Sainte-Croix Les Rasses
Intro
Sainte-Croix / Les Rasses lies on a protected sunny terrace (1100m) amidst the width of the Jura landscape in the Lake Geneva region. The township is world-renowned for its music boxes and nickelodeons. Rambling and cycling in the natural surroundings of the Jura meadows prevail in the summer. In winter, the region is a much-loved cross-country skiing paradise.
From Yverdon-les-Bains on Lake Neuchâtel, a road and narrow-gauge railway lead to Sainte-Croix which lies around 20 kilometres away; it lies a similar distance from the French border town of Pontarlier.
In 1796 the Geneva-based watchmaker Antoine Favre invented the music box. From 1811 until the end of the 19th century, Sainte-Croix developed to become the world centre for music box manufacturers and nickelodeons. The manufacture of these works of art was carried out to perfection here. Today, two museums present these melodious handicraft items: the CIMA Music Box and Nickelodeon Museum in Sainte-Croix, and the Baud Museum in nearby L’Auberson exhibit unique collections.
