Patrimoine du village d'Arvière-en-Valromey : Lochieu

Located at the foot of the unmissable Grand Colombier massif, Lochieu is a village that showcases the characteristic architecture of Valromey, the eastern part of Bugey, between the Nantua cluse to the north and the Culoz and Virieu-le-Grand cluse to the south.

Many houses and farms feature doors or porches with basket-handle arches, an emblematic feature of local architecture. The upper floors of the houses also feature large, useful galleries, often consisting of a dreffia (an old drying room) and/or a wooden balcony with a simple design.
All these elements give character to many of the façades.

The church is the most imposing building. The one visible today dates from the 19th century and features neo-Gothic architecture, common at that time. Dedicated to Our Lady of the Assumption, it houses the reliquary of Saint Arthaud, the founding saint of the Chartreuse d'Arvières in the 12th century and bishop of Belley.


Now in ruins, the site of the Chartreuse d'Arvières is still accessible in the heart of the national forest. The location corresponds well to the ‘Cartusian desert’, isolated, difficult to access, a privileged refuge for contemplative life. The former Carthusian monastery has been classified as a Historic Monument since 1995.
The commune is also home to the Griffe du Diable Integral Biological Reserve, in the heart of the Grand Colombier massif.
An RBI, or integral biological reserve, is a type of protected area located in a forest, with the aim of protecting habitats or species that are particularly representative of the forest environment.

They have a status distinct from that of national park integral reserves.
The Griffe du Diable RBI was created in 2017 and is managed by the National Forestry Office (ONF).
Visits to the RBI are sometimes organised by the Bugey-Sud Community of Municipalities, in partnership with the ONF. For more information, contact the Bugey Sud Grand Colombier Tourist Office.