There are some 96 departments in mainland France, 5 overseas departments and 3 territories. Most of the departments take thier name from some natural feature in the area: thus the department of the AIN takes its name from the river which crosses it from north to south.
The Ain takes its source in the Jura and finally joins the river Rhône at Anthon, a village in the department of the Isère, some 25 kms east of Lyon.
Geographically there are four distinct regions in the Ain: The Bresse which is to the north
west
The Pays de Gex which is to the north east and boarders on Switzerland
The Dombes, an area of man made lakes to the south west
The Bugey, the mountainous region to the east.
Each area has its own distinct geomorphology and it is these differences which makes the Ain so interesting. Very often the department is not referered to as the Ain but as the 'Pays de l'Ain' (the 'countries' of the Ain). The flat plain of the Bresse; the lakes of the Dombes, the mountains of the Bugey and Gex.
A relief map showing the departement of the Ain
The Bresse is the area to the north -west of the department. From the right bank of the river Ain to the the left bank of the Saone and to a line draw in the south from Messimy sur Saone in the west to Pont d'Ain in the east. It is probably the richest area in the department and is where the famous "poulet de bresse" come from. The nickname given to the farmers from the Bresse is 'les ventres jaunes' which literally means, the yellow bellies; not because they are cowards, but because of the gold that they kept in their wallets tied, like sporens, around their waists!!!
The Dombes is an ares of some 2000 shallow, artificial lakes. These were created in the middle ages and were used to raise fish. Many of them have now been drained and are used as fields.
The Pays de Gex is the area of the Ain that borders onto Switzerland and is on the east side of the Jura mountains.
The Bugey is a moutainous area, nestled between the river Rhône to the south and the east the river Ain to the west. It is the southern tip of the Jura mountains. In is made up of a series of mountain ranges and plateaus which run from north to south. The highest point is the Grand Colombier, which is 1534 metres high.
It is a great area to visit at any time. In the summer there are plenty of walks and cycle paths to follow and in the winter there are a couple of ski resorts for downhill skiing and lots of ski de fonds. The people are welcoming and the food is good.
