The mountain Le Grand Colombier looks down from its height of 1,534 metres (5,032 feet, higher than Ben Nevis) over the town of Culoz. It rises in the Southern part of the Jura massif and has the particular characteristic of alternate hills and valleys. The western slope of the mountain descends into by the valley of the Valromey and to the East are the Lavours and Chautagne marshes. The massif reappears, to the South, as the Mollard in Lavours and in Vions.
The calcareous rock, worn away by heavy rains, has resulted in picturesque sites such as the Thurignin gorge in the Valromey, the waterfall of Cerveyrieu (a drop of 64 metres, well over two hundred feet) near Artemare, the gorge on the Groin etc.
The many marked footpaths crossing the massif allow the discovery of a varied scenery and associated sites: forests, meadows, grangeons (stone shelters used during hay-making), the ruins of the Carthusian monastery of Arvières, mountain peak routes, panoramic views over the Alps, the Bugey area, the Rhone, the lake of Bourget, etc
Viewpoints worth mentioning include: The Fenestrez, Champ Duraz, la Croix
It is possible to drive across the massif following the secondary road from Culoz (the climb from there is spectacular), from Anglefort, Virieu-le-Petit or from Lochieu. There is a parking site near the Cross as welle as panoramic orientation tables on the Cross and the Fenestrez sites.
A topographic guide of Randonnées pédestres en Bugey ('Walks in the Bugey Region'), as well as an IGN map covering the whole of the Colombier massif, are on sale at the tourist office in Culoz.