Divonne-les-Bains
Divonne-les-Bains (French pronunciation: [di'vɔn le 'bɛ̃]; Arpitan: Digouona), popularly known as Divonne, is a commune in the Ain department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in Eastern France.
Divonne-les-Bains
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Château de Divonne | |
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Coat of arms | |
Location of Divonne-les-Bains | |
Divonne-les-Bains Divonne-les-Bains | |
| Coordinates: 46°21′24″N 6°08′34″E | |
| Country | France |
| Region | Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes |
| Department | Ain |
| Arrondissement | Gex |
| Canton | Gex |
| Intercommunality | CA Pays de Gex |
| Government | |
| • Mayor (2020–2026) | Vincent Scattolin |
| Area 1 | 33.88 km2 (13.08 sq mi) |
| Population (2021) | 10,137 |
| • Density | 300/km2 (770/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| INSEE/Postal code | 01143 /01220 |
| Elevation | 464–1,447 m (1,522–4,747 ft) (avg. 509 m or 1,670 ft) |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
Divonne-les-Bains is a spa town situated on the border with French-speaking Switzerland, between the foot of the Jura Mountains and Lake Geneva. It is situated in the Pays de Gex, about 8 km (5.0 mi) from Gex to the southwest, from which the area takes its name. Divonne-les-Bains is about 20 km (12 mi) from Geneva to the south and 10 km (6.2 mi) from Nyon to the northeast. Since 2012, Divonne-les-Bains has formed part of a wider agglomeration known as the Grand Genève (Greater Geneva). A short way above the town are several springs, which were exploited in the 19th century to provide spa facilities for which Divonne-les-Bains became renowned. The golf course was built in the 1930s. Many of its present-day amenities (casino, hippodrome, open air swimming pool, as well as the Lac de Divonne, an artificial lake) were built after 1945. The Casino de Divonne was opened in 1954. A cultural centre by the lake (L'Esplanade du Lac) was completed in 2005.
Divonne-les-Bains used to host a small chamber music festival every summer, centred on its tiny theatre and the Domaine de Divonne. The Château of Divonne, now a luxury hotel, suffered a serious fire in January 2017; it is currently being rebuilt. There is a lively market on Sundays and a succession of cultural and sporting events throughout the year. Every year, the town hosts a folk festival in the beginning of July at the hippodrome called Les Vaches Folks.