Thonon-les-Bains (French pronunciation: [tɔnɔ̃ le bɛ̃]; Savoyard: Tonon; Italian: Tonone; lit. 'Thonon-the-Baths'), or simply Thonon, is a subprefecture of the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in Eastern France. Thonon-les-Bains is part of a transborder metropolitan area known as Grand Genève. It is situated on the shores of Lake Geneva (French: Lac Léman, or simply Le Léman).
Contents
History
Thonon-les-Bains was the historic capital of Chablais, a province of the old Duchy of Savoy. The Chablais Savoyard is the portion of Chablais in France. Chablais Valaisan and Chablais Vaudois are those portions of Chablais in the adjacent Switzerland cantons Valais and Vaud.(cite: Chablais Wikipedia) The town was the capital of the Dukedom of Chablais. The Hôtel de Ville was completed around 1831.
During the debates on the future of the Duchy of Savoy in 1860, the population was sensitive to the idea of a union of the northern part of the duchy with Switzerland. A petition circulated in this part of the country (Chablais, Faucigny, Northern Genevois), but it collected no more than 13,600 signatures. The duchy was reunited after a plebiscite organised on 22 and 23 April 1860 under Napoleon III, in which 99.8 percent of the Savoyards voting were reported to have answered "yes" to the question "Does Savoy want to be reunited to France?"
Transport
Thonon-les-Bains station has rail connections to Lyon, Évian-les-Bains, Annemasse and Geneva.
Local transport is assured by BUT (Bus urbains thononais). The lines are:
Line A: Destination Grangette / Destination Multiplex
Line B: Destination Z.I VONGY / Destination Place des arts
Line C: Destination Collège Théodore Monod / Place des arts
Line D: Destination Collège theodore Monod or Espace Leman / Place des arts
Line L: Destination Amphion Village / Place des arts
Line P: Destination Marin / Place des arts
Line M: Destination La Chavanne / Place des arts
Line N: Destination Parking des chateaux / Place des arts
Line H and J are used in Évian-Les-Bains, and not Thonon-Les-Bains.
The nearest airport is Geneva Airport which is located 40 km west of Thonon-les-Bains.
Thonon-les-Bains is also served by a short funicular.
Main sights
Arboretum de Ripaille
Château des Guillet-Monthoux
Château de Ripaille
Château de Sonnaz
Château de Thuyset
Saint-Hippolyte church (12th century), rebuilt in Savoy Baroque-style during the 17th century
Funiculaire de Thonon-les-Bains
Twin towns – sister cities
Thonon-les-Bains is twinned with:
Eberbach, Germany
Mercer Island, United States
Čačak, Serbia