Bex

View of Bex

Bex is a municipality in the district of Aigle in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland. The former German name Beis is no longer used today.

Geography

Bex is on 424 m above sea level. M., 8 km south-southeast of the district municipal seat Aigle ( straight line ). The former street line village stretches along the eastern edge of the lower Rhone Valley, on the flood plain of the river Avançon has accumulated over time as it emerges in the Rhone Valley, at the southern foot of the forest and Rebberges Montet, in the Vaud Alps.

The area of ​​96.6 km ² large municipality area includes a portion of the lower Rhone Valley and the surrounding Alps. The western part of the municipality is located in the Rhone Valley, with the channeling over the Rhone forms the western boundary. To the east of the Rhône, a broad valley closes, which in turn, from the hills of Le Montet ( 688 m above sea level. M. ) and Chiètres (608 m above sea level. M. ) is limited. Between these two hill areas is the trough of Bex, which is drained by the Avançon. In the far south, the area extends to the constriction of the Rhône at Saint- Maurice.

By far the larger eastern part of the municipality is in the strong field in relief of the Vaud Alps and largely comprises the catchment area of ​​Avançon with its two spring-fed streams Avançon de Nant ( in the south) and Avançon d' Anzeindaz ( in the north). Is the existing ridge of Schrattenkalk L' Argentine ( 2'422 m above sea level. M. ) between the valleys of these streams. In the southeast the border runs through the geologically to the ceiling of the Helvetic Kalkhochalpen belonging Dent de Morcles ( 2,969 m above sea level. M. ), Dent Favre ( 2,916 m above sea level. M. ), Grand Muveran ( 3'051 m above sea. M. ) and Tête à Pierre Grept ( 2,904 m above sea level. M. ). The streams on the northwest flank of this mountain chain are fed by several small firn ( Glacier des Martinet, plan Névé and Glacier de Paneirosse ). On the east of the municipality of Bex lie the vast Alp Anzeindaz and the mountain pass crossing Pas de Cheville ( 2,038 m above sea level. M. ), which connects the valley of Avançon to Lac de Derborence. On the north adjacent to this pass Sommet des Diablerets, the summit of the massif of Les Diablerets, is with 3'210 m above sea. M. reached the highest point of the municipality. In the north, the boundary runs along part of the Avançon, partly on the slope of Gryon and along the torrent Gryonne. From the municipality surface 1997 4 % came from settlements, 32 % of forest and shrubs, 28% to agriculture and around 36 % was unproductive land.

At Bex include numerous hamlets, isolated farms and alpine settlements, including:

• L' Allex, 427 m above sea level. M., in the trough of Bex south of Avançon
• Cotterd, 413 m above sea level. M., industrial settlement near the train station
• Le Glarey, 435 m above sea level. M., east of Bex then
• Le Chatel, 516 meters above sea level. M., in a depression in the north-west foot of the Dent de Morcles
• Chiètres, Einzelhofsiedlung on a hill south of Bex
• Le Bévieux, 485 m above sea level. M., on Avançon
• Les Dévens, 490 m above sea level. M., on the alluvial fan of the Gryonne
• Le Bouillet, 588 m above sea level. M., in the valley of Gryonne
• La Forêt, 510 m above sea level. M., at the foot of the height of Gryon
• Le Chêne, 580 m above sea level. M., on the western slope of the height of Gryon
• Fenalet, 710 m above sea level. M., on the western slope of the height of Gryon
• Les Posses, 953 m above sea level. M., on the southern slope below Gryon
• Frenières -sur -Bex, 865 m above sea level. M., in the valley of the Nant de Avançon
• Les Plans- sur -Bex, 1'095 m above sea level. M., in a valley of the Nant de Avançon
• Solalex, 1'469 m above sea level. M., Alpine hamlet in the valley of Avançon d' Anzeindaz
• Anzeindaz, 1,876 m above sea level. M., Alpine hamlet in the valley of Avançon d' Anzeindaz

Neighboring communities of Bex are Ollon, Gryon, Ormont -Dessus and Lavey -Morcles in the canton of Vaud and Saint- Maurice, Massongex, Monthey, Collonges, Fully, Leytron, Chamoson and Conthey in the canton of Valais.

Population

With 6630 inhabitants ( 31 December 2012) Bex is one of the larger municipalities of the canton of Vaud. Of the residents 83.8 % are French, 3.9 % speak Albanian and 3.4 % are in German (as of 2000). The population of Bex amounted in 1850 to 3091 population, 1900 to 4561 inhabitants. Then she commuted to 1960 4200-4800 inhabitants. Since then, population growth was recorded again, especially during the 1980s.

Economy

Bex developed thanks to the salt mines since the 16th century known, however, systematically exploited only since 1680. The tunnels total length of approximately 50 km testifies to the importance of salt mining in the lower Rhone Valley. In Sublin temporarily was also mined sulfur ( around 1800 ). Today is only the saline of Bévieux in operation; it is produced brine for Novartis. Since the beginning of the 20th century, new businesses settled in Bex and promoted the development of the community into an industrial center.

Today Bex offers around 2,300 jobs. With 15 % of workers who are still employed in the primary sector, agriculture still has a certain significance in the occupational structure of the population. Approximately 34 % of the workforce are employed in the industrial sector, while the service sector, 51% of workers in united (as of 2001).

