Crozet (Ain)
| Crozet | ||
|---|---|---|
.svg)
|
|
|
| region | Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes | |
| Department | Ain | |
| Arrondissement | Gex | |
| Canton | Thoiry | |
| Community association | Pays de Gex | |
| Coordinates | 46 ° 17 ' N , 6 ° 1' E | |
| height | 463-1,680 m | |
| surface | 27.47 km 2 | |
| Residents | 2,138 (January 1, 2017) | |
| Population density | 78 inhabitants / km 2 | |
| Post Code | 01170 | |
| INSEE code | 01135 | |
| Website | www.crozet.fr | |
_-_Mairie.JPG) The town hall ( Mairie ) of Crozet |
||
Crozet is a French commune with 2,138 inhabitants (at January 1, 2017) in the department of Ain in the region Auvergne Rhône-Alpes . It belongs to the canton of Thoiry in the Gex arrondissement and is a member of the Pays de Gex municipal association .
geography
Crozet is located at 538 m , about 14 kilometers northwest of the city of Geneva (as the crow flies). The former farming village extends in the Pays de Gex in a promising elevated position at the foot of the Jura below the Colomby de Gex , on the northwestern edge of the Geneva basin.
The area of the 27.47 km² municipal area includes a section of the Pays de Gex. The area is divided into two naturally very different parts. The south-eastern part is occupied by the fertile plain at the foot of the Jura, with the eastern border running along the Allondon . This river rises with a karst spring at the foot of the Jura and is initially deepened with a valley cut into the surrounding plateau, then it flows openly through the plain. From the plain of the Pays de Gex the slope rises gently towards the Jura.
To the west, the community area extends over the steep, densely wooded slope to the broad ridge of the foremost Jura chain. This ridge is divided into the peaks of Montoisey ( 1651 m ), the south-west summit of Colomby de Gex (at 1680 m, the highest elevation of Crozet) and the saddle of Col de Crozet ( 1480 m ) in between. Above around 1400 m there are extensive mountain pastures, which are interspersed with typical karst features such as sinkholes and cart fields . The pastures to the west of the main ridge also belong to Crozet, the western border runs along the steep slope to the Valserine valley . The municipality is part of the Upper Jura Regional Nature Park (French: Parc naturel régional du Haut-Jura ).
In addition to the original location, Crozet also includes various hamlets and new housing developments, namely:
- Avouzon ( 532 m ) at the foot of the Jura on the plateau west of the Allondon
- Villeneuve ( 521 m ) at the foot of the Jura
Neighboring municipalities of Crozet are Échenevex in the north, Chevry in the east, Saint-Genis-Pouilly and Sergy in the south and Lélex and Mijoux in the west.
history
Crozet is first mentioned in 1332 under the name Croset ; from 1437 the name Crozetum has been handed down. The place name goes back to the old French word creuset (small cross). In the Middle Ages , Crozet formed its own small lordship that became dependent on the Lords of Gex. Along with this rule, the village came under the sovereignty of the Counts of Savoy in the 14th century . Then Crozet shared the checkered history of the Pays de Gex , with which it finally came to France after the conclusion of the Treaty of Lyon in 1601.
Attractions
The village church was rebuilt around 1830 on the site of a medieval church. Ruins of the medieval castle Rossillon have been preserved.
population
| Population development | |
|---|---|
| year | Residents |
| 1962 | 410 |
| 1968 | 440 |
| 1975 | 711 |
| 1982 | 961 |
| 1990 | 1164 |
| 1999 | 1349 |
| 2006 | 1673 |
| 2011 | 1913 |
With 2,138 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2017), Crozet is one of the smaller communities in the Ain department. The population has grown significantly since the mid-1960s. Particularly strong growth rates were registered during the 1970s. Numerous new single-family houses were built outside the old town center. The local residents of Crozet are called Crozatis in French .
Economy and Infrastructure
Crozet was a predominantly agricultural village well into the 20th century . Today there are some small and medium-sized businesses. In the meantime the village has turned into a residential community. Many workers are commuters who work in the larger towns of the Pays de Gex or as cross-border commuters in the agglomeration of Geneva.
The valley station of the cable car to the Jura ridge (Fierney) is located above Crozet. The village is therefore a popular starting point for hikes on the Jura range in summer or for alpine skiing, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in winter. Crozet is connected to the Lélex winter sports area by several ski lifts.
The place is well developed in terms of traffic. Crozet is easily accessible from Geneva and from the D984c departmental road from Saint-Genis-Pouilly to Gex. Other road connections exist with Thoiry, Échenevex and Chevry. The closest connection to the Swiss A1 motorway is around twelve kilometers away.
In Crozet there is a state école primaire (elementary school with an integrated preschool ).
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ French Statistics Institute ( www.insee.fr )
- ↑ Crozet - notice communale. In: cassini.ehess.fr. Retrieved on June 14, 2015 (French, INSEE population from 1968 ).