La vallée de la Valserine

An easy walk along the river banks from the town centre to the place known as "Les Pertes de la Valserine", where the river disappears into a bottomless pit, before reappearing beyond a labyrinth of limestone canyons.The Valserine is the first French river to have been awarded the ‘Rivières Sauvages’ label. This guarantees its high purity. Trout spawn here and are protected in certain areas by reserves. At Valserhône, the river disappears only to reappear a little further on... These are the Pertes de la Valserine! From the car park along the D1084, take a path that descends for about 20 minutes to the Pertes de la Valserine, where the river's waters disappear into a bottomless chasm, only to reappear beyond a labyrinth of limestone canyons. The Valserine contributed to the industrial and commercial development of Bellegarde, and was also a border on several occasions: between France and Savoy (1601-1760), then a free zone (1815-1923) and a demarcation line during the Second World War (free zone located on the right bank). Other possible starting points for the walk: - from the Voie du Tram car park, at a place called Rougeland - from Bellegarde town centre, taking the detour via the Voie du Tram and then the GR9.