Veytaux

Chillon Castle

Veytaux is a municipality in the district of Riviera -Pays- d'Enhaut the canton of Vaud in Switzerland.

Geography

Veytaux is located on 438 m above sea level. M., 8 km southeast of the district town of Vevey (air line). The village extends on the alluvial fan, the torrent Veraye has accumulated over the years on the west foot of the Rochers de Naye at its confluence with the Lake Geneva: a scenic location about 60 m above the lake level, on the Vaud Riviera.

The area of ​​6.7 km ² large municipality area includes a section on the eastern shore of Lake Geneva ( about 1700 m from the lake shore line ) and the adjacent Vaud Alps. The western part of the municipality is bounded on the north by the creek Veraye on the south by the rugged ridge Les Dentaux (up to 1'714 m above sea level. M. ) and includes the steep, densely wooded southern flank of the Verayetals. The only slightly less steeply inclined surface forms the alluvial fan of the Veraye. To the east of the municipality floor extends to the summit of the Rochers de Naye, with 2'042 meters above sea level on the. M. the highest point of Veytaux is achieved. Also the east of the summit between two to Hongrin valley sloping ridges located, narrow valley Naye still belongs to Veytaux. The eastern boundary runs in the area of the farm prices au Maidzo along the Hongrin, one side of the Sarine Bach. From the municipality surface 1997 6 % came from settlements, 73 % of forest and shrubs, 14% to agriculture and a little less than 7 % was unproductive land.

To Veytaux include the Chillon Castle on Lake Geneva in a limestone rock, the hamlet Grand Champ on the border with Villeneuve, the mountain settlement Sonchaux ( 1'258 m above sea level. M. ) on the western slope of the Dentaux and a few isolated farms. Neighboring communities of Veytaux are Montreux and Villeneuve Rossinière in the Canton of Vaud and skin -Intyamon in the Canton of Fribourg.

Population

With 832 inhabitants ( 31 December 2012) Veytaux one of the smaller municipalities in the canton of Vaud. Of the 82.4 % inhabitants are French-speaking, German-speaking 7.3 % and 2.9 % in English (as of 2000). The population of Veytaux amounted in 1860 to 287 residents in 1900 to 625 inhabitants. After that, the population increased to 1970 further to 910 inhabitants. Due to the recession an exodus of more than 100 people was recorded in the 1970s. Since then, the population oscillates around 800 inhabitants. The settlement area of Veytaux has grown together seamlessly with that of the district Montreux Montreux.

Economy

Veytaux was until the end of the 19th century mainly by agriculture embossed village. After that, it gradually fell into the sphere of influence of tourism development of Montreux. By 1920 was at Grandchamp a lime and cement plant in operation.

Today, agriculture with some viticulture along the lake shore and the dairy and livestock on the heights only a minor role in the economic structure of the population. More jobs are available in the local small businesses and especially in the service sector ( restaurant industry ). In Grandchamp is the underground power station Veytaux Forces Motrices Hongrin -Léman. In recent decades, the village has developed thanks to its attractive location into a residential community. Many working population commuters, which partially work in the Vevey-Montreux region in Lausanne.

Traffic

Veytaux is a very good transport developed. It lies on the main road 9, which runs from Lausanne along the lakeshore Montreux via the Valais. The nearest motorway connections to the A9 was opened in 1970 (Lausanne -Sion ), which crosses the municipality, located away from the center at Montreux (in the north ) and Villeneuve ( in the south), each about 5 km.

On April 2, 1861, the Lausanne -Villeneuve section of the railway line was opened from Lausanne to Sion. The municipal area closest train station Veytaux- Chillon. Since 1892, the Rochers de Naye are accessed by a funicular railway from Glion via Caux for tourism.

From 1888, reversed by Veytaux the Tramway Vevey- Montreux- Chillon, an electric tram. She was the first electric railway in Switzerland, in 1903 extended to Villeneuve and 1957 replaced by the trolley - Vevey Villeneuve. This is now run by the transport undertaking Transports publics Vevey- Montreux- Chillon -Villeneuve ( VMCV ). Around the turn of the century Veytaux was also the starting point of the first Swiss trolleybus line, this test track led from 1900 by Chillion the former Hôtel Byron in nearby Villeneuve.

History

The first written mention of the village was carried out in 1332 under the name Veytour with the importance of old tower from the old French word vey ( old). The area of Veytaux was in the Middle Ages in the possession of the Bishop of Sion. While Chillon already passed in 1150 to the Counts of Savoy, Veytaux remained first in the diocese of Sion and belonged to Viztum Montreux. 1295 was the entire Viztum over by purchase at Girard Oron. His successor, Girard II of Oron had to sell the southern portion of this property with Veytaux to the Savoy, due to financial difficulties in 1317. Until the early 16th century were Veytaux and the borough of Chillon two independent villages. Only after 1560, after the demise of the borough and the relocation of the residents after Veytaux, the village grew in importance.

With the conquest of Vaud by Bern in 1536 Veytaux came under the administration of the Bailiwick of Vevey. After the collapse of the ancien régime, the village 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. 1798 was assigned to the district of Vevey. Because the villagers refused a church merger with Montreux- Châtelard and Montreux- Planches in 1961, Veytaux remained a politically independent community.

Attractions

The Reformed village church has designed by B. Viglino glass windows. On the slope above Veytaux Chillon and the prestressed concrete construction of the highway bridge Viaduc de Chillon with spans of up to 104 m is visible from afar. In Veytaux is the famous Castle of Chillon.