Étray

Étray is a commune in the French department Doubs in the Franche -Comté.

Geography

Étray is located on 722 m above sea level, 3 km south of Valdahon and about 27 km southeast of the city of Besançon (air line). The village is located in the Jura, on a gently sloping hillside to the west on the plateau of Valdahon, called the first plateau of the Jura Mountains, north of the first higher Jura chains.

The area of ​​6 km ² municipal area includes a portion of the French Jura. The entire area is occupied by only weakly in relief plateau Valdahon, which is on average 700 m. It is predominantly of arable and meadow land, partly also passed by forest and rises to the southeast slightly. At the height of the highest peak east of the village of Étray is achieved with 759 m. The plateau has no above-ground rivers, because the rainwater seeps into the karst underground. In the west the boundary runs generally in a dry valley, which stretches from Nods after Etalans.

Neighboring communities of Étray are Valdahon in the north, and Épenoy Rantechaux in the east, and Vanclans Nods to the south and Vernierfontaine and Fallerans in the West.

History

Is first mentioned in the year 937 Étray In the Middle Ages the village belonged to the rule Cicon. Together with the Franche -Comté it came with the Peace of Nijmegen in 1678 to France. Since 1998 Étray is a member of the 44- villages municipal association Communauté de communes du Pays de Pierre Fontaine - Vercel.

By January 1, 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 church of Saint -Ferréol -et- Ferjeux was built in 1736 in the style of classicism. In the village are farmhouses are preserved in the characteristic style of the Franche -Comté from the 18th and 19th centuries. In a grove at the height east of the village there is a small country chapel.

Population

With 216 inhabitants ( 1 January 2011) Étray one of the small communities of the department of Doubs. After the population had decreased significantly in the first half of the 20th century (1881 182 persons were still counted ), a continuous population growth was recorded since the mid-1970s again.

Economy and infrastructure

Étray was until well into the 20th century a predominantly by agriculture (crops, orchards and livestock ) embossed village. In addition, there are today some of the local small business enterprises. Meanwhile, the village has also changed into a residential community. Many workers are commuters who engage in the larger towns in the vicinity of their work.

The village is located off the major thoroughfares on a secondary road that leads from Valdahon to Nods. Road links exist with Épenoy and Vernierfontaine.