Les Moussières

Les Moussières is a commune in the French department of Jura in the Franche -Comté.

Geography

Les Moussières situated on 1144 m above sea level. M., and thus one of the highest towns in the Jura Mountains, about seven kilometers south of the town of Saint- Claude ( a straight line ). The farming village extends high Jura, on a sloping hillside to the north on the plateau of the Hautes- Combes.

The area of ​​16.86 km ² municipal area includes a portion of the French Jura. The area is located exclusively on the plateau of the Hautes- Combes (on average at 1200 m above sea level. M. ). The landscape is undulating and shows natural features such as ridges and troughs oriented southwest-northeast direction according to the strike of the Jura Mountains in the area. The hollows have no surface drainage, as the rain water seeps into the porous limestone substrate. In places that are sealed by clay minerals, there are bogs. The only above-ground river is the Bief of Parres, in an erosion valley (northern boundary of the municipality ) is located and the area drained to the Gorges du Flumen at Saint -Claude.

To the west of the municipality of soil over the slightly sloping plateau extends to the top edge of the deep valley of the Tacon. In the east, the municipality area extends over a number of parallel and gradually increasing to high ground rib to the level of Bellecombe, on with 1308 meters above sea level. M. the highest elevation of Les Moussières is achieved. The plateau of the Hautes- Combes shows a loose structure of pasture and forest. The area of Les Moussières is part of the Parc Naturel Régional du Haut- Jura.

At Les Moussières are widely scattered over the plateau different groups of farms and individual farms. Neighboring municipalities of Les Moussières are Villard -Saint -Sauveur and Les Molunes in the north, Bellecombe in the east, the south and La Pesse Coiserette and Coyrière in the West.

History

The high plateau of Les Moussières belonged to the monastery of Saint -Claude. Even before the 10th century, the pastures of the Hautes- Combes was used for summer grazing of cattle, which is why the plateau was inhabited only during the summer months. The plateau was therefore called Franches Moussières. The name derives from the French word mousse ( moss, bog ). A permanent settlement consisting of stone houses was only developed in the late Middle Ages. The place was on the way between the monasteries of Saint- Claude and Chézery -Forens. Together with the Franche -Comté came Les Moussières with the Peace of Nijmegen in 1678 to France.

Attractions

The village church of Les Moussières was built in the 18th century and remodeled in the 19th century. The dairy at the entrance makes the cheese Bleu de Gex, Comté and Morbier and can be visited.

Population

With 200 inhabitants (as of 1 January 2011) Les Moussières one of the small towns in the Jura. After the population had decreased significantly in the first half of the 20th century (1896 520 persons were still counted ), a slight increase in population was recorded since the year 2000.

Economy and infrastructure

Les Moussières was until well into the 20th century a predominantly coined by agriculture, especially livestock and dairy farming, as well as by the forestry village. In addition, there are today some of the local small business enterprises. Many workers are also commuters who engage in the larger towns in the vicinity of their work.

As a resort in a popular tourist area in the High Jura Les Moussières now benefiting also from tourism, especially on winter tourism, when cross-country skiing can be operated on the plateau of the Hautes- Combes. On a slope of the height of Bellecombe in winter is a ski lift in operation.

The village is located off the major thoroughfares on a secondary road, leading from Septmoncel to Les Bouchoux. Further road links exist with Les Molunes and Bellecombe.