Vallée de Joux

The Vallée de Joux is a completely secluded mountain valley in the Swiss Jura. It is located at about 1000 m above sea level. M., coincides approximately with the area of ​​the district of La Vallée, in the canton of Vaud. Is first mentioned in 1334 as the valley valle lacus juriensis.

Location

The Vallée de Joux extends over a length of about 20 km in the southwest-northeast direction. It usually has a maximum of 1 to 1.5 km wide flat valley floor, while the entire basin is about 4-5 km wide ( with the adjacent slopes ). The valley forms a syncline in the southeast by the folds ( anticlines ), the Mont- Tendre chain, flanked by those of Risoux chain in the Northwest. The northeastern end of the valley is characterized by the Dent de Vaulion and the hills of the Col du Mont d' Orzeires that have been moved by a strike-slip fault in the system of the Jura chain in its current situation. In the southwest of the Swiss-French border is considered arbitrary definition; but occasionally the uppermost part of the catchment area of the river Orbe is counted with the Lac des Rousses to the geographical area of the Vallée de Joux.

The upper valley is traversed by the Orbe, which forms numerous meanders in the swampy lowlands. The northeastern part of the valley is occupied by the Lac de Joux and the Brenet. The former is the largest lake in the Jura, the only which could be created on the porous limestone that glacial Jura glaciers had the entire valley floor sealed by clay deposits. Thus, the valley floor was waterproof up to a few spots, so that the lake and the surrounding marshes were able to develop. The Vallée de Joux has no surface drainage, as the water earlier by the percolation funnel ( Entonnoirs ) disappeared into the ground. Today, the Lac de Joux and Lac Brenet serve as reservoirs of the power plant Vallorbe. Much smaller than these two lakes is Lake Ter, which is located in a valley between the steeply-pitched Kalkrippe Le lapel and Risoux chain.

Climate

Because of the altitude, the Vallée de Joux is characterized by a harsh climate. In Le Sentier, the average January temperature is -4.2 ° C, average July temperature 13.7 ° C. The complete seclusion of the valley allows radiation in winter nights, the formation of a strong cold air lake with temperatures down to -30 ° C. This is an essential prerequisite for the relatively rapid freezing of the Lac de Joux. In the valley, the average annual rainfall amounts to about 1600 mm, while significantly more than 2000 mm can be achieved on the surrounding heights.

Population

Around 6200 people lived the end of 2004 in the Vallée de Joux. In the last 35 years the population has decreased significantly due to strong migration, because in 1970 7700 inhabitants were counted. The valley is divided into three municipalities Le Chenit, L' Abbaye and Le Lieu, in turn, are composed of many different road settlements. The main towns are Le Sentier and Le Brassus (municipality Le Chenit ) and Le Pont (municipality L' Abbaye ) on the northeastern shore of the Lac de Joux.

Economy

Due to the harsh climate always extensive farming and fishing took place in the Valley. Back in the 15th century, the valley people were looking for new income opportunities by used the vast forests and since the 16th century exported wood. It emerged first forging and hammer mills and sawmills. Especially in Charbonnières charcoal was burned, which was brought to Vallorbe from the 18th century to supply the local industry.

In addition to the metal-working industry first experienced the manufacture of wooden vessels, from the 18th century, the watch industry flourished. Watchmaking was initially performed mainly as homework, later, several watch factories emerged. In the second half of the 19th century, the degradation of ice in the Lac de Joux developed into a major business. On the initiative of the Compagnie des Glacières des lacs de Joux et Brenet the construction of the railway goes from Vallorbe to Le Pont back. Thus, the products of the valley could be easily carried away, and the Vallée de Joux was connected to the national transport network. In particular, during the two world wars of peat were cut in the marshes along the Orbe.

Today, various companies in the Vallée de Joux have specialized in microtechnology and precision engineering. Of importance are highly specialized suppliers for the watch industry (production of high quality watches, gemstone industry ), including Audemars Piguet, Breguet, Jaeger- LeCoultre and Meylan. In addition, the sawmills and wood processing companies still play an important role.

Traffic

Reachable the Vallée de Joux is on the road over Vallorbe and the Col du Mont d' Orzeires, over the passes Col du Mollendruz or Col du Marchairuz and from France through the Vallée des Rousses. On 31 October 1886, the railway line Vallorbe -Le Pont was put into operation, the Pont- Brassus -Bahn ( PBr ) built the sequel to the present terminus in Le Brassus, which was inaugurated on 21 August 1899.

Tourism

With the connection to the public transport developed from the late 19th century tourism, but only from the 1970s witnessed a major upswing. The Vallée de Joux is suitable for summer as well as winter sports. In summer, the Lac de Joux is a magnet for all kinds of water sports, while the surrounding, virtually untouched Jura mountains are ideal for long walks. In winter, the topography of the valley and the Jura mountains is ideal for cross-country skiing. When the Lac de Joux freezes, it can also be used for ice skating or when covered with snow for cross-country skiing. In Le Brassus, which has a ski jump since 1924, there are international Nordic skiing competitions. There are also several ski lifts and slopes.

History

Because of its remoteness was the Vallée de Joux, which formed above an impenetrable wilderness, presumably committed until the 6th century. At that time, a hermit of the Benedictine monastery of Saint -Claude took up residence at the present village of Le Lieu. Until the 9th century, the valley was still sparsely populated, only then people migrated, which mostly came from the southwest. In 1126, a Norbertine abbey was founded on the eastern shore of the Lac de Joux. The monks of this abbey took before the first major land clearing in the Vallée de Joux and made the area under cultivation.

Since the 12th century, the area belonged to the lords of La Sarraz who sold it in 1344 to King Ludwig II of Savoy. This divided the valley to the reign Les Clées. With the conquest of Vaud by Bern in 1536, the Vallée de Joux first came under the administration bailiwick Yverdon. 1566 but it has been the bailiwick incorporated Romainmôtier. After the collapse of the Ancien Régime the valley from 1798 to 1803 during the Helvetic Republic belonged to the canton of Geneva, who came up then with the enactment of the Act of Mediation in the canton of Vaud.