Belley has its swimming pool back. Built in 1980 and closed to the public since July 2024, the Centre nautique Bugey-Sud, run by the local community of communes, was officially opened on Friday 2 October 2026 after a 24-month refurbishment. Swimmers have been able to use it again since Monday 19 October.
Refurbished on the same site
Rather than rebuild elsewhere, the authority chose to keep the existing building in the town centre. The project cost €12.75 million in total, of which about €1.1 million came from grants (the National Sports Agency, the French State, the Ain Department and the environment agency Ademe).
Energy is the headline:
- 270 m² of hybrid solar panels;
- heat recovery from waste water;
- heat pumps;
- timber from the old changing rooms reused for the façade and acoustic ceilings.
The authority is aiming for a 31% cut in energy and water use, with renewables covering 73% of heating needs. These are targets, not yet measured results.
For swimmers
According to the community of communes’ Facebook page, the pool recorded nearly 4,000 visits during the autumn school holidays. It has a main pool, a learner pool and a water play area for young children.
Opening times and prices may change: our listing for the Centre nautique Bugey-Sud gives those published by the authority and links to its official page. Note that the main pool is not approved for official competitions, as reports say it falls 3 cm short of the national federation’s standard length; this does not affect recreational swimmers. Details of the project are in the community of communes’ announcement (in French).