La Dombes — Étang de Birieux & Réserve de Villars-les-Dombes
Just 20 kilometres south of Bourg-en-Bresse lies La Dombes, a glacial plateau studded with more than a thousand shallow ponds that create one of the most important wetland ecosystems in Western Europe. The combination of the Parc des Oiseaux at Villars-les-Dombes and the wild étangs around Birieux makes for a half-day that will delight birdwatchers, cyclists and anyone who simply wants to feel far
Parc des Oiseaux, Villars-les-Dombes
The Parc des Oiseaux is one of France's largest bird parks, home to over 400 species across 23 hectares of landscaped grounds and natural ponds. Flamingos, pelicans, toucans and birds of prey share the space with wild herons and egrets that simply commute in from the surrounding étangs.
The free-flight raptor shows run twice daily in summer and are spectacular — trained eagles and owls sweep low over the seated audience in a way that no zoo enclosure could replicate.
Wild Étangs & Cycling
For a wilder experience, rent a bike in Villars-les-Dombes and follow the signed Véloroute des Étangs, a flat 25 km loop that traces the edges of several large ponds. Dawn and dusk are the magic hours: great crested grebes perform their elaborate courtship dances, and in autumn the sky fills with migrating cranes passing overhead.
The étang at Birieux is particularly photogenic — a long gravel path runs along its northern bank with unobstructed views across the water to a fringe of willows and reed beds.
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