Sainte-Croix, Switzerland

Sainte -Croix

Sainte -Croix is a municipality in the district of Jura-Nord Vaudois in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland.

Geography

Sainte -Croix is located at 1,086 m above sea level. M., 11 km west-north- west of the district capital Yverdon- les- Bains ( straight line ). The community extends in a hollow on the south side of the pass traversal of the Col Etroits, in the headwaters of Arnon in the Vaud Jura between the Aiguilles de Baulmes in the southwest and Chasseron in the Northeast.

The area of ​​39.4 km ² large municipality area includes a portion of the Vaud Jura high. The eastern part of the area is located in the headwaters of the Arnon, which is located in the marsh area of ​​La sagne. The Arnon flows through the narrow and steep gorges de Covatanne down in the Swiss Mittelland. The southern boundary of the municipality runs along the ridge of the Aiguilles de Baulmes ( 1,559 m above sea level with. M. highest elevation of Sainte -Croix ) and the Mont de Baulmes. The trough of Sainte -Croix is completed in the west from the crest of Mont des Cerfs ( 1'273 m above sea level. M. ), on the north by Cochet ( 1'483 m above sea level. M. ). At these altitudes there are extensive Jura high grazing pastures with the typical tall spruce trees that are either individually or in groups. The western and northern parts of the municipality are located in the catchment area of ​​the Areuse. This expands a plateau that is crossed by a number of smaller valleys and hollows. In the valleys there are some marshes, including the nature reserve Mouille de la Vraconnaz. The area is drained by the Noiraigue, which flows through the deeply cut Vallon de Noirvaux to the northeast in the direction of the Val de Travers. In the extreme north- east of the municipality is the nature reserve of La Dénériaz, a deepened in the Chasseron anticline Ausräumungskessel, which is flanked by the Roches Blanches, Chasseron and the Petites Roches. From the municipality surface 1997 7 % was attributable to settlements, 48 % of forest and shrubs, 43% to agriculture and slightly less than 2% was unproductive land.

At Sainte -Croix include numerous hamlets and villages: Le Château de Sainte -Croix (990 m asl. ) On a promontory overlooking the Gorges de Covatanne, La Villette (925 m asl. ), Chez Jaccard ( 1'020 m above sea level. M. ) Les Replans ( 1,140 m above sea level. M. ) and Petites Roches Dessus ( 1,130 m above sea level. M. ) on the southern slope of the Cochet, Culliairy ( 1,037 m above sea level. M. ) and sagne La ( 1,037 m above sea level. M. ) in the headwaters of the Arnon, La Gittaz Lingerie ( 1,235 m above sea level. M. ) and La Gittaz Dessus ( 1280m above sea level. M. ) on the ridge north of the Aiguilles de Baulmes, the long road lines Auberson village ( 1,100 m above sea level. M. ), Grangettes ( 1'118 m above sea level. M. ), pinch Perrier ( 1,092 m above sea level. M. ) and La Chaux (1 '086 m above sea level. M. ) west on the plateau of the Col des Etroits, Mouille Mougnon ( 1,040 m above sea level. M. ) on the stream Noiraigue and Vraconnaz La ( 1,109 m above sea level. M. ) on the eastern edge of the marshland Mouille de la Vraconnaz. In addition, include numerous individual farms to Sainte -Croix, which are scattered through the Jura hills. Neighboring municipalities of Sainte -Croix are Baulmes, Vuiteboeuf, Bullet and Fiez, Canton of Vaud, La Côte -aux- fées in the canton of Neuchâtel and Fourgs and Les Hôpitaux -Vieux in neighboring France.

Population

With 4621 inhabitants ( 31 December 2012) Sainte -Croix is one of the medium-sized municipalities in the canton of Vaud. Of the 90.3 % inhabitants are French-speaking, German-speaking 2.2 % and 2.2 % Italian-speaking (as of 2000). The population of Sainte -Croix grew in the second half of the 19th century and during the 1920s sharply. By 1960, the high was reached with almost 7000 inhabitants. As a result of the economic crisis in the 1970s there was a massive exodus, so that in 1980 almost 30 % fewer inhabitants were counted as another decade before. Also in recent years, continued population loss, albeit to a much lesser extent than previously.

