St. Claude & Morez, France

People don't realize it gets really hot in Switzerland. I recall one summer where it reached 90 degrees or higher more than 50 days in a row. The Jura Mountains mainly follow the contour of the France-Switzerland border. Mountain ranges makes great natural border/barriers. Though not in the same league as the Swiss/French Alps or even the Pyrenees in France, the Jura Mountains can be an escape from the heat. Mom and pop ski lifts dot the French-side. So, I'm on a day trip and cycling to several out-of-the-way towns on the French side of the Jura. The photo above is right before I descend on a five mile zig-zagging downhill (no pedaling!) to St. Claude, France.

I'm approaching St. Claude, population 9,800.  It's located inside a 650 square mile French regional natural park.

This building in downtown St. Claude houses the the Pipe Museum. Unbelievably elaborate wood carved pipes are displayed. Yep, St. Claude is the world's global pipe capital. Before cigarettes people smoked pipes. Winters are harsh in the Jura and farmers pretty much sat around twiddling their thumbs. In the 1800's pipe makers would hire farmers and teach them wood carving skills. By 1925 6,000 pipe makers were working in St. Claude---put that in your pipe and smoke it! With the advent of mass produced cigarettes in late 1800's the pipe industry tapered off.

 Thanks to pipes, that would explain St. Claude being big enough to have a cathedral.

 It's a Saturday and the streets are full because it's market day in St. Claude.

Another view of St. Claude as I exit the town and mount a long belly-busting steep ride out of the valley.

Fifteen miles from St. Claude I enter Morez (population 5,600), another town tucked away in the Jura mountains. The town center is run-down but, there's an eyeglass museum. Huh? Why is there a eyeglass museum here and why is it closed on a Saturday--when tourists pass through? (typical French).  It turns out eyeglasses have been made here since 1796. At one point over 60 companies employed 3,500 people. Morez is still a hotbed for eyewear with over 10 million produced last year! This photo shows an eye glass manufacturer on the main road passing through the town.