Belley

Belley is a commune in the Ain department. It is found in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in the east of France and is the capital of the arrondissement of Belley.

Belley
Place des Terreaux, Belley
Coat of arms
Location of Belley
Belley Show map of France Belley Show map of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Coordinates: 45°46′00″N 5°41′00″E
Country	France
Region	Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Department	Ain
Arrondissement	Belley
Canton	Belley
Intercommunality	Communauté de communes Bugey Sud
Government
• Mayor (2015 - 2020)	Pierre Berthet
Area 1	22.42 km2 (8.66 sq mi)
Population  (2014)	8,983
• Density	400/km2 (1,000/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+01:00 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code	01034 /01300
Elevation	220–392 m (722–1,286 ft) (avg. 306 m or 1,004 ft)
Website	www.belley.fr
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

History

It was the capital of Bugey (Pagus Bellicensis), a historical region in Ain between Lyon and Geneva.

Geography

Belley has an area of 22.4 km² (9 sq mi).^[1] Its average altitude is 306 m (1,004 ft); at the city hall, the altitude is 209 m (686 ft).^[2]

The distances from Belley to other cities are:

• Paris, the national capital - 512 km (318 mi);
• Lyon, the regional capital - 100 km (62 mi);
• Reims - 520 km (320 mi);
• Bordeaux - 656 km (408 mi);
• Toulouse - 611 km (380 mi);
• Montpellier - 372 km (231 mi);
• Strasbourg - 492 km (306 mi);
• Nantes - 753 km (468 mi);
• Marseille - 387 km (240 mi).

Belley and its neighboring communes

Climate

The climate of Belley, in the Köppen climate classification, is Cfb - Oceanic climate with template summers.

Population

The inhabitants of Belley are known, in French, as Belleysans (women: Belleysannes).^[3]

Belley has a population, in 2014, of 8,983,^[4] and its population density is of 400.7 inhabitants/km².

Evolution of the population in Belley

Administration

Belley is a subprefecture of the Ain department and the capital of the arrondissement of Belley in the same department. It is also the capital of the canton of Belley, formed by 34 communes (24,216 inhabitants) (2014)

It is part of the intercommunality Bugey Sud.

Economy

The local economy is mostly based around commerce. Cheese production is also important. The commune produces a cheese called the Tomme de Belley.

Sites of interest

The most important monuments in the commune are the Saint-Jean-Baptiste cathedral and the Palais Episcopal of Belley, both listed as monuments historiques.

Gallery

• 
  The inside of the Belley cathedral.
• 
  Street in Belley.
• 
  Palais Episcopal.
• 
  Town hall of Belley.

Related pages

• Arrondissement of Belley
• Communes of the Ain department