The best road cycling routes around Bolozon

So I finished this superb day in Thoirette, at the Restaurant du Pont. And frankly… what a great idea! 🍽️ A very good meal to close this day as it should be. After spending several hours on the water, the pleasure of sitting down at the table and eating well takes on another dimension!

pretty small stone viaduct with 2 superimposed lanes, one for cars with 6 arches and one for the train with 11 arches. Atypical.

pretty little stone viaduct with 2 superimposed lanes, one for cars with 6 arches and one for the train with 11 arches. Atypical.

The bridge separates two departments, the Jura and the Ain. "Iron bridge. For several centuries, the Ain was crossed at Thoirette using a ferry, called Christouphe's ferry, named after the commune where the passenger resided. From 1808 to 1811, the riparian communes contributed to building a bridge in place of this ferry. The project had been drawn up by Mr. Cordier, from Orgelet, an engineer then in charge of directing the works for the Simplon road. Various obstacles opposed the execution of this work. It was not until 1829 that an iron bridge was built, which collapsed in 1843. The Ain department has just replaced it with an iron bridge currently open to traffic". Statistique de la France - 1855 - Ministère de l'Agriculture by Imprimerie Impériale in Paris - p53.

Lavoir de Aromas and its water point with an old communal fire-fighting engine. Church of Saint-André nearby. Aromas and its seven hamlets were part of the fief of the castle of Montdidier, the ruins of which can still be seen today. The village of Aromas is dominated by the hill of Cuquelu, on which stands a beautiful statue of the Virgin dating from the mid-19th century. In front of the church stands a calvary cross protected and classified by decree of November 24, 1906. The villages of Aromas, Villeneuve les Charnod, Faverges, Burigna and Ceffia have a covered washhouse. The commune of Ceffia was attached in 1974. The commune of Burigna was attached in 1823. The commune of l'Hôpital was attached in 1823 with its hamlets of Marsonnas and Marcia. Villeneuve les Charnod and Faverges were attached in 2017. https://www.terredemeraude.fr/aromas/

Located in the hamlet of Thioles, near this river, the menhir generated the toponym « Pierre fiche », without ambiguity. This name, common throughout France, should be compared to « Pierrefitte » or other phrases such as pierre fichée, pierre plantée, pierre levée, pierre longue… Erected on the edge of a cornfield, the menhir measures 3.80 meters in height, about 0.50 meters in thickness and 1.30 meters at its widest. The stone is said to be sunk several meters into the ground. Nothing allows us to confirm the dating of the Simandre menhir, but its shape brings it closer to Burgundian examples dated to the Middle Neolithic (4200 to 3600 BC). Ancient mentions from the 12th century reveal the existence of two other menhirs, neighbours of Pierre Fiche but which were reportedly removed in the 18th century. It could therefore be not an isolated monument, but part of an alignment or a more complex ensemble. There is also mention of a third menhir near the nearby mill. And also of a dolmen that disappeared long ago, near the village of Chavannes-sur-Suran, and whose tiled roof would have given its name to the hamlet of Thioles… In Simandre, it is told that passing fairies planted three cattails in a field which turned into enormous stones… The menhir has also become a place of popular belief linked to fertility: couples wishing to have a child would rub themselves against the stone and pilgrims would scrape it to swallow the dust. The oldest monument classified as a historical monument in the department (March 6, 1888), the megalith is private property but remains easily visible from a hiking trail. https://patrimoines.ain.fr/n/menhir-de-pierre-fiche-a-simandre-sur-suran/n:320

A must-see in Ain! It’s a chance to experience some elevation gain!

Pretty little viaduct which is a real must-see!