Chaux-de-Fonds
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La Chaux-de-Fonds is a city in Switzerland. It is located in the canton of Neuchâtel.
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La Chaux-de-Fonds
La Chaux-de-Fonds is the third city of Suisse Romande after Geneva and Lausanne regarding to the number of inhabitants (37000). It is situated at a 1000 metre height, what makes it the highest city of Switzerland. The inhabitants of the Chaux-de-Fonds assert that it is about the highest European city containing more than 30000 inhabitants, rank which La Chaux-de-Fonfd shares in fact with Ségovie.
On June 27th 2009, La Chaux-de-Fonds and Le Locle entered in the list of UNESCO world heritage due to the particular the urbanistic aspect related on the watch making industry.
The region was first inhabited around 10,000 years ago (Epipaleolithic). A skull and other traces have been found in caves nearby.
In the middle of the 14th century, the forests found there have been colonised from the south. The region was under the authority of the lords of Valangin. Agriculture was the main activity. The first church has been built in 1528. The city became at the end of the 16th century an important crossroad between Neuchâtel and Franche-Comté (France).
The community has grown during the Thirty Years' War, mainly because of its strategic position for trade. But economic activity really begins in the 18th century with the development of lace and watchmaking industry. Pierre Jacquet-Droz and his family is one of the most famous watchmakers of this time. He is best known for his automata. In 1794, the city was devastated by fire. Charles-Henri Junod created the new city's plan in 1835, as a grid. The central avenue is named the Avenue Léopold Robert.
La Chaux-de-Fonds is very close to the Doubs Valley. Le Doubs is a river between Switzerland and France. Its main attraction is "Le Saut du Doubs" a 27 meters high waterfall in a beautiful landscape but you can walk for kilometers in wild and wonderfull sceneries.
There is a lot of beautiful walks to do, in every seasons, in the countryside of La Chaux-de-Fonds, like going to Pouillerel, Le Gros-Crêt, Les Bulles, Les Planchettes and so much more.
Art & Culture in La Chaux-de-Fonds
The city holds the international watchmaking museum, showing the history of watches. Watchmaking companies such as Accurist have offices in the city.
Art Nouveau had a great influence on architecture and culture in the city.
The daily newspaper L'Impartial has been published in La Chaux-de-Fonds since 1880.
The Wakker Prize was granted to La-Chaux-de-Fonds in 1994.
The alternative culture has well grown in La Chaux-de-Fonds with places like the Bikini Test that provides concerts during the weekends, l'ABC for meal, theatre, movies and exhibitions, 2300 Plan 9, an annual film festival or La plage des six-pompes, an annual arts of the street festival.
For those you like theatre, you can go to L'Heure bleue(Av. Léopold Robert 27-29), TPR(Beau-Sites 30) and Zap theatre(Numa-Droz 137).
For those about to rock and others, music is provided by the Bikini Test(Joux-Perret 3 www.bikinitest.ch), L'Heure bleue, la Cave du P'tit Paris(Progrès 4).
They were natives from La Chaux-de-Fonds
The most famous native sons of La Chaux-de-Fonds are the architect Le Corbusier that built, for example, La Maison Blanche(Chemin de Pouillerel 12), born here as Charles-Edouard Jeanneret in 1887, Louis Chevrolet, born in 1878, founder of the Chevrolet Motor Car Company and Blaise Cendrars, novelist and poet, born as Frédéric Louis Sauser in 1887.
Other notable people born in La Chaux-de-Fonds include Louis-Leopold Robert, a painter, born in 1794, Numa Droz, a politician, born in 1844, and Adrienne von Speyr, a modern Catholic mystic, born in 1902.
Among the watchmakers, are the Gallet family:
Julien Gallet (1806-1849), who moved north from Geneva in 1826 and founded Gallet & Cie;
Lucien Gallet (1834-1879), son of Julien, who expanded the company into Chicago;
Léon L. Gallet (1832-1899), eldest son of Julien and patriarch figure of the growing company.
The company premises on Rue du Parc became too small, and expansion was made by acquiring the company Grumbach & Co., formerly producing watches of the brand name Electa. Gallet & Co. was renamed as the Electa Gallet Watch Manufactory. Léon L. Gallet played an important role in the social life in La Chaux-de-Fonds. He founded together with Longines in St. Imier, the Intercantonal Company for Industrial Development of the Jura area. Léon L. Gallet was marketing his watches in Europe, with a special emphasis in England.
Léon Gallet also commissioned the "Villa Gallet" (which still retains its original name) situated in the "Parc Gallet" in the southern part of the town from architect René Chapallaz, who was Le Corbusier's architecture teacher. The "Villa Gallet" is considered as an important contribution of "Art Nouveau" in La Chaux-de-Fonds.
A free zoo is also available (Rue Alexis-Marie Piaget) with a lots of animals of the area and others like bears, lamas, snakes ans other reptiles, spiders and many more.
As every city, La Chaux-de-Fonds owns his Art Museeum (Rue des Musées) which presents the local art that shows and explains the life in this city through the years. It also provides some impermanent exhibitions.
During the winter, there are some alpin and nordic ski tracks in the area.
How to come to La Chaux-de-Fonds?
