Plagne (Ain)

Plagne is a commune in the French department of Ain, in the Rhône -Alpes.

Geography

Plagne lies at 780 m above sea level. M., about twelve kilometers north- west of the town of Bellegarde -sur -Valserine (air line). The small village extends in the French Jura on a ridge west of the deep valley of the Semine (right side of the creek Valserine ), on the eastern slopes of the Bois de Puthod.

The area of ​​6:20 km ² municipal area includes a portion of the high Jura. The area occupied by an inclined towards the east plateau, which is organized by different short side valleys of the Semine. The eastern boundary follows closely to the contour of 700 meters (above the steep drop to Semine ). In the south of the municipality spell is limited by the sloping to cluse de Nantua steep slope. To the west, the municipality's area extends to the wooded ridge of the Bois de Puthod, on 940 m above sea level. M. the highest elevation of Plagne is achieved.

To Plagne addition to the actual village also includes the homestead Le Chailley (780 m above sea level. M. ) on the cluse de Nantua. Neighboring communities of Plagne are Échallon in the north, Saint- Germain- de -Joux in the east and south, and Charix in the West.

History

Plagne was mentioned in the 15th century as the hamlet of Saint- Germain -de- Joux. The separation from the mother church, whose parish Plagne still heard, took place only in 1845. The discovery of a very complete, fossilized dinosaur track on 5 April 2009 made ​​the small, remote community abruptly in paleontology known. On a exhilarated by wood back and washed free from the rain forest trail on the municipal area periodic depressions stood out, researchers at the University of Lyon were able to identify as a dinosaur track from the Jurassic era. The excavation and survey of the area took place from 2010 to 2012.

Population

With 139 inhabitants (as of 1 January 2011) Plagne is one of the smallest municipalities of the department of Ain. After the population had decreased significantly in the first half of the 20th century, population growth was recorded since the mid- 1980s again.

Attractions

On a forest path that branches off from the D49 between Plagne and Le Chailley and the Jura mountain range Bois de Puthod opens, several fossilized dinosaur tracks are exposed. The longest of them measures 155 m and belongs to a sauropod. Your prints have a diameter from 1.20 to 1.50 m and can be attributed to a 30 to 40 -ton animal. The track is considered the longest known Sauropodenfährte the world that simultaneously has the largest prints. It exceeds the track in the Monumento Natural de Pegadas Dinossáurios de Ourém / Torres Novas in Portugal by a few meters. The Sauropodenfährte is crossed by the trail of a theropod. Their footprints form from the typical three-toed Theropodenfuß and are very pronounced, suggesting a few meters large, fast-moving animal. These tracks came into being about 150 million years ago when the area on the northern edge of the primordial ocean Tethys was populated by dinosaurs.

The competent municipal association of the Pays Belle Gardien has begun to take actions to make the reference to tourism accessible ( security, parking, signage and a website ). The exposed during the excavations, brittle limestone must be protected from the weather, to a water-repellent resin adhesive was applied. In addition, the entire exposed surface is covered during the winter months with a tarp and thus protected against snow and erosion.

Economy and infrastructure

Plagne was until well into the 20th century a predominantly coined by agriculture and forestry village. Even today, the inhabitants live mainly from the activity in the first sector. Some employed persons are also commuters who engage in the larger towns in the area, mainly in Bellegarde -sur -Valserine and in Oyonnax their work.

The village is located off the major thoroughfares. The main access is from Saint- Germain- de -Joux on the main road D1084 ( Bellegarde- sur -Valserine - Nantua, former National Road 84). Another local road connection with Échallon. The nearest links to the A40 motorway is located at a distance of about ten kilometers.

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