Wine rivers, cheese shores

The department of Ain, woven from a variety of landscapes, includes a plain with 2000 lakes and artificial ponds, as well as the Jura mountain range, more specifically its part Haut-Jura. Just as the hills and plains, mountains and river valleys differ from each other, so do the same products of these places differ in taste. For example, cheeses or wines.

Itinerary

Option 1
Estimated time - 8-8.5 hours.

8:30 - departure from Lyon to Saint-Martin du Frêne In the first half of the day, you will get acquainted with one of the most famous cheeses of France, among the top ten best French cheeses - Comté. The cooperative enterprise "Fromagerie de la Combe du Val" is located in the village of Saint Martin du Frêne and unites the farmers of this region. The cheese factory allows you to see the production process, participate as an observer in the most technological process, see the cheese aging area, hear the story of the secrets of Comté cheese, and taste the products at 3 age levels of the cheese: 6, 12, and 18 months. Optionally, tasting of other local cheeses with a glass of wine suitable for each cheese.
9:30-10:30 - cheese production visit, tastings
10:30-10:50 - transfer to Saint-Alban Just a few kilometers from the cheese makers, there is a small village that gave its name to another "celebrity" of the region - the sparkling wine Cerdon. This is one of the most vivid examples of sparkling wines, made in the traditional method unique to this region, with a distinctively different pink color and a delicate sweet taste of fruits. It goes brilliantly with many desserts and aperitifs.
11:00-12:00 - visit to the winery and wine tastings of Cerdon
12:15-13:45 - lunch in a regional cuisine restaurant, menu from €14 This little restaurant always has local delicacies, such as foie gras in Cerdon wine or traditional fresh frogs and snails in the local white wine Bugey.
13:45-14:20 - transfer to Perouges In the second half of the day, the landscape will change completely, and instead of steep slopes and rows of vineyards, you will have a view of a plain with many small lakes and ponds. This is the Domb region. Once, in the 10th century, Benedictine monks came here and started breeding freshwater fish in the ponds they built, including carp and pike, perch and catfish, roach and burbot.
14:20-15:50 tour of Perouges One of the first known towns of the 12th century, Perouges is now both the first medieval town and the first to receive the title "un de plus beau village de France" - one of the most beautiful villages in France. Preserved for centuries, Perouges reproduces the life and lifestyle of a typical French settlement of the 12th-15th centuries. The town has become a natural backdrop for many films, including "The Three Musketeers". Here you should try Perouges galettes, the recipe for which was born in the 15th century during the famous siege of Perouges.
15:50-16:30 - return to Lyon

Option 2
Estimated time - 8-8.5 hours.

This journey will also pass through the department of Ain and introduce you to the Bresse region and the capital of the department - the city of Bourg-en-Bresse. Created once on the site of a Roman settlement, this city is famous for its Brou monastery, as well as the royal "chapel", which became a "hymn of love" by Marguerite of Austria to her early departed and greatly beloved husband. Built in the style of "flaming gothic", the monastery was built in the 16th century. In the majestic cathedral are the royal tombs of Prince Philippe le Beau, Count of Savoy, his wife Margaret of Austria, and her mother Margaret of Bourbon. The monastery houses a beautiful collection of paintings, dishes, and furniture of that era.

8:30 - departure from Lyon to Bourg-en-Bresse
9:30-11:00 - monastery visit with commentary
11:00-11:10 - transfer to Saint-Denis-les-Bourg On the outskirts of Bourg-en-Bresse, we will stop for a while to get acquainted with the cheeses of this region. In addition to the leading brands of the region, such as Bresse chicken, carp from Domb, this region was famous for a blue mold cheese from Bresse, Bleu de Bresse.
11:15-12:00 - cheese tasting In the cooperative of Saint-Denis, producers have pooled their efforts and opened a cheese store. A unique opportunity to taste cheeses directly from the farmer-producers. Fresh cheeses from goat, sheep, and cow milk.
12:00-12:20 - transfer to Chatillon Lunch at Restaurant "Tour", from €20. The town of Chatillon, located on the River Valence, is included in the list of "Most Beautiful Places in France", and it is also called the "Venice of Domb". The gastronomy of this region is also special. Among the best dishes are: frogs in the style of Domb, carp from Domb, Bresse chicken in cream.
13:50-14:30 - transfer to Perouges
14:30-15:50 - tour of Perouges
15:50-16:30 - return to Lyon