Cluses (; ) is a
commune in the
Haute-Savoie
Haute-Savoie () is a Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, region of Southeastern France, bordering both Switzerland and Italy. Its Prefectures in France, prefecture is Annecy. To the north is Lake Gene ...
department in the
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (; AURA) or ; or ; . is a Regions of France, region in southeast-central France created by the 2014 territorial reform of French regions; it resulted from the merger of Auvergne and Rhône-Alpes. The new region came into e ...
region
In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as areas, zones, lands or territories, are portions of the Earth's surface that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and ...
in southeastern
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
.
Citizens are known as ''Clusiens''. The commune is situated in the
Arve Valley, on the river which bears the same name. Cluses is known for its Alpine setting and (during the first part of the 20th century) its watch-making industry.
Geography
The town is located in the Arve Valley, in the region Faucigny. Situated between
Geneva
Geneva ( , ; ) ; ; . is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland and the most populous in French-speaking Romandy. Situated in the southwest of the country, where the Rhône exits Lake Geneva, it is the ca ...
and
Chamonix
Chamonix-Mont-Blanc (; ; (no longer in use)), more commonly known simply as Chamonix (), is a communes of France, commune in the departments of France, department in the regions of France, region in Southeastern France. It was the site of the f ...
, Cluses is located near a number of popular ski slopes.
Population
History
During the Roman era, a bridge, was built across the Arve River. Travelers crossing the bridge soon stimulated trade in the area, and the first village was born at the center of the "cluse" (a narrow valley), situated between the mountains and the Arve River. Cluses became an independent commune on 4 May 1310. The Baron Hughes of Faucigny had an important role in the town's evolution as an independent commune.
In 1720, Claude-Joseph Balladoud introduced clockmaking in the Arve Valley, previously a farming community. Soon, family-owned workrooms and cottage industries emerged, supplying the main clock-making centres of
Geneva
Geneva ( , ; ) ; ; . is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland and the most populous in French-speaking Romandy. Situated in the southwest of the country, where the Rhône exits Lake Geneva, it is the ca ...
. In 1848, the "École Royale d'Horlogerie" (Royal school of clockmaking) was created, and precision clock manufacturing in the Arve Valley soon became a mainstay of the town.
On 20 June 1844 all of the town's wooden chalet-style buildings were destroyed in a fire. The town was rebuilt with new architecture in the style of Turin, Italy (which was the capital of Sardinia-Savoy at the time). This style is still represented in Cluses today, making the city particularly noteworthy in the region
Haute-Savoie
Haute-Savoie () is a Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, region of Southeastern France, bordering both Switzerland and Italy. Its Prefectures in France, prefecture is Annecy. To the north is Lake Gene ...
.
Economy and commerce
At the beginning of the 20th century, farming was still the most important commercial actitivity in Cluses, but eventually the watch and clock-making industries emerged as the dominant trade, and Cluses' reputation in the field soon attracted other precision manufacturing industries. For many years, Cluses served as the location of the factory and headquarters of the famous Mitchell Reel company, which in 1948 introduced the world's first modern spinning reel for sport fishing. In 1984, after building nearly 25 million fishing reels, low-cost labor competition from Asia forced the company to manufacture its products outside France. The company still exists, however, and its corporate headquarters are now located in the nearby community of
Marignier, France.
Today, Cluses is a favorite tourist and winter sports destination. Watchmaking now accounts for only a small part of Cluses' industry, though the town continues to serve as a high-tech centre for
precision engineering
Precision engineering is a subdiscipline of electrical engineering, software engineering, electronics engineering, mechanical engineering, and optical engineering concerned with designing machines, fixtures, and other structures that have except ...
and design of advanced technical products. Somfy S.A., a manufacturer of controls and motors for awnings,
roller shutters,
window covering
Window coverings are considered any type of materials used to cover a window to manage sunlight, privacy, additional weatherproofing or for purely Window treatment, decorative purposes.
Description and design
Window coverings comprise materia ...
s, and projection screens, is the largest company still located in the city.
Transport
The commune has a railway station, , on the
La Roche-sur-Foron–Saint-Gervais-les-Bains-Le Fayet line.
Culture
*The Faucigny Music Festival, held to commemorate François Curt, founder of the Music Federation of Faucigny, takes place among the 14 towns of the Arve Valley on the last Sunday of every June. Each year, a different town hosts the festival: Cluses last hosted the event in June 2000.
*Each year, Cluses also holds a modern folk rock and rock music festival called "Musiques en Stock", a free event with many well-known artists and performers.
Monuments
* The "Pont Vieux" is an historic bridge on the Arve. It was the only bridge over the river for many centuries.
* The National School of Clockmaking, a historic monument, is now a secondary school (Lycée Charles Poncet)
Districts
Sardagne, Centre-ville (downtown), Messy, the Ewües I and II, the Noiret, Marzan, Ponthior, Curzeilles, St Vincent, and Saint Nicolas.
Twin towns – sister cities
Cluses is
twinned with:
*
Beaverton, United States
*
Trossingen, Germany
See also
*
Communes of the Haute-Savoie department
The following is a list of the 279 Communes of France, communes of the French Departments of France, department of Haute-Savoie.
The communes cooperate in the following Communes of France#Intercommunality, intercommunalities (as of 2025):
References
External links
Cluses official websiteGazetteer Entry for Cluses
{{authority control
Communes of Haute-Savoie