Claude Roy waterfall, one of the most picturesque sites in the Jura.
Characteristics: Two successive waterfalls totalling 28 m in height spring from a narrow fissure in the middle of the cliffs. At the bottom of the steep-sided Lemme valley (a 16.7 km long river that rises at the foot of the Col de la Savine, at an altitude of 908 m, and flows into the Saine at Le Vaudioux). Over time, the force of the water has eroded a layer of marl, creating the surprising horizontal cavity in this waterfall.
Km 7.3
Chaux-des-Crotenay (Pop. 400)
In 1962, after conducting research using composite sketches, archaeologist André Berthier proposed that the site of the Battle of Alesia was located in Chaux-des-Crotenay. This theory is notably supported by journalist Franck Ferrand, well known to viewers of the Tour de France.
Km 16.8
Saint-Laurent-en-Grandvaux (Pop. 1,820)
This is the village where Quentin Fillon Maillet, two-times Olympic champion at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, grew up.
Km 21.8
Morbier (Pop. 2,300)
The village probably takes its name from an old millstream that flowed from a place called "La Carronnée" in the centre of the village and which is said to have dried up in the past. It is famous for its cheese of the same name (Morbier), its Nordic ski area and its clockmaking. In the 19th century, Morbier was, along with Morez, the capital of Comtoise clockmaking.
Cheeses of the Jura
Comté: this is the first French cheese to be awarded an AOC (Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée) designation. Comté can only be produced in the Jura mountains, in a region covering the Jura, part of the Doubs and part of the Ain. It is a pressed, cooked cheese made from raw cow's milk, which comes in large wheels 75 cm in diameter. It takes around 450 litres of milk to produce a 35-kilo wheel of Comté. It is made using traditional methods in more than 190 small village cheese dairies, known as "fruitières", which collect milk from surrounding farms every day. To develop its flavour, Comté is not pressed. It is matured in cellars for at least four months (often six months or even much longer) and is characterised by its astonishing aromatic richness. Morbier: when cut, a dark horizontal line can be seen in the middle of its beautiful cream colour. The origin of this distinctive feature comes from its early production on modest farms (as it was not very abundant, the curds from the morning milking were protected with a little soot while waiting to be combined with those from the evening milking to form the whole cheese). Mont d'Or (or Vacherin Franc-Comtois): this cheese owes its creation to the drop in fresh milk production during the winter. Cancoillotte: an almost liquid cheese speciality made from raw, skimmed and curdled milk, matured and melted with water, salt, butter and herbs.
Haut-Jura Regional Nature Park
Established: created in 1986.
Location: in the departments of Jura, Doubs and Ain, covering 122 municipalities and an area of 178,000 hectares. The park occupies the most rugged part of the Jura mountains.
History: the region that Caesar referred to as the "wooded mountain" in The Gallic War owes its name to the Joux, which cover it with dark forests with bluish hues. There are mainly deciduous forests (oak, hornbeam, beech), willow groves and alder groves, but also spruce, fir and maple trees.
Km 27.2
Hauts-de-Bienne (Pop. 5,100)
A commune formed in 2016 from the merger of Morez, La Mouille and Lézat. Marked in the 20th and 21st centuries by the eyewear industry, after having been the capital of Comté clocks in the 19th century, Morez is located near the Swiss border, at the foot of the Les Rousses resort. It is the second largest town in the Haut-Jura Regional Nature Park. The town has an eyewear museum. Industrialists who have left their mark, such as Henri Lissac (eyewear manufacturer) and Lucien Terraillon (scales), are from Morez.
Spectacle Museum
Opened: 2003.
History: Morez has been the capital of French eyewear manufacturing since the early 19th century. The town owes its existence to the presence of a river, the Bienne, which enabled ironworking. Morez is in fact a relatively young town. It was not until the 16th century that people settled in a place called La Combe Noire. Among them was a blacksmith, Étienne Morel, who gave his name to the village: Morez.
Characteristics: 450 modern and antique spectacles are on display here among the 2,500 objects in the collection. The glasses on display have been chosen for their history, their owners (including Marie de Médicis, Victoire de France and Sarah Bernhardt), their designers (André Courrèges and Philippe Starck), their shape, the materials used and the manufacturing technique. Finally, the main models produced by the Morez workshops are also on display.
