Saint-Claude () is a commune and a

sous-préfecture A subprefecture is an administrative division of a country that is below prefecture or province. Albania There are twelve Albanian counties or prefectures, each of which is divided into several districts, sometimes translated as subprefecture ...

of the Jura department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté

region In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and the interaction of humanity and t ...

in eastern

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan ar ...

. It lies on the river

Bienne Biel/Bienne (official bilingual wording; , ) is a town and a municipality in the Biel/Bienne administrative district in the canton of Bern in Switzerland. Biel/Bienne lies on the language boundary between the French-speaking and German-spea ...

History

The town was originally named ''Saint-Oyand'' after Saint Eugendus. However, when St. Claudius had, in 690, resigned his Diocese of Besançon and had died, in 696, as twelfth abbot, the number of pilgrims who visited his grave was so great that, since the 13th century, the name "Saint-Claude" came more and more into use and has today superseded the other. Was the world capital of wooden smoking pipes crafted by hand from the mid 19th century all the way to the mid 20th century. During WWII the town came under German occupation, yet still remained a haven for Jews escaping to Switzerland due to its close proximity to it (5 miles away from town). As a punishment for the locales consistently assisting and harboring the fleeing Jews, the Nazis executed all the towns males of service age in the town center. There is a memorial plaque in the city square commemorating the event. Today there are several farms and ranches surrounding the town that produce many world famous brands of dairy (Comte cheese), beef (Charolaise), and poultry (Bresse Gauloise).

Population

Transport

Saint-Claude is served by a railway station.

Sport

Saint-Claude has a rugby club. The 2017 Tour de France passed through Saint-Claude. The town's close proximity to the forests and ski resorts makes it a popular destination for hiking, mountain biking, camping, and skiing/snowboarding. Many surrounding lakes (Lac de Vouglans, etc.) also provide numerous fishing and boating activities close to town.

Sights

Saint-Claude Cathedral, former seat of the

Bishops of Saint-Claude A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or offic ...

, is located here. One of the landmarks in the city is the world largest pipe (7.5 meters long and 8.7 meters high, weighing 600 kg) as a proof of its international reputation as the world capital of pipe manufacturing.

Personalities

* Nadir Belhadj, footballer * Suzanne Belperron (1900-1983), jewelry designer * Angelique Boyer, actress *

Mevlüt Erdinç Mevlüt Erdinç (surname spelt Erding in France; born 25 February 1987) is a former professional footballer who played as a forward. Born in France to Turkish parents, he spent most of his career in his country of birth, recording 295 games and ...

, footballer * Alexis Vuillermoz, cyclist *

Maud Forget Maud Forget (born May 7, 1982) is a French actress best known for her roles in " Mauvaises fréquentations" (1999, "Bad Company"), and "La vie promise" (2002, "Ghost River"/"The Promised Life") opposite Isabelle Huppert and Pascal Greggory. She h ...

, actress

References

External links

* Communes of Jura (department) Subprefectures in France {{JuraFR-geo-stub