La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland Click Image to Enlarge  (JPG) (180,375 bytes) ( 704 x 782 )

La Chaux-de-Fonds is a Swiss city in the Jura Mountains, founded in 1656. Its growth and prosperity are mainly due to the watch making industry. Completely destroyed by fire in 1794, La Chaux-de-Fonds was rebuilt along an open-ended scheme of parallel strips on which residentiaol housing and workshops intermingle, reflecting the need of the watch-making culture. The town is the home of famous watchmaking manufacturers including Cartier, Movado, Breitling TAG Heuer, Louis Vitton, and Corum. La Chaux-de-Fonds and the nearby town of Le Locle are bothe listed as UNESCO World Heritage sites. The image was acquired on July 15, 2007, covers an area of 10.6 x 11.7 km, and is located near 47.1 degrees north latitude, 6.8 degrees east longitude.