Label: Musée de France.
Km 36.5
Les Rousses (Pop. 3,700)
The resort of Les Rousses prides itself on being the birthplace of skiing in France. From its origins in 1899, a story has become legend: the meeting between Mayor Félix Péclet and an officer in the Indian Army who introduced him to the appeal of this original means of transport. In any case, skis have been manufactured in the resort for many years, as evidenced by the ski museum created by Roger Tinquely in the basement of the Grand Tétras lodge. The resort is also home to the last Nordic ski factory in France, the Vandel factory, located in Bois-d'Amont, the village of former Nordic combined Olympic champion Jason Lamy-Chappuis. France's biggest cross-country ski race, the Transjurassienne, also starts in the village of Lamoura, one of the four municipalities that make up the resort. Another classic race organised in the resort is the Traversée du Massacre, which owes its name to the forest that borders Les Rousses. It was also in Les Rousses that explorer Paul-Emile Victor first learned to ski. But alpine skiing is not forgotten in the Haut-Jura resort. Bois-d'Amont is also the birthplace of Léo Lacroix, one of the greatest champions in the history of French skiing, silver medallist in the downhill at the 1964 Innsbruck Games and twice runner-up to Jean-Claude Killy in 1966 at the World Championships in Portillo, Chile. The resort of Les Rousses has hosted the Tour de France twice in recent years. In 2010, Sylvain Chavanel won there in torrential rain. In 2017, Lilian Calmejane achieved the finest solo performance of his career there. The Col de la Faucille, above Les Rousses, was also one of the first passes in the Tour, climbed as early as 1911. From 1957 onwards, a KOM was often placed to award points at the top of the Côte des Rousses. The names of Ottavio Bottecchia, Gino Bartali and Federico Bahamontes remain linked to this climb, which was last used in 2004.
Fort du Risoux (or Fort Guyot)
Foundation: built in the 19th century (1880 to 1884).
Location: on a promontory in the Risoux forest above Lake Les Rousses.
Characteristics: first-generation Séré de Rivières fort built from local cut stone.
History: it was decommissioned in 1892 and played no military role, despite being part of the Jura fortified sector of the Maginot Line. The fort was used until June 1997 for explosives training by the commando training centre stationed at Fort des Rousses.
Fort des Rousses
Construction: 19th century.
History: built from 1848 and completed in 1862 to defend against an invasion by Switzerland, Fort des Rousses saw little military use. Abandoned in 1919, it now houses holiday camps. Reclaimed by the army after the Second World War, it housed the military ski training centre. In 1997, the State sold it to the municipality of Les Rousses. It was then restructured to house the maturing cellars of the Arnaud cheese dairies and the Comotec eyewear company. The Arnaud-Juraflore cheese dairy set up huge maturing rooms in the vaulted cellars, which maintain a temperature of 8°C all year round. More than 55,000 wheels of Comté cheese mature there. It also serves as the setting for an adventure and underground exploration trail.
Km 44.5
Prémanon (Pop. 1,265)
Prémanon is one of the five municipalities that make up the resort of Les Rousses. As part of the 2020 Winter Youth Olympic Games, the National Nordic and Mid-Mountain Ski Centre in Prémanon was an Olympic venue. The Tuffes Nordic Stadium in Prémanon, renamed the Jason Lamy-Chappuis Stadium in 2014, hosted the ski jumping, biathlon and Nordic combined events.
Polar Worlds Centre
The former Paul-Émile Victor Polar Centre was replaced in early 2017 by a new 5,000 m² space dedicated to fun and education. Featuring a museum, a polar garden, an ice rink evoking the ice floes, a café-restaurant, an auditorium and more, it offers a complete immersion in the polar environment, encouraging visitors to learn more about it. By giving a voice to scientists, explorers and contemporary artists, the Polar Worlds Centre also provides a diverse perspective on environmental and human issues. This eco-friendly facility aims to be energy self-sufficient while limiting the ecological footprint of the building on its environment.
Website: www.espacedesmondespolaires.org
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region
Departments: Ain, Allier, Ardèche, Cantal, Drôme, Isère, Loire, Haute-Loire, Puy-de-Dôme, Rhône, Métropole de Lyon, Savoie, Haute-Savoie.
