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Nantua

Tourism, holidays & weekends guide in the Ain

Nantua - Tourism, holidays & weekends guide in the Ain
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Sub-prefecture of Ain, Nantua takes place in Upper Bugey, south of the Jura mountains. The town is located on the banks of a natural lake of the same name, about fifty kilometers from Bourg-en-Bresse, not far from Charix and Peyriat.

The town was born in the 7th century around a Benedictine monastery founded by St. Amand. The abbey will be ravaged by the Magyars a few centuries later. Full of charm, this city with preserved nature is also illustrated during the Second World War with active resistance that will cause several raids.

Lovers of outdoor life and old stones will find their happiness in this town of a thousand delights. Nantua is particularly renowned in the rest of the country for the sauce to which it gave its name, a culinary specialty based on crayfish.

Geographical information

MunicipalityNantua
Postcode01130
Tourism labels
Latitude46.1534050 (N 46° 9’ 12”)
Longitude5.6077620 (E 5° 36’ 28”)
AltitudeFrom 427m to 1125m
Surface area12.79 km²
Population3587 inhabitants
Density280 inhabitants/km²
PrefectureBourg-en-Bresse (51 km, 40 min)
Insee code01269
IntercommunalityCA Haut - Bugey Agglomération
DepartmentAin
TerritoriesAlps, Jura mountains
RegionAuvergne-Rhône-Alps

Nearest cities & towns

Les Neyrolles3 km (5 min)
Port3.4 km (7 min)
Montréal-la-Cluse5.6 km (9 min)
Brion6.1 km (10 min)
Saint-Martin-du-Frêne6.4 km (10 min)
Béard-Géovreissiat7.7 km (12 min)
Maillat8.4 km (13 min)
Martignat9.3 km (12 min)
Nurieux-Volognat9.4 km (14 min)
Apremont9.9 km (15 min)
Condamine10.1 km (15 min)
Izernore10.3 km (14 min)
Groissiat11 km (16 min)
Charix11.5 km (14 min)
Peyriat12 km (19 min)

Things to see and do

Listed as a historic monument, the Saint-Michel church is the last remnant of the former Benedictine abbey founded at the end of the seventh century. Cluniac-style Romanesque, it reveals a bell-tower inscribed in the Historical Monuments and hosts in its interior a very beautiful picture of Delacroix: The martyrdom of Saint Sebastian.

Nantua strongly emphasizes its resistant past during the Second World War. It is thus possible to discover a monument to the deportees of Ain located on the banks of the lake. Do not miss either to go to the museum of the Resistance dedicated to the history of the scrub of the Ain.

Lake Nantua is the ideal place to enjoy sunny days. The site offers many leisure activities such as hiking, fishing, sailing, diving or even the pedal boat. If you love outdoor activities, you can take advantage of the many marked trails to discover the surrounding landscapes, like the Palin waterfall where it is sometimes possible to admire buff early in the morning.

Places of interest

Information points
Leisure centres
Monuments
Natural sites

Events and festivities

The market is held every Saturday morning.

In June, place at the lake festival with his British Car show.

A beautiful fireworks display is fired on Lake Nantua on the occasion of the national holiday on July 14th.

In August, the town is crossed by the Tour de l'Ain, a famous regional cycling race.

The Wood Festival, at the farm of Haut-Bugey, is organized each year in September with various events.

Every year as part of the Week of Taste, in October, the town proposes its festival of the Quenelle sauce Nantua to discover the famous local culinary specialty.

A Christmas market takes place in December.

Photos

Lake of Nantua (© J.E)
Lake of Nantua (© J.E)
See photo
Lake of Nantua
Lake of Nantua
See photo
Lake of Nantua (© J.E)
Lake of Nantua (© J.E)
See photo
Monument to the Deportees
Monument to the Deportees
See photo
Way of the Virgin
Way of the Virgin
See photo
Small harbour
Small harbour
See photo
Pre Cadgene
Pre Cadgene
See photo
Playground
Playground
See photo
Abbey Church of Saint-Michel de Nantua (© J.E)
Abbey Church of Saint-Michel de Nantua (© J.E)
See photo
Interior of the Abbey Church of Saint-Michel (© J.E)
Interior of the Abbey Church of Saint-Michel (© J.E)
See photo
Lake of Nantua (© J.E)
Lake of Nantua (© J.E)
See photo
Lake Parkway (© J.E)
Lake Parkway (© J.E)
See photo
Abbey, town and lake of Nantua (© J.E)
Abbey, town and lake of Nantua (© J.E)
See photo
City and lake seen from the belvedere (© J.E)
City and lake seen from the belvedere (© J.E)
See photo
Nantua Lake Beach
Nantua Lake Beach
See photo
Hiking of the Monts d'Ain
Hiking of the Monts d'Ain
See photo
Reflections on the lake of Nantua
Reflections on the lake of Nantua
See photo
Wooden carvings
Wooden carvings
See photo
Viaduct on the heights of Nantua
Viaduct on the heights of Nantua
See photo
Heart of the city
Heart of the city
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Highway of the Titans
Highway of the Titans
See photo
Chamois
Chamois
See photo
Stage of the Tour de l'Ain cyclist
Stage of the Tour de l'Ain cyclist
See photo
Palin Waterfall
Palin Waterfall
See photo

Weather

Friday 31 may
Min. 6°C - Max. 12°C
Day
Night
Saturday 1 june
Min. 7°C - Max. 12°C
Day
Night
Sunday 2 june
Min. 8°C - Max. 13°C
Day
Night

Visits, leisure and activities nearby

Leisure activities

Last nameActivity typeRateCity
Canyoning or Via Ferrata in Jura with Eskaléo
Sports sensations40 € to 65 € Saint-Claude (32 km)
Canyoning around Saint-Claude
Sports sensations45 € Saint-Claude (33 km)
Hot air balloon flight around Lake Annecy
Sports sensations280 € La Balme-de-Sillingy (39 km)
Motocross, trial or enduro lessons
Sports sensations37 € Joudes (41 km)
Outdoor show: Walking with witches
Entertainment17 € Pérouges (43 km)

Outings

Last nameOuting typeDifficultyDurationDeparture municipality
The Horizon Tour from Nantua
HikeAthletic6:35Nantua
Tour vtc: Lake Nantua and plain of Saint-Martin-du-Fresne
All-terrain bike itineraryEasy1:30Nantua
La Roche d'Au-Delà
HikeIntermediate5:30Nantua
Tour of the Fècles from Nantua
HikeIntermediate4:35Nantua
The sails (cascades) of Landeyron
HikeIntermediate2:15Montréal-la-Cluse (3.3 km)

Restaurants

Bed & breakfasts

Vacation rentals

Campsites

Hotels

Your holidays
A hotel
A vacation rental
A bed & breakfast
A campsite
A leisure activity
A restaurant
A rental car
A plane ticket
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