WELCOME TO THE dENT DU CHAT AREA !
This fabled region, the “Dent du Chat” area, unfolds around Yenne and the Chevelu lakes, offering beautiful scenery and amazing views which stretch along the banks of the river Rhône to the mountains of La Charvaz, the Chat with its famous Dent du Chat and Mont Tournier.
The region is characterised by the diversity of its scenery :
Le Défilé de Pierre-Châtel : this national heritage-listed site is at the western edge of the territory, a grand natural gateway that marks the border between the Ain and Savoie. The river Rhône has shaped its gorges, accentuating the natural aspect of the place.
The river Rhône and surrounding wetlands (Lagneux and St Jean de Chevelu) are home to rich natural environments that can be explored during numerous recreational activities. Discover the history of navigation and the river by following itineraries that reveal its bridges, the Tomb of Boisson or Notre Dame de la Montagne. The gorges form the natural setting of the ancient fortress-monastery of Pierre-Châtel, important site of the House of Savoy.
The “Dent du Chat” area is also renowned for its vineyards, in particular the Site Viticole de Jongieux-Marestel, national heritage-listed site because of its scenic interest. Its position, the villages and the cultivated appearance of its hillsides all contribute to its scenic value. The area produces delicious red and white wines. Who could not resist the taste of a Mondeuse or a Marestel ? The Jongieux vineyards are part of the wine tourism destination bearing the label Vignobles et Découvertes : Aix-les Bains Riviera des Alpes – Vignobles de Savoie – Jongieux, Seyssel, Chautagne, Frangy.
To the south, the “Dent du Chat” area is made up of small valleys dotted with farms which produce local terroir products such as the locally-made cheeses from the Coopérative Laitière de Yenne.
Yenne is at the centre of this lively area, an old medieval town which is worth exploring both during the day and at night. It is a special stopping-off place with a definite gourmet character, notably its secret recipe for the Véritable Gâteau de Savoie.
Set off to explore all the riches of the “Dent du Chat” area, visible from various local viewpoints, whether on foot or by bike, by car or by the more physically-challenging mountain bike, by canoe on the Haut Rhône Sauvage or by climbing the steep cliffs of the Mont de Lierre.
The Dent du Chat, renowned exceptional regional site, is accessible to experienced walkers as well as cyclists, bearing in mind that the Mont du Chat was part of the mountain stage of the 2017 Tour de France.
Worth checking out too in the Gorges de la Balme – the Défilé de Pierre Châtel, either via the white-water course on the Rhône for canoes or the climbing site, both of which are considered to require high or very high levels of skill.