Population: 8.2 million inhabitants
Prefecture: Lyon
Area: 69,711 km²
Specialities: Beaujolais, Côtes du Rhône and Savoie wines, Lyon specialities (quenelles, cervelles de canut, saucisson, etc.), Auvergne potée, Savoyard specialities (raclette, fondue, tartiflettes, diots, crozets), cheeses (Beaufort, Reblochon, Cantal, Bleu d'Auvergne, Salers, Saint-Nectaire, etc.), green lentils from Le Puy, waters (Evian, Thonon, Volvic), verbena, Chartreuse.
Sports clubs: Olympique Lyonnais, AS Saint-Etienne, Clermont Foot 63, Grenoble Foot 38 (football). ASM Clermont, Lyon OU, FC Grenoble, Stade Aurillacois, US Oyonnax (rugby), ASVEL Villeurbanne (basketball), Chambéry (handball), Brûleurs de loup Grenoble, Pionniers de Chamonix (ice hockey)
Competitions: Women's Football World Cup, skiing competitions (Critérium de la Première Neige in Val d'Isère), Tour de France mountain passes, Critérium du Dauphiné.
Economy: (8th European region) cutting-edge industries, automotive (Berliet), metallurgy, rubber, plastics, chemicals, electronics, agri-food, textiles, digital, banking, universities, government, viticulture. Tyres (Michelin). Design. New technologies (Inovallée). Winter and summer tourism.
Festivals: Festival of Lights in Lyon, Nuits de Fourvière in Lyon, Quais du Polar in Lyon, Design Biennial in Saint-Etienne, La Chaise-Dieu Classical Music Festival
Tourist attractions: Old Lyon and Croix-Rousse, Puy-en-Velay Cathedral, Lake Annecy, Chambéry Castle, winter sports in Isère, Savoie and Haute-Savoie, Cantal, spa resorts, Auvergne volcanoes. Pont d'Arc Cave. Grignan Castle. Grenoble Bastille. Vulcania. Parc des Oiseaux.
Websites and social media: www.auvergnerhonealpes.fr
Km 62.6
Lélex (Pop. 240)
The highest downhill ski slopes in the Monts Jura resort are located in Lélex, on the northern slope of Montoisey, which rises to 1,660 metres. Lélex is the birthplace of Edgar Grospiron, Olympic mogul skiing champion at the 1992 Albertville Olympic Games and president of the organising committee for the 2030 Olympic Games in the French French Alps.
Edgar Grospiron
Born in Lélex in the Ain region in 1969, he took his first steps on skis at the age of just 18 months. The family moved to the Alps in 1973 (first to Avoriaz, then Morzine) before settling in Annecy-le-Vieux in 1978. A member of the La Clusaz sports club, he was first selected for the French freestyle skiing team in 1986, achieving his first World Cup podium finish on 23 March 1987 in La Clusaz. Freestyle skiing was a demonstration sport at the 1988 Olympic Games in Calgary, where he won the bronze medal. The following year, at the World Championships, he became world mogul champion, a title he retained in 1991. He was the favourite at the 1992 Olympic Games in Albertville, where freestyle skiing was recognised as an Olympic discipline for the first time. He confirmed his status by winning in front of more than 20,000 spectators. The media discovered a charismatic and playful champion, who summed up his diet as follows: "One week red wine, one week white wine." Bronze medallist at the 1994 Olympic Games in Lillehammer, he retired at the age of 26 with a third world championship title in 1995 at his home in La Clusaz. He then became a management consultant and, since 2010, has been working for the Olympic movement. He is also a consultant for several media outlets and an advisor to the French freestyle skiing teams. On 18 February 2025, he was appointed president of COJOP, the organising committee for the 2030 Winter Olympics.
Km 74.7
Chézery-Forens (Pop. 430)
Borne au Lion
Construction: 1613
History: the Lion boundary marker, also known as the Lion Magras boundary marker or the Three Empires boundary marker, is a boundary marker erected in 1613 in the Jura mountains, marking the tripoint between France, Spain and the possessions of the Duke of Savoy. The Lion Boundary Stone is located on the border between the municipalities of La Pesse (Jura) to the north, Chézery-Forens (Ain) to the south-east, and Champfromier (Ain) to the south-west. It is located in a place called Les Magras, at a pass at an altitude of 1,289 metres, between the Crêt au Merle and the Crêt de Chalam. It is accessible by road from La Pesse.
