Vanclans

Vanclans is a commune in the French department Doubs in the Franche -Comté.

Geography

Vanclans lies 720 m, 6 km south of Valdahon and about 29 km southeast of the city of Besançon (air line). The village is located in the Jura, in a depression on the southern edge of the plateau of Valdahon, called the first plateau of the Jura Mountains, on the edge of the first high Jura chains.

The area of ​​9.60 km ² municipal area includes a portion of the French Jura. The northern part of the area is occupied by only weakly in relief plateau Valdahon, which is an average of 720 meters. It is mainly composed of arable and meadow land. With the exception of a small rivulet, which rises in the area of the village, but after a short running track disappears underground, the plateau has no above-ground rivers, because the rainwater seeps into the karst underground. To the southeast, the municipality's area extends into the much stronger in relief area of the first high Jura trains. It includes a series of mostly parallel, predominantly forested ridges of the heights of Cicon and extends to the east into the forest area of ​​the Bois du Roi. With 978 m is reached on a knoll above the plateau of La Veche the highest elevation of Vanclans.

Neighboring communities of Vanclans are Étray and Rantechaux in the north, the east, and Passonfontaine Nods to the south and west.

History

The Cicon castle was built in the 10th century and formed an important rule in the Middle Ages, among the various villages of the plateau next to Vanclans of Valdahon. The castle was built in 1479 by troops of King Louis XI. captured and destroyed. Together with the Franche -Comté Vanclans came with the Peace of Nijmegen in 1678 to France.

On 1 January 2009, the district membership of the community has changed. So far, belonging to the district Besançon, all municipalities in the canton came to the district Pontarlier.

Attractions

The village church was built in the 18th century. In the village are typical farmhouses are preserved in the characteristic style of the Franche -Comté from the 17th to 19th centuries. On a rocky outcrop on the western edge of the ridge above the village are the ruins of the former castle Cicon.

Population

With 207 inhabitants (as of 1 January 2011) Vanclans one of the small communities of the department of Doubs. After the population had decreased significantly in the first half of the 20th century (1886 350 people were still counted ), only small fluctuations were recorded since the early 1980s.

Economy and infrastructure

Vanclans was until well into the 20th century a predominantly by agriculture (crops, orchards and livestock ) and forestry embossed village. In addition, there are today some of the local small business enterprises. Meanwhile, the village has also changed into a residential community. Many workers are commuters who engage in the larger towns in the vicinity of their work.

The village has good transport links. It is accessible from lying on the National Road N57 Nods a department road. Further road links exist with Valdahon, Épenoy and Rantechaux.