- Divonne-les-Bains
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Divonne-les-Bains
Foothills of the Jura 
Divonne-les-BainsAdministration Country France Region Rhône-Alpes Department Ain Arrondissement Gex Canton Gex Intercommunality Pays de Gex Mayor Étienne Blanc
(2001–2008)Statistics Elevation 464–1,447 m (1,522–4,747 ft)
(avg. 509 m/1,670 ft)Land area1 33.88 km2 (13.08 sq mi) Population2 7,806 (2008) - Density 230 /km2 (600 /sq mi) INSEE/Postal code 01143/ 01220 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. 2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes (e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once. Coordinates: 46°21′24″N 6°08′34″E / 46.3566666667°N 6.14277777778°E
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-les-Bains, the hotels - approximately 1920
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.
The Sunday market in DivonneThere is a lively market on Sundays and a succession of cultural and sporting events throughout the year.
Contents
Population
Historical population of Divonne-les-Bains 1793 1800 1806 1821 1831 1836 1841 1846 1851 1861 1185 1275 1345 1301 1335 1417 1500 1385 1653 1356 1866 1872 1876 1881 1886 1891 1896 1901 1906 1911 1410 1472 1427 1463 1625 1560 1624 1665 1625 1710 1921 1926 1931 1936 1946 1954 1962 1968 1975 1982 1610 1721 1894 1830 1721 1644 2516 3276 4238 4783 1990 1999 2006 2008 5580 6158 7400 7806 Transportation
Divonne used to have a railway, linking it to Gex and Bellegarde 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.
Economy
Diamonds were mined in Divonne in the past, and the present-day thermal spa is built on the site of a diamond-cutting works, powered by a water wheel on the Divonne river which still turns today.
See also
References
Categories:- Communes of Ain
- Spa towns in France
- Ain geography stubs
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