Enghien-les-Bains

French commune
nomcommune=Enghien-les-Bains


caption=Boardwalk by the Lake of Enghien in the town centre. In the background is the Casino of Enghien-les-Bains
map_size=270px
adjustable_

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mapcaption=Location (in red) within Paris inner and outer suburbs
région=Île-de-France
département=Val-d'Oise
arrondissement=Sarcelles
canton=Enghien-les-Bains
(chief town)
insee=95210|cp= 95880
maire= Philippe Sueur
mandat=2008—2014
intercomm="none as of 2005"
longitude=
latitude=
alt moy=|alt mini=
alt maxi=|km²=1.77
sans=10,368
date-sans=1999 census
dens=5,858|date-dens=1999

Enghien-les-Bains (pronounced /ɑ̃ɡɛ̃lebɛ̃/; the i is silent) is a commune in the northern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located 13.5 km. (8.4 miles) from the center of Paris.

Enghien-les-Bains is famous as a spa resort and wealthy suburb of Paris developed in the 19th century around the scenic lake of Enghien. A casino, the only casino in the vicinity of Paris, is located on the shores of the lake. Enghien-les-Bains is also the birthplace of the actress and singer Mistinguett (1875 – 1956).

Name

The name Enghien-les-Bains literally means "Enghien the baths", after the thermal baths for which Enghien-les-Bains is famous. "les-Bains" was added to the name of Enghien at the incorporation of the commune in 1850 (read history section below).The name Enghien comes from the Belgian city of Enghien, near Mons. Enghien (Belgium) was a fief of the Princes of Condé, a cadet branch of the French royal family who inherited the duchy of Montmorency in 1633. In 1689 they were allowed by King Louis XIV to rename the duchy of Montmorency as "duchy of Enghien", in order to revive the title of Duke of Enghien which they had lost in 1569 at the death of Louis I de Bourbon, Prince de Condé, who had not legally registered the title.

The village (now city) of Montmorency continued to be known as "Montmorency", despite the official name change, but the name "Enghien" stuck to the nearby lake and marshland that would later become the commune of Enghien-les-Bains.

History

Anciently, before the French Revolution, what is now Enghien-les-Bains was a lake and a marshland under the jurisdiction of Montmorency.

In 1766 a priest at the Oratory of Montmorency discovered sulphur water near the lake of Enghien, and the area started to develop as a spa resort.

At the creation of French communes in 1790 during the French Revolution, the area of Enghien was withdrawn from the jurisdiction of Montmorency and divided between several communes.

In the 19th century the development of Enghien led to its incorporation as a commune. The commune, which was named Enghien-les-Bains after its thermal baths, was created on August 7, 1850 by detaching a part of the territory of Deuil-la-Barre and merging it with a part of the territory of Saint-Gratien, a part of the territory of Soisy-sous-Montmorency, and a part of the territory of Épinay-sur-Seine.

Transport

Enghien-les-Bains is served by two stations on the Transilien Paris – Nord suburban rail line: La Barre – Ormesson and Enghien-les-Bains.

External links

* [http://www.ville-enghienlesbains.fr/ Enghien-les-Bains city council website]
* [http://photoenligne2.free.fr/ValdOise2/Enghien/Enghien.html Photo gallery of Enghien and its lake on photoenligne]