Le Cerneux-Péquignot

Cerneux - Péquignot is a municipality in the district of Le Locle in the canton of Neuchâtel in Switzerland.

Geography

Cerneux - Péquignot is 1,088 m above sea level with. M. in the center, the highest municipality in the canton of Neuchâtel, 8 km southwest of the district capital of Le Locle (air line). The farming village extends north-east of the Valley Vallée de la Brevine in the Neuchâtel Jura, near the border with France.

The area of ​​15.7 km ² large municipality area includes a portion of the south Doubstals in the rolling countryside of the Neuchâtel Jura. The landscape shows a character similar to that of the Franches- Montagnes ( German Freiberg mountains ) with boggy, usually above ground endorheic valleys between peaks of limestone. Here there is an extensive Jura mountain meadows with the typical tall spruce trees that are either individually or in groups. In some places there are sinkholes. North of the village of the municipality of soil covers the crest of Prévoux ( 1,261 m above sea level. M. ) and extends over the valley of the Bas Roussottes on the wooded ridge Maix Musy, with 1,285 meters above sea level on the. M. the highest point of Cerneux - Péquignot is achieved. To the east, the area above the Bois du Creux ( 1,151 m above sea level. M. ) and the Petit Calirou ( 1,155 m above sea level. M. ) extends to the signal ( 1,155 m above sea level. M. ). The southern border is situated in the valley of the eastern Vallée de la Brevine. In a long narrow strip of the municipal area extends to the southwest up to the height of the forest Châteleu ( 1,260 m above sea level. M. ) northwest of the town of La Brevine. From the municipality surface 1997 3 % was attributable to settlements, 40 % of forest and shrubs, 55 % to agriculture and about 2% was unproductive land.

To Cerneux - Péquignot include the hamlet Bas du Cerneux ( 1'078 m above sea level. M. ) west of the village, Le Gigot ( 1,080 m above sea level. M. ) at the edge of the moor Le Chauchet, the southern part of Le Prévoux ( 1'077 m above sea level. M. ) east of the same height on the descent into the valley of Le Locle and remote farms on the Jura mountains numerous Hofsiedlungen and individual farms. Neighboring communities of Cerneux - Péquignot are La Brevine, La Chaux- du-Milieu and Le Locle in the canton of Neuchâtel and Villers -le- Lac, Montlebon and Grand'Combe- Châteleu in neighboring France.

Population

With 322 inhabitants ( 31 December 2012) Cerneux - Péquignot one of the small communities of the Canton of Neuchâtel. Of the residents, 95.6 % are French-speaking, German-speaking 2.6% and 1.0 % portugiesischsprachig (as of 2000). The population of Le Cerneux- Péquignot increased from 1850 (301 inhabitants) to 1950 (410 inhabitants) slightly, after a strong emigration was registered until 1980 (290 inhabitants). Since then, again a slight increase recorded.

Economy

Cerneux - Péquignot is still a mainly stamped by the village agriculture, with livestock and dairy farming predominate. In addition, the production of cheese and forestry have a certain significance. Since the 18th century the Vallée de la Brevine peat was stung in the Marais Rouge in the plane; In 1991, the peat has been set.

Traffic

The community is located off the major thoroughfares on the main road of Fleurier to Le Locle. West of the village there is a border crossing to Morteau in France. Cerneux - Péquignot is connected by the postal car course, which runs from La Brevine to Le Locle to the network of public transport.

History

The area around the present-day village was probably made ​​in the 13th century by the family Péquignot from the community Montlebon in France arable. Cerneux is derived from the Latin word circinatus ( fenced), making the country a fenced yard is meant. The village belonged since its inception up to the French Revolution to the Priory Morteau which was under the Free County of Burgundy. From 1325 to 1521 Cerneux - Péquignot was under the jurisdiction of the Counts of Neuchâtel. During the Thirty Years' War, the town was partially destroyed.

After the fall of the Ancien Régime Cerneux - Péquignot belonged until 1814 to France, but was then transferred to the Principality of Neuchâtel. The final takeover by Switzerland was however only 1819 instead.

Attractions

The church of Notre -Dame-de -la- Visitation was built in 1690 and contains a significant altar of the Baroque period. In the village and in the hamlets numerous characteristic farmhouses of the high Jura from the 17th to 19th centuries have been preserved.