Villers-la-Combe
Villers- la -Combe is a commune in the French department Doubs in the Franche -Comté.
Geography
Villers- la -Combe is located on 639 m above sea level, 15 km south-southeast of Baume- les -Dames and about 33 km east of the city of Besançon (air line). The village is located in the Jura, in a depression on the high plateau of Villers east of the basin of Orsans.
The area of 5.88 km ² municipal area includes a portion of the French Jura. The main part of the territory occupied by the plateau of Villers, which is on average 650 m. It is mainly consisted of arable and meadow land. An approximately 40 m high terrain level passes over the plateau to the south of Germéfontaine. The plateau has no above-ground rivers, because the rainwater seeps into the karst underground. To the east the land rises up to the Bois de Volienne gradually. With 823 m is reached on this ridge, the highest point of Villers- la -Combe.
At Villers- la -Combe also the hamlet of Monts de Villers part (675 m) on the plateau south of the village. Neighboring communities of Villers- la -Combe are Vellerot -lès -Vercel in the north, Landresse in the east, the south and Germéfontaine Villers- Chief in the West.
History
In the Middle Ages Villers- la -Combe belonged to the rule Passavant, which was owned by the Lords of Montbéliard since the 14th century. Together with the Franche -Comté reached the village with the Peace of Nijmegen in 1678 to France. Since 1998, Villers- la -Combe is a member of the 44- villages municipal association Communauté de communes du Pays de Pierre Fontaine - Vercel.
By 1 January 2009 there was a change in the membership of the district municipality. So far, belonging to the district Besançon, all municipalities in the canton came to the district Pontarlier.
Attractions
The village church from the 19th century located in the hamlet Monts de Villers. On a hill south-west of Villers- la -Combe is the chapel of Saint -Claude. In the village are large farmhouses are preserved in the characteristic style of the Franche -Comté from the 17th to 19th centuries.
Population
With 48 inhabitants ( 1 January 2011) Villers- la -Combe is one of the smallest municipalities of the department of Doubs. After the population had decreased significantly in the first half of the 20th century (1891 154 persons were still counted ), only small fluctuations were recorded since the early 1980s.
Economy and infrastructure
Villers- la -Combe was well into the 20th century, a predominantly by agriculture (crops, orchards and livestock ) embossed village. Even today, the inhabitants live on the merits of the activity in the first sector. Outside of the primary sector, there are almost no jobs in the village. Some employed persons are also commuters who engage in the surrounding larger towns of their work.
The village is located off the major thoroughfares on a secondary road that leads from Vellerot -lès -Vercel after Germéfontaine. Another road connection with Villers- Chief.