Maîche

Maîche is a commune in the French department Doubs in the Franche -Comté. It is the capital of the canton in the arrondissement of Montbéliard Maîche.

Geography

Maîche is located on 780 m, approximately halfway between Montbéliard and Morteau, about 30 km south of the town of Montbéliard (air line). The village is located in the Jura, at the western foot of Mont Miroir, in the valley of the Dessoubre in the northwest open cavity on the edge of the broad plateaux.

The area of ​​17.42 km ² municipal area includes a portion of the French Jura. The northern part of the area occupied by the basin of Maîche, the topographical part of the catchment area of ​​the Dessoubre. It is in the northwest of the castle hill of Maîche ( 837 m), bounded on the north-east from here mostly wooded Mont Miroir, in the 981 m, the highest point reached by Maîche.

To the south, the municipality's area extends over a around 20 to 40 meters high ground level on the vast plateau, which is only weakly in relief and is on average 830 m. It is mainly consisted of meadow and pasture land, but also shows some larger forest areas. The plateau has no above-ground rivers, because the rainwater seeps into the karst underground. The southern boundary runs in the hills of Charquemont (up to 900 m). In the southwest of the town of ground enough for the amount of faux Verger (978 m) at the edge of the deep incision of the Dessoubre valley.

To Maîche addition to the actual site will include new quarters on the high plateau and various hamlets and numerous individual farms, including:

• La Seigne (795 m) in a trough west of the village
• Saint- Michel ( 820 m) on the plateau
• Les Combes (810 m) on the plateau at the southern foot of Mont Miroir
• Le Rond- Buisson (850 m ) at the lower southwest slope of the Mont Miroir
• Les Bichets ( 823 m) on the plateau
• Les Seignottes ( 825 m) on the plateau
• Le Prélot ( 833 m) in a trough on the high plateau

Neighboring communities of Maîche are Mancenans- Lizerne, Le Bréseux and Thiébouhans in the north, Cernay- l'Église in the east, Charquemont, Les Écorces and Frambouhans in the south and Saint- Julien- lès- Russey and Mont -de- Vougney in the West.

History

Since the Middle Ages Maîche formed the center of a rule whose castle was located on the hill of Vieux Château northwest of the village. The borough Maîche existed since the 13th century and has always been the most important place on the plateau between the valleys of Dessoubre and Doubs. The construction of the Château de Montalembert in 1524 on the western edge of the seat of power was moved. Together with the Franche -Comté Maîche came with the Peace of Nijmegen in 1678 to France.

In the second half of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century Maîche an economic boost by the introduction of the watch industry. The watches were initially mainly in homework, made ​​from about 1880 factories. A better transport links received Maîche 1905 with the opening of the narrow gauge railway (Le Tacot ), the wrong Morteau via Maîche ( head station) until after Trévillers. The operation of this railway line, however, was set in 1952.

Attractions

• The church of Saint -Pierre ( St. Peter ) was built from 1753 to 1760 on the site of an earlier temple in classic style with baroque influences. It has a remarkable interior (mostly from the Baroque period ), including a richly carved wooden pulpit and a monumental altarpiece.
• The Château de Montalembert on the western outskirts of the village, which was built in 1524 and remodeled several times in the following centuries and expanded, is in a large French Park.
• Other important secular buildings include the Château de Resteigne times ( from the 16th and 17th centuries ) and the Hôtel de Granvelle ( 16th century). In the old town houses from the 17th to 19th centuries have been preserved.
• The Chapelle des Anges (or Chapelle Saint -Michel ) rises to the height south of the village on the site of a former priory. It was rebuilt in 1848.
• From the medieval castle (Vieux Château ) ruins and remains of the keep are conserved.

Chateau Montalambert

Hall of Maîche

Population

With 4380 inhabitants (as of 1 January 2011) Maîche belongs to the medium-sized municipalities in the department of Doubs. The population increased in the course of industrialization from 1800 to 1920 continuously before it stagnated for a long time. A renewed strong growth was recorded from 1950 to the mid-1970s. Around this time, the population reached its all- time high of nearly 4400 inhabitants. Since then, a steady decline of about 12% was registered.

Economy and infrastructure

Maîche was early on a term coined by the trade and processing of agricultural products around town. Today, it performs central functions for the surrounding area. Maîche is home to several shopping malls and many shops retailing. In the industrial sector, the watch industry no longer has indeed the same meaning as in the first half of the 20th century, but there are still several companies in this industry as well as the décolletage. Other important industries are the micromechanics, electroforming, metal and wood processing. Thanks to the great community area to agriculture ( livestock and dairy farming, farming ) and forestry still play a certain role. Furthermore Maîche has two Collèges ( Collège Mont Mirroir and the private Catholic Collège St. Joseph ), a boarding school and an institute for medical education.

The village has good transport links. It lies on the main road D437 which leads from Montbéliard to Morteau. Other regionally important road links exist with La Chaux -de-Fonds, Saignelégier and Sancey- le -Grand.

Partnerships

Since 1978 Maîche maintains a community partnership with Kressbronn. Likewise, there is a partnership with Ondougou (Mali).