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.

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

Geography
Belley has an area of . Its average altitude is ; at the city hall, the altitude is .

The distances from Belley to other cities are:

 Paris, the national capital - ;
 Lyon, the regional capital - ;
 Reims - ;
 Bordeaux - ;
 Toulouse - ;
 Montpellier - ;
 Strasbourg - ;
 Nantes - ;
 Marseille - .

+ Belley and its neighboring communes 350px|Map of the commune de Belley

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).

Belley has a population, in 2014, of 8,983, and its population density is of  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 

Related pages
 Arrondissement of Belley
 Communes of the Ain department

References

Category:Subprefectures in France
Category:Communes in Ain