Cerdon is a town in the Ain region Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, 20 km southwest of Nantua.
Its territory of 12 square kilometers ranges from 286 to almost 1,000 meters above sea level, the village is dominated by steep hills, wooded or covered with vineyards (producing a sparkling rosé wine enjoyed under the name Bugey-Cerdon).
This relief is the result of the confluence in the valley of three streams that meet to form the Veyron.
The town developed in the Middle Ages when the lord of the region Humbert III granted in 1260 to the inhabitants of franchises and freedoms in exchange watchtowers...
With today about 800 inhabitants, the village has retained a picturesque face and character (fountains, narrow streets, typical houses). Mecca of the Resistance during the Second War, Cerdon highlights its natural environment (caves, hiking trails), heritage and wine: so many assets to enjoy during a stay in the region.
The village famous for counting twenty fountains reveals picturesque (alleys of medieval, old and typical houses of the wine business, old oven) and can be a pleasant stroll "discovery".
Several buildings deserve special attention. This is the case of the house called "Castle Epierre", consisting of a cellar and a farmhouse dating from the thirteenth century, which once depended on the old chartreuse Meyrat. The main building has two square towers of three levels. On the first level is a vaulted cellar with a suspended floor. Upstairs is still the chapel. The building has been remodeled several times and been protected as historical monuments.
This is also true of the House of Prince, dating to its share of the fifteenth century.
In addition to a flour mill, see also the site of a former copper foundry established in 1854, working with the hydraulic power produced by paddle wheels. The company closed its doors in the 1970s before being reborn as a specialized economic and tourist place in the realization of pieces dedicated to the kitchen and the presentation and development of an original know-how. Reopening in 2022 after rehabilitation work. Information +33 4 74 32 76 10.
On the religious level, the parish church, former collegiate church dedicated to St. John the Baptist presents the eleventh and fifteenth centuries bases. It was rebuilt in 1754, but we see very old slabs, much earlier, on the left side of the choir. The church also houses a mural evoking the Marist congregation opened in 2011. Open daily. Information +33 4 74 37 11 35.
The Chapel of Awning and its statue of the Black Madonna and the statue installed on the heights of the village in 1855 representing Our Lady of Carmier, illuminated in the evening, also worth a glance.
Ultimate website under the historical, the memorial to the resistance fighters of Ain (also called memorial of the Val d'Enfer), monument sculpted by Charles Machet, accessed via a path qu'empruntaient the Resistance. They were 700 to lose his life in the region.
Holding both the natural heritage and tourism, caves Cerdon (which also extend to the territory of the neighboring town of Labalme) were occupied in prehistoric times (between - and 17,000 - 12,000 before our time). Both natural and archaeological site perfectly, they can discover in part via a small train. Free or guided tours can be complemented by workshops and activities designed for family viewing (on the themes of the first cave paintings, hunting technique, the discovery of fire...). Open from Easter to Halloween. Price: from 6.50 and 10 euros (pass can family including animations). Information +33 4 74 37 36 79.
For hikers, Cerdon and its slopes are found a little paradise. Besides the hiking circuit "the Ain Valley Tour to the Land of Cerdon" dedicated especially to the wealth of the territory in terms of wildlife, two specific trails are available: the waterfalls of the circuit (17 km, significant difference of the order of 1000 m) is demanding but it is marked as true wonders the cascade of high Fouge of 60 meters and the circuit connecting vineyards and caves Cerdon, less stressful but obviously with stops at the producers. It enjoys this trip also to views of the Bresse and Dombes.
For mountain bikers, they can borrow Cerdon a section of the Circuit of Ain bike.
Maps and information +33 4 74 37 23 14.
Finally, for amateurs or beginners, the sensation Vertical center is dedicated to climbing and canyoning. Information +33 6 67 93 56 30. As for fishing fans, 1st and 2nd category rivers the wait! Inquire about suitable sites and regulation at +33 6 79 45 70 78.