Economy

Sainte -Croix developed in the first half of the 18th century into an industrial community. First were primarily the reduction of iron ore and iron smelting important. Soon, however, the lace and in 1740 the watchmaking were added, which were initially done in homework. The watchmaking industry led to the first great economic upturn of Sainte- Croix. However, a period of crisis in 1860 brought the production of watch components to a virtual standstill. Simultaneously, the Spitzenmacherei disappeared. Into the Breach precision mechanics jumped: 1814, the first factory for musical boxes ( Reuge ) was founded. A heyday of the industry followed about 1880 with the opening of new factories. Later became the manufacture of phonographs and gramophones importance. After the world economic crisis, the precision mechanics concentrated on the production of office and accounting machinery ( Hermes), film projectors, cameras ( Bolex Paillard and ), radios and pocket lighters ( Thorens ). Another crisis that peaked in mid -1970s, led to the closure of many businesses and a population loss of over 30 % within two decades.

Today the electronics is the most important industry in Sainte- Croix. In the hamlets of agriculture, especially livestock and dairy industry plays an important role.

Switzerland width became famous for the church in 1999 with the launch of Swiss TV soap Lüthi und Blanc, whose western Switzerland strand is located in Sainte- Croix.

Tourism

Since about 1850, Sainte-Croix developed into a resort and spa. Today it is also a popular destination for hiking. For winter sports are on the slopes of Cochet several ski lifts available. The vast plateaus are ideal for cross-country skiing.

In 1922, the artist created " R. H. " Sainte -Croix and Les Rasses a poster in which it was to the possibilities of winter sports in 3960 ft. altitude in the "Swiss Jura " pointed out.

Sainte -Croix is home to several museums, including the Musée industriel (1872 opened ) and the CIMA Museum of the Centre international de la mécanique d'art ( for music boxes and automata), which was founded in 1985. In Auberson is since 1955 the Musée Baud, are exhibited in the music boxes.

Traffic

The community is conveniently comparatively quite well developed. It lies on the main road from Yverdon over the Col des Etroits to Pontarlier in France. On crossing the pass, the road branches off to Fleurier. On November 27, 1893, the narrow gauge railway Chemin de fer Yverdon - Ste -Croix put into operation. For the dispersion in public transport the mail car classes are available after Auberson, Bullet and buttes (via La Côte- aux- Fées ).

History

In Roman times the road Yverdon - Pontarlier led across the municipality. This trail linkage later lost, however across the street Orbe Pontarlier over the pass of Jougne important. In the early Middle Ages, the area around Sainte -Croix belonged to Burgundy. It was uninhabited at that time and formed beside the pass road an impenetrable wilderness. The cultivation was carried out in the 12th century, probably by the monks of the Benedictine priory in Baulmes. The first settlement in the region was La Villette. Sainte -Croix is in a 1177 document by Pope Alexander III. first mentioned as Sancta Crux.

To secure the road over the Col des Etroits and defend against Hugues de Chalons, the Lords of Grandson in 1315 erected at La Villette at the constriction of the Gorges de Covatanne a castle, the Château de Sainte- Croix. In return, Hugues de Chalons Built in 1319, the Franc Castel. After the victory of the Confederates in the Battle of Grandson over Charles the Bold ( 1476 ), the boundaries were laid in the area of Sainte -Croix to the west. The plateaus at Auberson served since that time the farmers in the Central Plateau as pastures for summer grazing of livestock. There were only single and only temporarily inhabited settlements on the site of today's villages. After 1536, when the region fell to Bern and definitely came to the Bailiwick Grandson, which was under the general rule of Bern and Fribourg, permanent settlements were founded. 1744 fell almost all the houses of Sainte -Croix a village destroyed by fire. After the collapse of the ancien régime Sainte -Croix belonged from 1798 to 1803 during the Helvetic Republic to the canton of Geneva, who came up then with the enactment of the Act of Mediation in the canton of Vaud.

Attractions

The Church of Sainte -Croix and the parsonage was rebuilt after a fire in 1750; Since then there were several restorations. In Le Château de Sainte -Croix there are the ruins of the ancient city.

On a hillside between Sainte -Croix and Vuiteboeuf the most important preserved medieval street system of Switzerland runs with sunken ruts. More than 20 wheel tracks are visible especially in the upper section. The channels are dug about 20 cm into the ground and usually run in parallel. Track widths of 1.09, 1.12 and 1.15 m are observed. At some points levels for the draft animals are carved in the way. In addition to the fairways the path meshing of the carters are visible. The road network was kept a long time for Roman. New research has shown that the route between the 14th and 18th centuries was in use. Given its economic importance for the transport of salt from the Franche -Comté at the time of Bernese rule the trail network has been repeatedly repaired and adjusted. From 1760 they built a new, longer and less steep driveway, the 1838 Today's main street replaced.