The Dombes, from the airThere’s nothing to suggest the sheer size and, above all, quantity of the ponds that make this one of the largest freshwater areas in France and Europe, designated a Ramsar site for its international importance.
In an alternation of meadows, woodlands and farmland, the landscape nevertheless offers a glimpse of a few luminous ponds populated by birds.In fact, the Dombes is home to over a thousand of them.
Dombes ponds, seen from the sky
Dombes Observatory
Etang de Bouligneux, in the Dombes region
Green-winged teal, in the Dombes regionAt first glance, you know you’re in the Dombes. All you have to do is look up to see the birds coming and going over the ponds and meadows. Migratory or sedentary, 130 species shelter in the Dombes ponds…
Alter ego of the Sologne region, the Dombes today boasts 1,100 ponds spread over some 12,000 ha. Originally, under the impetus of the Benedictine monks, efforts were aimed at transforming the marshes into ponds to produce fish to feed the surrounding population and religious communities. It wasn’t until the 11th century, however, that people gradually learned how to make the most of inhospitable land by exploiting the first “leschères”.
Natural heritage of the Dombes 
Natural Heritage Fishing in Dombes
Natural Heritage Fishing in Dombes
Natural Heritage Fishing in DombesA thousand-year-old form of fishing invented by monks in the 11th century, by force of arms… Traditional fishing is spectacular and has followed the same ritual for centuries. After emptying the pond upstream, in the early hours of the morning the fish are gathered using a net pulled by two men. The fish are then quickly sorted, weighed and transported away by the fishmongers in a crane-drawn vehicle.
The shallow ponds are fed by a network of ditches that collect rainwater.
Each year, the ponds are stocked, emptied and fished the following autumn. Every 4 or 5 years on average, they are fished in the spring and left to dry out, usually for a summer, to be cultivated with cereals.
Rillettes of Dombes carpThe Dombes carp as an emblem. Present in Dombes ponds since their origins, carp account for around 60% of pond production. It takes two or three years for the carp to reach a size of 1.5 kg, at which point the flavor of its flesh is perfect.With only 1.1% fat, carp is one of the lightest fish available.
Natural heritage of the DombesVillon stronghold, Plantay tower, Bouligneux, Montellier, Varax or Ambérieux en Dombes castles.Few French regions have preserved such an evocative collection of red-brick medieval fortifications as these proud Dombes buildings, an astonishing example of military art.
These fortified houses punctuate the landscape, contributing to the mysterious atmosphere that spontaneously emanates from the Dombes region.
Notre Dame des DombesSavoyard carron, a basic material manufactured as early as the Middle Ages. This thick terracotta brick, molded and fired on site in a kiln, had the advantage of being both resistant and easy to work with. Most châteaux are listed as historic monuments. All are privately owned, and some can be visited in part, or on special days such as the Journées du Patrimoine. .
