Grand'Combe-des-Bois
Grand'Combe -des- Bois is a commune in the French department Doubs in the Franche -Comté.
Geography
Grand'Combe -des- Bois is located at 995 m, 17 km north-east of Morteau and about 5 km northwest of the town of La Chaux -de-Fonds (air line). The village is located in the Jura, on a broad ridge at the southern edge of the high plateau of Maîche high above the valley of the Doubs, near the border with Switzerland.
The area of 11.87 km ² municipal area includes a portion of the French Jura. The main part of the area is occupied by relatively weak in relief plateau Maîche, which is on average 940 m. It is mainly composed of meadow and pasture land, but also shows some of larger forest areas. The plateau has no above-ground rivers, because the rainwater seeps into the karst underground. In the north the municipality area extends to the ridge of Grandmont (up to 1005 m ) in the southwest up to the height of Mont Devoir, on with 1087 m the highest peak of Grand'Combe -des- Bois is achieved. Towards the south, the terrain drops steeply to a canyon cut into the Jura plateaus valley of the Doubs. The wooded valley slopes ( Côte de Grand'Combe ) are traversed by different Kalkfelswänden. The southern border is always along the Doubs.
To Grand'Combe -des- Bois include the hamlet of Les Belles Places ( 983 m) on the ridge northeast of the village as well as various individual farms. Neighboring communities of Grand'Combe -des- Bois are Villers -le- Lac and Le Barboux in the West, Le Russey in the north, Bonnétage the east, and the Swiss towns Les Planchettes and La Chaux -de-Fonds in the south.
History
In the Middle Ages Grand'Combe -des- Bois was one of the gentlemen Vennes and Montfaucon. Together with the Franche -Comté reached the village with the Peace of Nijmegen in 1678 to France.
By January 1, 2009 there was a change in the membership of the district municipality. So far, belonging to the district Montbeliard, all municipalities in the canton came to the district Pontarlier.
Attractions
The present village church of Grand'Combe -des- Bois was inaugurated in 1857 and stands on the site of an earlier temple, which had been built in the early 17th century. The church has a rich interior (furniture from the 18th century frescoes ) and has been completely restored from 2005 to 2006. In the center and on the Jura hills several farmhouses dating from the 17th to 19th centuries in traditional Franche-Comté style have been preserved. The Ferme Purguy is characterized by a Renaissance window.
Population
With 131 inhabitants (as of 1 January 2011) Grand'Combe -des- Bois 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 (1896 266 persons were still counted ), only small fluctuations were recorded since the early 1980s.
Economy and infrastructure
Grand'Combe -des- Bois was until well into the 20th century a predominantly by agriculture ( livestock and dairy farming ) and forestry embossed village. In addition, there are today some of the local small business enterprises, including a sawmill and a cheese factory. Many workers 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 Le Barboux by Fournet -Blanche Roche. Another road connection with Le Russey.