Divonne-les-Bains
Encyclopedia
Divonne-les-Bains, is a commune
in the Ain
department in eastern France
.
It is a popular spa town
.
Divonne lies on the border with French-speaking Switzerland, between the foot of the Jura mountains
and Lake Geneva
. Geneva itself is 20 minutes away on the Swiss autoroute to the south-west. Nyon
, a Swiss market town, is the nearest main town travelling east along Lake Geneva towards Lausanne
. On the French side the nearest town is Gex
, which lies at the foot of the Col de la Faucille
pass by which the main N5 road crosses the Jura in the direction of Dijon
.
Divonne became popular as a spa in the 19th century. However many of its present-day amenities - casino, golf course, hippodrome, open air swimming pool and artificial lake (Lac de Divonne
) - were built after 1945. A cultural centre by the lake was completed in 2005. Divonne hosts a small chamber music festival every summer which is centred on its tiny theatre and the Chateau de Divonne, a 19th-century hotel which overlooks the town, Lake Geneva and the French Alps beyond, from the high terrace which was the site of Divonne's medieval castle.
A short way above the town there are several natural springs. These were already known to the Romans, who built an aqueduct from Divonne to Nyon to supply water to their garrison.
The town is home to some 7030 people, which now includes people from all over the world, for whom Divonne is a pleasant place to live for a few years while they are posted in the Geneva area with multinational companies or international organizations such as the United Nations.
There is a lively market on Sundays and a succession of cultural and sporting events throughout the year.
on the French side and to Nyon and Geneva on the Swiss side. The old railway station can still be seen in the town centre. However though trains no longer run in and out of this station, the SNCF
administrative offices can still be used to purchase tickets from any SNCF departure point.
Communes of France
The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. French communes are roughly equivalent to incorporated municipalities or villages in the United States or Gemeinden in Germany...
in the Ain
Ain
Ain is a department named after the Ain River on the eastern edge of France. Being part of the region Rhône-Alpes and bordered by the rivers Saône and Rhône, the department of Ain enjoys a privileged geographic situation...
department in eastern France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
It is a popular spa town
Spa town
A spa town is a town situated around a mineral spa . Patrons resorted to spas to "take the waters" for their purported health benefits. The word comes from the Belgian town Spa. In continental Europe a spa was known as a ville d'eau...
.
Divonne lies on the border with French-speaking Switzerland, between the foot of the Jura mountains
Jura mountains
The Jura Mountains are a small mountain range located north of the Alps, separating the Rhine and Rhone rivers and forming part of the watershed of each...
and Lake Geneva
Lake Geneva
Lake Geneva or Lake Léman is a lake in Switzerland and France. It is one of the largest lakes in Western Europe. 59.53 % of it comes under the jurisdiction of Switzerland , and 40.47 % under France...
. Geneva itself is 20 minutes away on the Swiss autoroute to the south-west. Nyon
Nyon
Nyon is a municipality in the district of Nyon in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland. It is located some 25 kilometers north east of Geneva's city centre, and since the 1970s it has become part of the Geneva metropolitan area. It lies on the shores of Lake Geneva, and is the seat of the district of...
, a Swiss market town, is the nearest main town travelling east along Lake Geneva towards Lausanne
Lausanne
Lausanne is a city in Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland, and is the capital of the canton of Vaud. The seat of the district of Lausanne, the city is situated on the shores of Lake Geneva . It faces the French town of Évian-les-Bains, with the Jura mountains to its north-west...
. On the French side the nearest town is Gex
Gex, Ain
Gex is a commune in the Ain department in eastern France.It lies from the Swiss border and from Geneva. It is a sous-préfecture of Ain.-History:...
, which lies at the foot of the Col de la Faucille
Col de la Faucille
Col de la Faucille is a high mountain pass in the department of Ain in the French Jura. It connects the town of Gex in Ain to the towns of Les Rousses and Saint-Claude in the department of Jura....
pass by which the main N5 road crosses the Jura in the direction of Dijon
Dijon
Dijon is a city in eastern France, the capital of the Côte-d'Or département and of the Burgundy region.Dijon is the historical capital of the region of Burgundy. Population : 151,576 within the city limits; 250,516 for the greater Dijon area....
.
Lac de Divonne
Lac de Divonne is an artificial lake at Divonne-les-Bains, France. The lake has a surface area of approx. ....
) - were built after 1945. A cultural centre by the lake was completed in 2005. Divonne hosts a small chamber music festival every summer which is centred on its tiny theatre and the Chateau de Divonne, a 19th-century hotel which overlooks the town, Lake Geneva and the French Alps beyond, from the high terrace which was the site of Divonne's medieval castle.
A short way above the town there are several natural springs. These were already known to the Romans, who built an aqueduct from Divonne to Nyon to supply water to their garrison.
The town is home to some 7030 people, which now includes people from all over the world, for whom Divonne is a pleasant place to live for a few years while they are posted in the Geneva area with multinational companies or international organizations such as the United Nations.
Population
Transportation
Divonne used to have a railway, linking it to Gex and BellegardeBellegarde
Bellegarde may refer to:In communes in France:* Bellegarde, Gard* Bellegarde, Gers* Bellegarde, Loiret* Bellegarde, Tarn* Bellegarde-du-Razès, in the Aude département* Bellegarde-en-Diois, in the Drôme département...
on the French side and to Nyon and Geneva on the Swiss side. The old railway station can still be seen in the town centre. However though trains no longer run in and out of this station, the SNCF
SNCF
The SNCF , is France's national state-owned railway company. SNCF operates the country's national rail services, including the TGV, France's high-speed rail network...
administrative offices can still be used to purchase tickets from any SNCF departure point.