La Chaux (Doubs)
La Chaux is a commune in the French department Doubs in the Franche -Comté. Unofficially La Chaux is also called to distinguish it from other towns of the same name La Chaux -de- Gilley.
Geography
La Chaux is located at 884 m, about 15 km north- northeast of the town of Pontarlier (air line). The village road extends in the Jura, in a wide opening between the heights of Cret Monniot the north and the forest area of the Bois Courtots in the south, in the region of Val du Saugeais.
The area of 16.94 km ² municipal area includes a portion of the French Jura. The central part of the area is occupied by a longitudinal trough which forms a syncline the Jura folds in geological- tectonic terms. This valley is just over 1 km wide, has a length of 6 km and is on average 880 m. It is primarily covered by meadows and pastures. The plateau has no above-ground rivers, because the rainwater seeps into the karst underground. To the north, the municipality's area extends to the broad crest of the Cret Monniot on which with 1113 m the highest peak of La Chaux is achieved. This ridge forms an anticline and is oriented southwest-northeast direction according to the strike of the Jurassic in this region. To the south, the municipality's area extends to the adjacent forest heights with the Bois des Courtots and the Bois de Montflovin ( to 1030 m).
At La Chaux addition to the actual site also includes several hamlets and numerous individual farms, including:
- Les Plans (877 m) in the western part of the valley of La Chaux
- Les Champs Guyon ( 885 m) in the valley of La Chaux
- Le Cret (905 m) in the valley of La Chaux at the southern foot of the Cret Monniot
Neighboring communities of La Chaux are Aubonne and Arc- sous- Cicon in the north, Gilley and La Longeville in the east, Montflovin, Maisons- du- Bois- Lièvremont and Arçon in the south and Bugny and Ouhans in the West.
History
In the Middle Ages La Chaux belonged to the monastic rule Montbenoît. Together with the Franche -Comté reached the village with the Peace of Nijmegen in 1678 to France.
Attractions
The village church of Saint- antide was built in the second half of the 19th century. In the village are farmhouses dating from the 18th and 19th centuries have been preserved in the traditional style of the Haut-Doubs.
Population
With 429 inhabitants (as of 1 January 2011) La Chaux is one of the small communities of the department of Doubs. After the population had decreased significantly in the first half of the 20th century (1896 569 persons were still counted ) population growth is recorded since the early 1980s again.
Economy and infrastructure
La Chaux was until well into the 20th century a predominantly by agriculture ( livestock and dairy farming ) embossed village. In addition, there are now several companies of local small businesses. 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 Gilley after Bugny. Further road links exist with La Longeville and Arc- sous- Cicon.