The river Valserine is a tributary of the Rhone

Rhône

Rhone can refer to:* Rhone, one of the major rivers of Europe, running through Switzerland and France* Rhône Glacier, the source of the Rhone River and one of the primary contributors to Lake Geneva in the far eastern end of the canton of Valais in Switzerland...

 that flows for 48 kilometres (29.8 mi) from the Col de la Faucille

Col de la Faucille

Col de la Faucille is a high mountain pass in the department of Ain in the French Jura. It connects the town of Gex in Ain to the towns of Les Rousses and Saint-Claude in the department of Jura....

 in the Jura Mountains

Jura mountains

The Jura Mountains are a small mountain range located north of the Alps, separating the Rhine and Rhone rivers and forming part of the watershed of each...

 to its confluence with the Rhone at Bellegarde-sur-Valserine

Bellegarde-sur-Valserine

Bellegarde-sur-Valserine is a commune in the Ain department in eastern France.-Geography:Bellegarde is located at the confluence of the Valserine and the Rhône....

. The Valserine valley has great charm and includes the Pont-des-Pierres that spans the river between Montanges

Montanges

Montanges is a commune in the Ain department in eastern France.-Population:...

 and Mulaz, and the pertes de la Valserine, a canyon

Canyon

A canyon or gorge is a deep ravine between cliffs often carved from the landscape by a river. Rivers have a natural tendency to reach a baseline elevation, which is the same elevation as the body of water it will eventually drain into. This forms a canyon. Most canyons were formed by a process of...

 in which during the dry season the Valserine runs underground.

The river flows through the village of Mijoux

Mijoux

Mijoux is a commune and village in the Ain department in eastern France.-Geography:The village is situated in the upper section of the narrow Valserine valley, nestled between high limestone cliffs to the south-east that form the first anticline of the Jura mountains and the edge of the Lajoux...

 and is the border between Ain

Ain

Ain is a department named after the Ain River on the eastern edge of France. Being part of the region Rhône-Alpes and bordered by the rivers Saône and Rhône, the department of Ain enjoys a privileged geographic situation...

 a department of the Rhône-Alpes

Rhône-Alpes

Rhône-Alpes is one of the 27 regions of France, located on the eastern border of the country, towards the south. The region was named after the Rhône River and the Alps mountain range. Its capital, Lyon, is the second-largest metropolitan area in France after Paris...

 region, and Jura a department of the Franche-Comté

Franche-Comté

Franche-Comté the former "Free County" of Burgundy, as distinct from the neighbouring Duchy, is an administrative region and a traditional province of eastern France...

 region.

See also

• Franc-Comtois language
• Parc naturel régional du Haut-Jura
  Parc naturel régional du Haut-Jura
  The parc naturel régional du Haut-Jura is a French regional natural park located in the southwest of the Jura Mountain Range in France, on the French-Swiss border.- Park description :...
  
  
• Jura Mountains
  Jura mountains
  The Jura Mountains are a small mountain range located north of the Alps, separating the Rhine and Rhone rivers and forming part of the watershed of each...
  
  

Further reading

• Parks, Reserves, and Other Protected Areas in France (Haut-Jura and Pont-des-Pierres)
• Natura 2000 : Fiche du site FR8201648 (GALERIE A CHAUVES-SOURIS DU PONT DES PIERRES) (French)