Grand-Charmont

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

Geography

Grand- Charmont is on 333 m above the sea, about three kilometers northeast of the city of Montbéliard (air line). The village is located amid the rolling countryside north of the basin of Montbéliard, in a depression, which is in the south of the hill Chaux, flanked on the north by forest area of ​​the Grands Bois.

The area of ​​4.56 km ² municipal area includes a portion of the undulating countryside north of Montbeliard. The central part of the area occupied by the approximately one square kilometer basin of Grand- Charmont, which is on average 330 m. It is drained to the west to Lizaine. After East passes a broad saddle across the Valley of the Savoureuse. Through the Colline de la Chaux, an elongated hill ( 406 m), which marks the southern boundary, the basin of the southern valley of Allan is disconnected. To the north, the municipality's area extends beyond the slowly rising slope of Fougères and in the vast forest area of the Grands Bois. On a hill north of Fougeres the highest elevation of Grand- Charmont is achieved with 425 m.

At Grand- Charmont next to the original site include the following districts:

  • Charmontey (345 m) at the northern foot of the hill Chaux
  • Le Giboulon (350 m) at the northern foot of the hill Chaux
  • Les Graverots (350 m) at the northern foot of the hill Chaux
  • Les Fougères (370 m ) on the north slope of the trough of Grand- Charmont
  • Les Grands- Bois (385 m) at the height of the edge of the forest region with the same

Neighboring communities of Grand- Charmont are Châtenois -les -Forges in the north, Nommay and Vieux- Charmont in the east, the south and Sochaux Montbéliard and Bethoncourt in the West.

History

The first mention of Grand- Charmont was towards the end of the 12th century under the name Calmons. The place name is derived from the Latin words calx (lime) and mons ( mountain). For a long time the village was called Charmont -des- Bois. Since the Middle Ages belonged Grand- Charmont under the jurisdiction of the Counts of Montbéliard. With the annexation of that county, the village came in 1793 final in French hands. After the Franco-German War, the Fort de la Chaux was built as part of the fortification system around Montbéliard and Belfort 1876-1878.

For a long time agriculturally oriented to Grand- Charmont developed during the 20th century to the suburb of Montbéliard. At the beginning of the 1960s, the old town center within a short time, numerous five-to eight-storey apartment blocks pulled north and south, where mainly workers of the Peugeot factories (Sochaux, Montbeliard ) settled with their families. This led to an increase in population by 6000 people within 10 years. The economic crisis and the restructuring of the industry in the Pays de Montbéliard in the period 1983-1990 meant that many families had moved to the new housing estates left again. Today, Grand- Charmont part of the community association Communauté d' Agglomà du Pays de Montbéliard.

Attractions

The Protestant Church of Grand- Charmont was built from 1823 to 1825. In addition, there are two modern Catholic churches: Notre -Dame du Bon Accueil (1954 ) in the district of Le Giboulon and the church of Saint -François d' Assise ( 1964) in the form of mushrooms in the district of Les Fougères. On the hill Chaux are the now abandoned Fort de la Chaux (1878 ) and an area with various recreational and sports facilities.

Population

With 5256 inhabitants (as of 1 January 2011) Grand- Charmont is one of the larger communities of the department of Doubs. After the population had shown in the first half of the 20th century, only relatively small fluctuations, continued with the construction of new housing estates from about 1960 a striking increase in population a. Within about 10 years, quadrupled the number of inhabitants. With approximately 8,000 inhabitants in mid -1970s the peak was reached. After a significant decline in population was recorded. Only in 2008, the downward trend has stopped. Today, the settlement area of Grand- Charmont has grown together with those of Montbeliard, Vieux- Charmont and Sochaux.

Economy and infrastructure

Since the mid-20th century, Grand- Charmont quickly became a residential suburb of Montbéliard. Today in the town of various operations of small businesses are established, large industrial and commercial complexes are not available. There are also numerous shops of retail for your everyday needs. However, many of the working commuters who do their work in the other municipalities of the agglomeration Montbéliard. Grand- Charmont is the site of a College, a secondary school and a medical center.

The village has good transport links. It is located on a secondary road that leads from Bethoncourt to Vieux - Charmont. The nearest links to the A36 motorway is located at a distance of about three kilometers. Further road links exist with Montbeliard Sochaux and Nommay. With the city of Montbéliard and the surrounding communities of Grand - Charmont is connected by several bus lines.

Partnership

Since 1972, Grand- Charmont maintains a community partnership with Dohlain - Limbourg in Belgium.

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