The Joux Valley

The Vallée de Joux is a valley located in the central part of the Jura massif, in the canton of Vaud (Switzerland). It is made up of three municipalities: Le Chenit, Le Lieu and L’Abbaye, which include several villages and hamlets. It is one of the cradles of watchmaking and many workshops of the most famous Swiss watch manufacturers are located there. The inhabitants of the Vallée de Joux are called the Combiers. When they talk about their region, they simply say: “The Valley”. Although being the extension of the French part of the upper valley of the Orbe, it constitutes a well individualized geographical region distinct from the neighboring regions by its dominant characteristics: altitude and isolation. The Vallée de Joux has three lakes: two in the main valley: Lac de Joux (about 10 km long) and Lac Brenet and a third in the upper valley: Lac Ter. These three bodies of water give this region a varied landscape, between spruce forests, pastures and crops.