Listed as: historic monument in 1921.
Km 87.3
Valserhône (Pop. 16,000)
Since 2019, it has included the municipalities of Bellegarde-sur-Valserine, Châtillon-en-Michaille and Lancrans.
Pertes de Valserine
A small river in the Ain department that rises north of the Col de la Faucille pass on the border between the Ain and Jura departments. After flowing for 48 km, it joins the Rhône at Bellegarde-sur-Valserine. Since the disappearance of the glacier that covered the Jura during the Würm glaciation 15,000 years ago, the Valserine has carved its bed into the limestone strata deposited during the Jurassic period.
Km 88.9
Métral Dam
Now supplies a micro power station. It is located on the site of former mills and has had to be rebuilt several times. This site of former mills was submerged in February 1758 by the collapse of the hill undermined by the river, which supported the ruins of Ballon Castle.
Km 90.8
Bellegarde-sur-Valserine (Pop. 11,000)
On 1 anuary 2019, it became a delegated commune of Valserhône. Founded in 1859 following the creation of a railway station on the Lyon-Geneva line. It quickly grew in importance with the establishment of various factories on the Rhône and became one of the first towns in France to have public electric lighting, thanks to Swiss industrialist Louis Dumont, who built a dam on the Valserine in 1853. In 2012, Bellegarde-sur-Valserine was the finish line for a stage of the Tour de France won solo by Thomas Voeckler, who took the polka dot jersey. Bellegarde has also hosted two stages of the Tour de l'Avenir.
Musinens Castle
Founded: 13th century
Style: medieval fortress converted in the Renaissance style
Characteristics: castle consisting of four buildings and curtain wall bases enclosing a rectangular courtyard.
History: the site was formerly the home of the Hospitallers of Saint John of Jerusalem
Current use: owned by the municipality of Bellegarde, the castle was renovated in the early 2010s and now hosts exhibitions, conferences, etc.
Km 96.9
Léaz (Pop. 910)
Fort l’Écluse
Construction: 13th to 19th century.
History: Fort l'Écluse, formerly known as Fort de la Cluse, was built on the site of an old fortified castle constructed by the lords of Gex in the early 13th century. It was greatly enlarged during the 16th and 17th centuries and extensively remodelled in the 19th century, mainly to keep pace with developments in artillery. Built between the side of the Grand Crêt d'Eau mountain and the Rhône river, it controls the Écluse pass.
Characteristics: a listed site for its natural interest, it offers the remains of several centuries of military architecture: casemated towers, bastions, ammunition chambers, drawbridges, embrasures, rock shelters, etc. It has the distinctive feature of having incorporated the road within its walls from 1720 to 1933.
Current use: it is located in a listed area covering 1,844 hectares. The lower fort can be visited during the summer months. Visits are also possible outside these periods by reservation. In summer, the lower fort hosts exhibitions and numerous events (theatre, concerts, jazz festival). It is also possible to climb the 830 steps of the gallery carved into the rock to reach the terraces located below the upper fort.
Listed as: Listed site since 1946. The fort is part of the network of major Vauban sites, even though Vauban himself never worked there directly.
HAUTE-SAVOIE (74)
Population: 861,158
Prefecture: Annecy
Sub-prefectures: Bonneville, Saint-Julien-en-Genevois, Thonon-les-Bains.
Number of municipalities: 279
Area: 4,388 km²
Specialities: AOC/AOP cheeses: Reblochon, Abondance, Tomme, Tome des Bauges, Beaufort, Chevrotin, Emmental de Savoie, Raclette. Savoie AOC wines, Ayze, Royal Seyssel, Roussette de Savoie. Other labels: Berthoud (STG), Savoie apples and pears (IGP). Specialities and traditional dishes: Génépi, Crozets, Tartiflette, perch fillets (lake fish), diots, blueberry tart, Savoyard fondue, potato fritters, honey, bidoyon (artisan cider), gentian.