Agriculture is today thanks to the extensive municipal area and the different altitudes a large variety. On the southern slopes of the hills Le Montet and Chiètres and in the area of Le Chêne is operated on a total area of ​​over 100 hectares of vineyards. In the Rhôneebene the agricultural land is used by agriculture and fruit-growing cultures, while to flourish on the lower slopes chestnut forests. The higher areas used for dairy farming and animal husbandry. In the Alps there are extensive pastures for summer grazing of livestock.

The industry has settled in the Rhôneebene near the train station especially. Major companies are a gypsum factory, a paper mill operations of metal and steel construction, mechanical engineering, the construction industry ( including sandblasting and protective covers ), a cable plant and a Galvanisierungsunternehmen. Some residents commute to the location on the other side of the valley of the Rhône industrial town of Monthey with petroleum refining and chemical industries. On Avançon there is a electricity plant in the Forces de l' motrices Avançon.

Tourism

A significant economic upturn brought in the 19th century, the use of thermal springs; There were numerous hotels in Bex. However, after the heyday of the early 20th century, the hotel industry could not keep up with the increased expectations and needs of tourists after the First World War and experienced so a slump. From this first time derived founded in 1868 and opened in 1871, Hôtel des Salines, which had to cease operation in 1976, was declared a National Monument in 1981 and one was destroyed by fire.

The main tourist attraction is now the Salt Mine at Bex ( Mine du Musée de la sel). Since 2008, the Sentier du Sel between Salin- sur -Ollon and Bex. Furthermore, the municipality has a national exhibition of contemporary sculpture ( Bex et Arts) and a botanical garden founded in 1891 in Pont -de- Nant.

Traffic

The community is a very good transport developed. It is only a little off the main road 9, which runs from Lausanne, Sion to the Simplon pass. The nearest motorway junction on the A9 opened in 1980 (Lausanne -Sion ), which runs through the municipality, approximately 2 km from the center.

On June 10, 1857 Section Villeneuve -Bex the railway line was inaugurated in Lausanne to Sion. Since 1 November 1860, the continuation of Bex to Saint- Maurice is in operation. The Bex station is the starting point of the narrow-gauge railway line Bex -Gryon -Villars Villars -sur -Ollon.

For the dispersion in public transport buses Bex care to Monthey, after Fenalet and to Les Plans- sur -Bex. Since 1919 there are in the Rhôneebene an aerodrome at which since 1974 takes place every year an international meeting flyer.

History

Bex can look back on a long history of settlement. The earliest evidence of human presence is the Abri Sous Barme in which traces have been found from the Neolithic period. From the Bronze Age comes a burial ground, and from the Roman period remains of two estates are preserved. Between Bex and Massongex then led a bridge on the trade of Aventicum ( Avenches ) to Octodurum ( Martigny ) over the Rhone. Roman name of Bex were Baccae, Baccium and Bactiacum.

The first written mention dates already from the year 574 under the name Bacci's villa. At that time, Frankish troops and bandits Lombard origin faced each other at Bex, who had invaded the Valais. Later, the name Bacium, Baiz, Baz, and in 1245 published Misc

The area of Bex came in 999 by a donation from the Kingdom of Upper Burgundy to the bishop of Sion. Since the 12th century it was under in worldly affairs to the Counts of Savoy. Since that time the noble family de Baiz (or de Bex ) is mentioned, whose castle was located south of the village on the hill area of Chiètres. Two other castles controlled the valley of Avançon their way across the Pas de Cheville Saumpass. Since the beginning of the 14th century, the rule Bex was fragmented into numerous fiefdoms and after fief.

1464 Bex was occupied as a result of criminal action of Bern. 1476 was an invasion of the Upper Valais, which put the castle on fire. The municipality therefore placed himself under the protection of Bern and was annexed to the province Aigle. As Mandement the community possessed its own Court. 1528 the Reformation was introduced. After the collapse of the ancien régime Bex belonged from 1798 to 1803 during the Helvetic Republic to the canton of Geneva, who came up then with the enactment of the Act of Mediation in the canton of Vaud. 1798 was assigned to the District Aigle. The prosperity of Bex in the 19th century and early 20th century was closely linked to the salt mine and the spa tourism that time.

Coat of arms

Description: In a blue black gehufter upright silver ram, and an eight -pointed golden star above.

Attractions

The church of Saint -Clément, already in 1193 first mentioned, was rebuilt in the 15th century. As a result of a fire in 1813, the choir and the nave were rebuilt in the classical style, while the massive front tower with a late-Gothic portal dates back from 1501. In the picturesque town of Bex the Hôtel de Ville (town hall ) of 1747 and several houses from the 17th to 19th centuries. On the hill south of Bex is the round tower Tour de Duin, a remnant of the 12th century castle built in the reign Bex, which was destroyed in 1476 during the Burgundian Wars. The Château Grenier was built in 1641 and underwent an extensive restoration in 1850.

Twinning

Bex has twinned with Tuttlingen in Baden- Württemberg. Each year there is a student exchange the eighth grade.

Personalities

• Henri Pittier (* 1857), naturalist
• Catherine Mabillard (* 1964), ski mountaineer