Gites and cottages in the French Alps and Rhone valley 

The Alps are the highest mountains in Europe, and Mont Blanc, on the border between France and Italy, is Europe's highest peak. The high French Alps are a dramatic and environmentally-sensitive area, where snow lies all year round in some spots; this is an area for hardy hikers and mountaineers. The lower Alps, the alpine foothills of the Vercors, and the Jura, offer beautiful mountain environments ideal for many outdoor pursuits, and appeal to nature-lovers. The highest areas are located along the Swiss and Italian borders, and it is here that two of France's national parks are located. Click for Climate and weather in the French Alps
     The city of Lyon, situated in department 69 (map) is France's second metropolis, and the area to the north east of it, betwen the Saône and Rhone rivers, is a large fertile plain, the Bresse, dotted with small lakes and popular with anglers and ornithologists.

Franche-Comté
   To the north of the French Alps lies the Franche-Comté region. Franche-Comté is a fairly lightly populated area of gentle hills and meandering rivers.  The larger part of the Franche-Comté region consists of the French Jura hills or mountains, which run north from Geneva, their highest peaks marking the border between Switzerland and France. Unlike much of France, the hills of the Jura tend to remain green most of the summer, being periodically watered by short sharp summer storms that keep the meadows full of the grass that provide grazing for the cows that produce the region's famous cheeses, Comté, Gruyère, Mont d'Or and others. The Jura is a delightful region, unduly underrated, and a fine area for rambling, hiking, cycling and other outdoor pursuits. There are plenty of gites in Franche Comté, but few with English-speaking owners, since this is not a region which has seen a large influx of British expatriates.
     The region's capital city, Besançon, lying in a loop of the river Doubs, is one of the most attractive old cities in France, and one with a rich cultural heritage.

Cette page couvre le secteur 5 est sur la carte ci-dessous. Cliquez sur la carte pour les autres régions de France.
La chaîne des Alpes est le massif montagneux le plus important d'Europe, culminant au sommet du Mont Blanc, sur la frontière franco-italienne. La haute montagne est une zone écologiquement sensible, et certaines parties restent enneigées à longueur d'année. C'est une région pour alpinistes et randonneurs chevronnés. Les Préalpes, le Vercors et le Jura offrent un bel environnement de montagne plus accessible aux activités de plein air, et un cadre apprécié des amateurs de la nature. Les plus hauts sommets sont situés le long de la frontière avec la Suisse et l'Italie.
La ville de Lyon (69) est la 2° ville de France, au nord de laquelle on trouve - entre Saône et Rhône - une grande plaine fertile, la Bresse; parsemée de lacs et de mares, la Bresse est un haut lieu de la pêche et très riche en oiseaux. Plus au nord et à l'est on trouve la région Franche-Comté, région à faible densité de population, et caractérisée par ses doux paysages de collines et de vallons verdoyants.

Click on any link below for a detailed description of the property, with photos and prices

Pour certains des gîtes présents dans cet annuaire , la location s'effectue via les Gites de France
For some of the gites presented in this listing , booking must be made through Gites de France

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