Sports clubs: headquarters of the French Ski Federation. Annecy Football Club, GFA Rumilly Vallières (football). Thonon Evian Grand Genève Football Club. FCS Rumilly (rugby). US Annecy Rugby. Black Panthers de Thonon-les-Bains (American football). Annecy CSAV Handball. Annemasse Basket Club. Chamonix Elite Hockey Club "Les Pionniers". Hockey Club Pays du Mont Blanc. Haute-Savoie Nordic Team
Major competitions and events: Kandahar Alpine Ski World Cup (Chamonix Mont Blanc Les Houches). Greenweez Maxi-Race (Annecy). Alps Bike Festival (La Clusaz). Mountain Bike World Cup (Les Gets). Climbing World Cup (Chamonix Mont Blanc). Megève International Show Jumping. Evian Championship (golf). Ultra Trail du Mont-Blanc (Chamonix). Biathlon World Cup (Le Grand Bornand). Telemark World Cup (Samoëns and Saint-Gervais-les-Bains). High'Five Festival (Annecy). Rock the Pistes (Portes du Soleil). Critérium du Dauphiné. Ski Mountaineering World Cup (Flaine). Grande Odysée Savoie-Mont-Blanc. Tour de l'Avenir. Tour des Pays de Savoie
Heritage: Lake Geneva, Mont Blanc and Aiguille du Midi, Lake Annecy. Château des Sires de Bonneville. Château de Clermont. Plateau des Glières (national necropolis). Montenvers Train (Mer de Glace) and Mont Blanc Tramway. Château de Ripaille. Col des Aravis. Village des Flottins. Pont des Amours (Annecy). Hameau du Père Noël. Château d'Annecy. Pont de la Caille. La Visitation basilica. La Tournette. Col de la Forclaz. Abbey of Abondance. Buvette Cachat des Eaux d'Evian. Château des Allinges. Baroque chapels of St-Gervais. Abbey of Aulps. Thermal baths of St-Gervais Interpretation Centre for Mountain Smuggling
Festivals: International Animation Film Festival (Annecy). Montjoux Festival. Guitare en Scène (Annecy). Nomade Reggae Festival. Rock'n'Poche. Megève International Jazz Festival. Pleins Feux Festival. Village des Flottins. Morzine Harley Days. Musilac Mont-Blanc. Radio Meuh Circus Festival. Mont-Blanc Humour. Paradisio Annecy. Les Grandes Médiévales d'Andilly
Main tourist attractions: Lake Annecy, Annecy Castle, Mont Blanc and Mer de Glace, Aravis, winter sports resorts in Chamonix, Saint-Gervais, Megève, Les Gets, Morzine and Avoriaz.
Economy: watchmaking (Cluses), bar turning, mechanics (Dassault, Alcatel), agriculture and agri-food (Reblochon and Tome cheese production, Evian water), mountain tourism, sports industry (Dynastar, Salomon, Mavic). Outdoor Sport Valley cluster, for the economic development of the outdoor sector. Major facilities (Rochexpo, etc.)
Websites, etc.: https:/ / www.hautesavoie.fr/ / www.haute-savoie-tourisme.org/ / https://fr-fr.facebook.com/hautesavoieledepartement / https:/ / www.instagram.com/hautesavoieledepartement / https://twitter.com/dep_74 / tiktok.com/@hautesavoiedepartement
Km 125.4
Neydens (Pop. 2,280)
This is the village of former cyclist Rémi Cusin, who was a professional from 2008 to 2013. He competed in the Tour de France in 2010.
Km 127.7
Archamps (Pop. 2,380)
Located in Archamps, near the Swiss border and 10 km from Geneva, the Archamps technology park has been the leading Euro-Swiss technology park since 1989. On 10 January 2020, Archamps Technopole became ArchParc. The technology park is home to around 230 establishments working in the fields of life sciences (biotech; medtech), B2B tertiary activities, electronics, microtechnologies, networks, research and knowledge transfer activities (private, international or inter-university training organisations). It also has a convention centre and two technology platforms, BioPark and MIND.
Km 136
Col de la Croisette (1,175 m)
The Col de la Croisette, on the slopes of Mont Salève (the "Balcony of Geneva"), was ridden four times in the Tour de France between 1973, when Luis Ocana was in the lead, and 1992, when Frenchman Fabrice Philippot led the way. With 4.7 km at an average gradient of 11.2 pc, without the slightest respite, this is a real wall that the riders will have to tackle.
