Châtelat

Village center of Châtelat with Dorfbrunnen

Châtelat is a predominantly German -speaking municipality in the administrative district in the canton of Bern Bernese Jura in Switzerland. Between the communities Châtelat, Monible, Sornetan and Souboz a fusion project has been initialized. As a new community name Petit -Val is specified.

Geography

Châtelat is located on 802 m above sea level. M., 13 km west of Moutier (air line). The village street line extends over the Jura Mountains on the upper Sorne, in a valley widening, which also bears the name of Petit Val.

The area of ​​4.1 km ² large municipality territory comprises the western portion of the Petit Val both sides of the Sorne. In the northwest, the area above the ridge of the Béroie ranges (up to 1,076 m above sea level. M. ) up to the amount of Cernier de Rebévelier ( 1,060 m above sea level. M. ). To the south, the municipality area over the broad crest of the Jura Western Moron extends to the edge of the moor La sagne, which extends south of Bellelay. On the crest of Moron is with 1'093 meters above sea level. M. reached the highest point of Châtelat. Both on the Moron and on the Béroie are typical Jura mountain meadows with standing individually or in groups large spruce to find. The municipal area is drained by the Sorne the Birs. From the municipality surface 1997 2 % came from settlements, 44 % of forest and shrubs, 53% to agriculture and slightly less than 1% was unproductive land.

To Châtelat include the hamlet Fornet- Dessous ( 986 m above sea level. M. ), on a saddle on the eastern edge of the Franches -Montagnes ( German Freiberg mountains ), and Moron ( 1'002 m above sea level. M. ) on the western slope of the Jura chain of the same name, as well as several individual farms. Neighboring communities of Châtelat are Saicourt, Sornetan, Monible and Rebévelier in the canton of Bern and Lajoux in the canton of Jura.

Population

With 104 inhabitants ( 31 December 2012) Châtelat one of the small communities of the Bernese Jura. Of the residents 63.9 % are German and 36.1 % French-speaking (as of 2000). The population of Châtelat amounted in 1850 to 153 residents in 1900 to 173 inhabitants. After a declining trend was recorded in total.

Economy

Châtelat is still strong dominantly agricultural village, mainly dairy farming and cheese production ( Tête de Moine ) and livestock are important. Outside the primary sector, there are few jobs in the village. The few workers who are not engaged in agriculture, go about their work in the communities of the Vallée de Tavannes.

Traffic

The community is located off the major thoroughfares on the main road that leads to the Delémont in Lower Court of Tavannes via Bellelay by the Pichoux Gorge. Châtelat is temporarily served by a postal car course, the next struck by the regular courses of the track Tavannes - Lajoux -Les Genevez bus stop is located in Bellelay.

History

For the first time the village in 1335 appears under the name Schestellat in the documents. However, the first mention of the hamlet Fornet lingerie goes back to the year 1181. The monastery had Bellelay recover land in Châtelat and the right to tithes. The village was under until the end of the 18th century, the provost Moutier- Grandval. From 1797 to 1815 Châtelat belonged to France and was initially part of the Département du Mont- Terrible, which was connected to the 1800 Haut -Rhin. By the decision of the Congress of Vienna, the place came in 1815 to the canton of Bern to the district of Moutier. Under French rule Fornet lingerie was an independent municipality.

Attractions

In Châtelat some typical farmhouses dating from the 18th and 19th centuries have been preserved, the oldest dating from memory 1684th Also Fornet lingerie has a uniform townscape, as numerous houses in 1829 a fire in the village were killed. The reconstructed houses, including the Hôtel du Sapin and the former school, show the style of the first half of the 19th century.