La Chaux-de-Fonds, Watchmaking city in Neuchâtel, Switzerland.
Description
La Chaux-de-Fonds is a city in the canton of Neuchâtel in western Switzerland, sitting on a high plateau in the Jura at just under 1000 meters above sea level. It forms a grid of wide streets lined with residential and workshop buildings of the watchmaking industry.
History
After a fire in 1794, the town was rebuilt following a grid plan that provided wide, light-filled streets for homes and workshops. This redesign shaped the foundation of a settlement that remains defined by its ordered structure today.
Culture
At the International Museum of Watchmaking, displays show mechanisms and timepieces that document three centuries of local craft and technical skill. The exhibition walks visitors through the workshops and inventions that made this place a center of precision engineering.
Practical
Trains connect the town regularly with Biel, Neuchâtel and Lausanne, with journeys taking between 30 and 90 minutes depending on the destination. The town center can be explored on foot, with most buildings and museums located along the main axes.
Did you know?
The buildings combine living spaces on upper floors with workshops on the ground floor and basement, so that light enters the workrooms through tall windows. This arrangement made daily life easier for watchmakers who could work at home while using natural light.
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Grotte du Bichon
6 km
Villa Fallet
1.2 km
Villa Schwob
948 m
Villa Jeanneret-Perret
1.3 km
International Museum of Horology
130 m
Musée des beaux-arts de La Chaux-de-Fonds
92 m
Bois du Petit-Château
887 m
Crematoria La Chaux-de-Fonds
1.8 km
La Chaux-de-Fonds / Le Locle, Watchmaking Town Planning
4.3 km
Bikini Test
1.9 km
Abattoirs, La Chaux-de-Fonds
1.4 km
Ancien manège, La Chaux-de-Fonds
237 m
Centre de documentation et d'étude sur la langue internationale
564 m
Bibliothèque de la ville de La Chaux-de-Fonds
575 m
Synagogue of La Chaux-de-Fonds
416 m
Musée d'histoire de La Chaux-de-Fonds
118 m
Clock Tower of the Grand Temple
550 m
Musée paysan et artisanal
1.7 km
Grand Mont
7 km
L’Heure bleue
244 m
Théâtre de La Chaux-de-Fonds
244 m
Bibliothèque de la Ville de La Chaux-de-Fonds, Département des manuscrits et fonds spéciaux
564 m
Villa Jeanneret-Perret
1.3 km
Musée d'histoire
137 m
Bibliothèque de la Ville de La Chaux-de-Fonds, Département audiovisuel
570 m
Musée d'histoire naturelle de La Chaux-de-Fonds
332 mPouillerel
3.6 km
Temple allemand
774 mDiscover hidden gems everywhere you go!
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