Km 147.7
Arbusigny (Pop. 1,170)
This is the village where Jérôme Coppel grew up. French time trial champion in all age categories, juniors in 2004, under-23 in 2006 and 2007, professional in 2015, he took part in the Tour de France six times between 2009 and 2016, achieving a best 13thplace overall in 2011. His list of achievements also includes a bronze medal at the 2015 World Time Trial Championships, a Tour of Murcia (2011) and two editions of the Étoile de Bessèges (2012 and 2016). He ended his career in 2016.
Km 156.7
Cornier (Pop. 1,510)
The village is home to two chapels listed as historic monuments: the Chapel of Moussy, listed in 1930, and the Chapel of La Maladière-de-Veige, listed in 1932.
Km 158.7
La Roche-sur-Foron (Pop. 12,200)
A medieval town, La Roche-sur-Foron is part of the Plus Beaux Détours de France network. Its medieval walls and the Plain-Château district are worth a visit for their 16th and 17th-century noble houses, as well as the 12th-century Tour des Comtes de Genève, the last remaining vestige of the castle perched on the rock that gave the town its name. The Château de Saix (private property) and the Château de l'Échelle, now a municipal cultural centre, complete this stroll through the past. The layout of the town centre has changed little over the last thousand years. The last major structural development dates back to the 19th century, with neoclassical monuments such as the Town Hall, the Grenette and the Place de la République, with its characteristic arcades, which can also be found in Turin and in the department in Cluses and Sallanches. Finally, part of the industrial heritage is the famous water reservoir that enabled La Roche-sur- Foron to become one of the first towns in Europe to have public electric lighting in 1885. In 2020, La Roche-sur-Foron hosted a stage of the Tour de France, won by Poland's Michal Kwiatkowski after a breakaway with his teammate Richard Carapaz.
Tower of the Counts of Geneva
Construction: 13th century.
Style: medieval.
History: this circular keep is a remnant of the castle of the Counts of Geneva and demonstrated their power. After the Middle Ages, its three floors were used as a prison and then as a quarry. It owes its survival to an ancestral tradition, Papegai shooting, and to the Capuchins who renovated it as best they could in the 19th century and built a small summer chapel in the coolness of the rock.
Characteristics: the last vestige of the fortress of the Counts of Geneva, this tower is perched on a block of rock and dominates the banks of the River Foron. It is one of the first circular towers built in Savoy. This new architecture was a significant advance at the time as it eliminated blind spots. There are some beautiful examples of this type of military architecture in the area, notably at Thorens Castle, a few kilometres from La Roche-sur-Foron.
Listed as: historic monument since 1944.
Km 164.7
Saint-Pierre-en-Faucigny (Pop. 7,860)
Created in 1965 from the merger of the municipalities of Passeirier, Saint-Maurice-de-Rumilly and Saint-Pierre-de-Rumilly, this municipality has inherited the heritage of the former municipalities that make it up, notably the castles of Arcine (medieval, private), Cohendier (14th-century fortified house, park open to the public) and the Tour de Sauterens (14th century).
Km 168.1
Bonneville (Pop. 12,500)
Its proximity to the mountains made this sub-prefecture the birthplace of two Olympic champions, Antoine Dénériaz, gold medallist in the downhill event in 2006 in Sestrières, and Karine Ruby, crowned snowboard champion in 1998 in Nagano. A green resort integrated into the Greater Geneva area, it boasts an interesting heritage, notably its castle.
Bonneville Castle
Construction: 1260.
Style: fortified castle
Characteristics: located on a hill at the foot of Le Môle, it is the only remaining example of medieval Savoyard military architecture in the Savoy region. This vast building follows the regular "Savoyard square" plan: a quadrilateral with a cylindrical tower at each corner. Only two corner towers remain, connected by an 18-metre curtain wall to the east. On the south wall, there is a walled-up Gothic double-arched window, probably corresponding to the castle's ceremonial hall.
History: successively a seigneurial residence and then a count's residence, it became the seat of the castellany after the fire of 1392 destroyed the dwellings. From the 16th century onwards, the castle was converted into a prison, which saved it from ruin. It remained in use until 1934 and during the Second World War. It has been open to the public since June 2019 for guided tours with Faucigny Glières Tourisme.
Listed as: historic monument since 1987.
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