Tignieu-Jameyzieu sits on the plain between Lyon's eastern sprawl and the Rhône, where commuter villages have spread over old farmland and gravel terraces. It is not a destination in itself, but a few minutes north-east the scenery changes sharply. The Isle Crémieu, a limestone plateau bounded on three sides by the Rhône, rises above the plain, with cliffs, oak woods, dry meadows, small lakes and villages built of pale stone.
Crémieu, the medieval town at its edge, is the jewel. Its covered market hall, built in the fifteenth century with a huge timber roof, still hosts the market. Fortified gates, an old Augustinian convent and the ruins of a castle above the town tell of its importance as a trading post on the road between Lyon and Savoy. Not far away, the caves at La Balme-les-Grottes have been visited for centuries, and legend links them to the smuggler Louis Mandrin.
For a finishing stretch, the plain around Tignieu is flat and easy, with straight roads and roundabouts. The traffic can be heavy at commuting times, especially towards Lyon and the airport. The plateau of the Isle Crémieu offers more interest, with winding roads through woods and meadows, and the descent to the Rhône at Hières-sur-Amby or La Balme is pleasant. Surfaces are generally good.
Fuel and food are available in Tignieu and Pont-de-Chéruy, and Crémieu has cafés and restaurants. If you finish the day here, a stroll through Crémieu's old streets in the evening light is a fine way to unwind.