- By train, 30 minutes from Neuchâtel
- By car, 20 minutes from Neuchâtel
- By train and by car, 10 minutes from Le Locle
- By train, circa 2 hours from Besançon (France)
- By train, 1 hour from Bienne-Biel
Tourism information
This is the official website of Neuchatel tourism office
Tips
- In La Chaux-de-Fonds, you can rent a bike for free! If you see a pink bike in the street, you can take it and ride to wherever you want. When you don't need it anymore, just lean it against a wall and someone who needs it will take it.
- A free wifi internet is available at Le Petit Paris(Rue du Progrès 4), but you have to bring your computer.
CouchSurfers
The local CS community of Neuchatel and neighborhood try to meet regularly since july 2007. To be aware of what's happening, do not hesitate to join Neuchatel group
Stats:
- June 07: 46 members
- September 07: 79 members (51 couches)
Events
January
- Dirge, Palmer and Coit at Bikini Test, La Chaux-de-Fonds 25.01.08
- Da Silva + Robert Sandoz at L'Heure Bleue, La Chaux-de-Fonds 25.01.08
- Le concert des élèves de Ton sur Ton à Bikini Test, La Chaux-de-Fonds 26.01.08
February
- Dj Orgasmic & Jean Nipon (F) at Bikini Test, La Chaux-de-Fonds 01.02.08
- L'effet coquelicot ou la perspective de l'abattoir at ABC Theatre, La Chaux-de-Fonds 01.02.08
- Slam & Howie + The Rambling Wheels at Espace Noir, St-Imier 02.02.08
- La maîtresse d'école et la bouteille de rhum at Zap Theatre, La Chaux-de-Fonds 08-10.02.08
- Punish Yourself (F) at Bikini Test, La Chaux-de-Fonds 09.02.08
- Kehlvin + Rorcal (CH) at Bikini Test, La Chaux-de-Fonds 15.02.08
- Swiss couchsurfing ambassadors's meeting in La Chaux-de-Fonds 16-17.02.08
- Electro Ladie's Night at Bikini Test, La Chaux-de-Fonds 16.02.08
- Dress + Notch at Espace Noir, St-Imier 16.02.08
- Christophe Studer Solo et Lucien Dubuis Trio (Jazz) at le Théatre du Pommier 20.02.08
- Stuck In The Sound (F) at Bikini Test, La Chaux-de-Fonds 23.02.08
March
- Dj Dolores & Aparelhagem (BR), discotecario Doca (CH-BR) at Bikini Test, La Chaux-de-Fonds 01.03.08
- Baptiste Adatte est Jean-Claude Tergal at Zap Theatre, La Chaux-de-Fonds 01-02.03.08
- High Tone (F) at Bikini Test, La Chaux-de-Fonds 07.03.08
- Carnaval de La Chaux-de-Fonds 07-08.03.08
- Baptiste Adatte est Jean-Claude Tergal at Zap Theatre, La Chaux-de-Fonds 07-09.03.08
- VnV Rock Altitude Party at Bikini Test, La Chaux-de-Fonds 08.03.08
- St.Patrick at Bikini Test, La Chaux-de-Fonds 15.03.08
- Sanseverino at L'Heure Bleue, La Chaux-de-Fonds 20.03.08
- 2300 Plan 9, Les étranges nuits du cinéma at le Temple-Allemand, La Chaux-de-Fonds 20-23.03.08
- Baptiste Adatte est Jean-Claude Tergal at Zap Theatre, La Chaux-de-Fonds 21-22.03.08
- Lole (CH) at Bikini Test, La Chaux-de-Fonds 28.03.08
- Sonograph (CH), Shelving (CH), Kovlo (CH) at Bikini Test, La Chaux-de-Fonds 29.03.08
April
- Wax Tailor (F) at Bikini Test, La Chaux-de-Fonds 11.04.08
- Dub Trio (USA) at Bikini Test, La Chaux-de-Fonds 12.04.08
- Bombaker (D) at Bikini Test, La Chaux-de-Fonds 18.04.08
Mai
- Ramblin' Bomber at Bikini Test, La Chaux-de-Fonds 02.05.08
- Textures at Bikini Test, La Chaux-de-Fonds 03.05.08
- e.s.t. Esbjörn Svensson Trio at L'Heure Bleue, La Chaux-de-Fonds 03.05.08
- Corbak Festival in La Chaux-du-Milieu 08-10.05.08
- André Klopfensteinenvoyé très spécial at Zap Theatre, La Chaux-de-Fonds 15-17.05.08
- André Klopfensteinenvoyé très spécial at Zap Theatre, La Chaux-de-Fonds 22-24.05.08
- Festineuch in Neuchâtel 30-31.05.08
June
- Festineuch in Neuchâtel 01.06.08
- Fête de l'absinthe in Boveresse 14.06.08
July
- Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival (NIFFF) in Neuchâtel 01-06.07.08
- Les Promos du Locle 04-05.08.08
August
- La PLage des Six-Pompes in La Chaux-de-Fonds 04-09.08.08
September
- Great events to come!
October
- Great events to come!
November
- Great events to come!
December
- Great events to come!
- New Year party at Bikini Test, La Chaux-de-Fonds 31.12.08
