Vaufrey

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

Geography

Vaufrey is located on 401 m, 14 km southwest of Porrentruy and about 20 km southeast of the town of Montbéliard (air line). The village is located in the Jura, in the deep Doubs Valley, between the Lomont in the north and the heights of Maîche in the south, near the border with Switzerland.

The area of ​​9:37 km ² municipal area includes a portion of the French Jura. The central part of the area occupied by the Doubs. The Doubs flows here in tortuous course between the Lomont and the heights at Courtefontaine to the west by a maximum of 500 meters wide, flat Talniederung. About one kilometers southeast of the village is the dam of an elongated Tal lake, which was dammed to generate electricity. The valley is flanked on both sides by steep, mostly forested slopes that are different places crossed by rock bands. These slopes are divided by several Taleinschnitte of short tributaries of the Doubs.

To the south, the municipality's area extends to the height of Seigne and to the edge of the plateaus of Courtefontaine. With 900 meters of the Côte de la Plaine is achieved the highest elevation of Vaufrey above the rocks. In the north, the border of it on the level of Lomont partly on the watershed, partly a little south.

Neighboring communities of Vaufrey are Glère in the east, and Indevillers Courtefontaine in the south, Montjoie- le -Château in the west and the Swiss municipality of Haute- Ajoie in the north.

History

In the Middle Ages Vaufrey was under the rule of Montjoie. The small castle Vaufrey on the left side of the Doubs, which belonged to a local noble family, was destroyed in the 15th century. Together with the Franche -Comté reached the village with the Peace of Nijmegen in 1678 to France.

Attractions

From an elevated position above Vaufrey stands the church, originally dating back to the 12th century. In the 18th century the ship in a classic style it was extensively rebuilt. The present castle on the right side of the Doubs was built in the 17th century and remodeled in the 18th century. In the village are farmhouses dating from the 17th to 19th centuries in traditional Franche-Comté style have been preserved.

Population

With 149 inhabitants (as of 1 January 2011) Vaufrey one of the small communities of the department of Doubs. After the population had decreased significantly in the first half of the 20th century (1901 360 people were still counted ), only small fluctuations were recorded since the mid- 1970s.

Economy and infrastructure

Vaufrey was until well into the 20th century a predominantly by agriculture ( livestock and dairy farming, some arable and fruit ) embossed village. In addition, there are today some of the local small business enterprises. Many workers are also commuters who carry out, especially in the major towns of the neighboring Switzerland their work.

The community is located off the major thoroughfares on a secondary road that leads from Saint- Hippolyte Saint- Ursanne. Further road links exist with Courtefontaine and Réclère in Switzerland.