Aigle facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Aigle
Coat of arms
Aigle Location in Switzerland Show map of Switzerland Aigle Location in Canton of Vaud Show map of Canton of Vaud
Country	Switzerland
Canton	Vaud
District	Aigle
Area
• Total	16.41 km2 (6.34 sq mi)
Elevation (la gare)	405 m (1,329 ft)
Population  (Dec 2020 )
• Total	10,462
• Density	637.54/km2 (1,651.2/sq mi)
Demonym(s)	French: Les Aiglons
Postal code	1860
Localities	Le Cloître, Vers Pousaz, Fontanney
Surrounded by	Vaud: Yvorne, Leysin, Ormont-Dessous, Ollon; Valais: Vouvry, Collombey-Muraz
Twin towns	L'Aigle (France), Tübingen (Germany), Bassersdorf (Switzerland)

Aigle (which means "eagle" in French) is a historic town in Switzerland. It is the main town of the Aigle district in the canton of Vaud.

The official language spoken in Aigle is Swiss French.

Aigle: A Swiss Town

Where is Aigle Located?

The region of Aigle with Monthey and the Dents du Midi across the Rhône valley

Aigle is about 415 meters (1,362 feet) above sea level. It is located about 13 kilometers (8 miles) south-southeast of Montreux. The town sits on the eastern edge of the Rhône valley, right at the foot of the Swiss Alps.

Aigle covers an area of about 16.41 square kilometers (6.34 square miles). A large part of this land is covered by forests (37.4%) and farms (34.1%). About a quarter of the land (25.6%) is used for buildings and roads. Rivers and lakes make up a smaller part (2.7%).

The town includes smaller villages like Le Cloître, Vers Pousaz, and Fontanney. Aigle is surrounded by other towns such as Yvorne, Leysin, Ormont-Dessous, and Ollon in Vaud. It also borders Vouvry and Collombey-Muraz in the canton of Valais.

Aigle's Past: A Quick Look

Centre

Hotel Aigle between 1890 and 1900

People have lived in the Aigle area for a very long time. Archeologists have found burials and pottery from the Bronze Age. During Roman times, Aigle was on an important road. This road connected the Great Saint Bernard pass to other Roman cities.

The town was first mentioned in medieval records in 1150. In 1076, the Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV gave the land of Aigle to the House of Savoy.

Aigle became a market town in 1231, which meant it could hold markets. Later, in 1314, it became a free town. Its location on the road to Italy made it an important place for trade.

In 1475, allies of Bern attacked and burned Aigle Castle. They then gave Aigle and its surrounding area to Bern. Bern rebuilt the castle in 1489. It became the main office for the area, called the bailiwick of Aigle. This made Aigle the first French-speaking part of Switzerland to be ruled by Bern.

In 1528, the Reformation began in Aigle. This was a big change in religious beliefs. From 1798 to 1803, Aigle was part of a different canton. Then, with help from Napoleon, it became part of the canton of Vaud.

In the 1800s, there was a conflict in Switzerland called the Sonderbund war. Some cantons wanted to separate, but Swiss Federal troops stopped them. This war led to the creation of the 1848 Swiss Federal Constitution. This constitution helped unite Switzerland.

The Chablais Region

The Chablais was once a province of the Duchy of Savoy. Today, the Chablais "region" is split into three parts. These are the Chablais Savoyard in France, the Chablais Valaisan in the Swiss canton of Valais, and the Chablais Vaudois in the Swiss canton of Vaud. The Chablais Alps are the mountains between France and Switzerland.

Aigle's Coat of Arms

The coat of arms for Aigle shows two eagles. It has a black top half and a gold bottom half. The eagles are shown with their wings spread out.

Who Lives in Aigle?

Aigle town and castle

Train station in Aigle

Train station at Les Diablerets

Aigle has a population of about 10,000 people. In 2008, about 37% of the people living in Aigle were from other countries. Over the past decade, the population has grown by about 15.4%.

Most people in Aigle speak French (80%). Other languages spoken include Portuguese (3.5%) and Albanian (3.5%). There are also people who speak German and Italian.

In 2000, about 28% of the people in Aigle were born there. Another 22% were born in the same canton. About 30% of the people were born outside of Switzerland.

Aigle has a mix of age groups. In 2009, about 10.7% of the population were children aged 0-9. Teenagers aged 10-19 made up 13% of the population. Adults aged 20-59 made up about 54% of the population. Older adults (60 and over) made up about 22% of the population.

The historical population of Aigle has grown over time:

Important Buildings and Sites

Aigle Castle and its Museum De La Vigne are very important. The Swiss Reformed Church of Saint-Maurice and the De la Dîme House are also important historical sites. The whole town and castle of Aigle are recognized as part of Switzerland's heritage.

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  Aigle Castle

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  Swiss Reformed Church of Saint-Maurice

How People Work in Aigle

In 2010, Aigle had an unemployment rate of 8%. Many people work in different areas.

• Some work in farming (primary sector).
• Others work in factories or construction (secondary sector).
• Most people work in services, like shops, hotels, or healthcare (tertiary sector).

In 2008, there were about 3,944 full-time jobs in Aigle. Many of these jobs were in sales, transportation, hotels, or restaurants. A good number of people also worked in education and healthcare.

Many people travel into Aigle for work. About 20.8% of workers use public transport, while 50.9% use a private car.

The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), which is a world cycling organization, has its main office in Aigle.

Faith in Aigle

Based on a 2000 survey, about 35.9% of the population belonged to the Swiss Reformed Church. Another 35.9% were Roman Catholic. There were also smaller groups of people who belonged to other Christian churches, or were Muslim, Buddhist, or Hindu. About 8.26% of the population did not belong to any church.

Learning in Aigle

World Cycling Centre

In Aigle, about 31.8% of adults have finished high school. About 8.3% have gone on to higher education, like university.

In the 2009/2010 school year, there were over 1,000 students in Aigle's schools. The canton of Vaud provides two years of optional pre-school. There are primary schools for younger students and lower secondary schools for older students.

Famous People from Aigle

Gustave Doret

Many notable people have connections to Aigle:

• Caroline Olivier (1803–1879), a Swiss poet.
• Charles Krafft (1863–1921), a Swiss surgeon.
• Gustave Doret (1866–1943), a Swiss composer and conductor.
• Michel Mayor (born 1942), a Swiss astrophysicist who won the Nobel Prize. He grew up in Aigle.
• Sébastien Buemi (born 1988), a Swiss professional racing driver.
• Siem de Jong (born 1989), a Dutch professional footballer.
• Luuk de Jong (born 1990), a Dutch professional footballer.
• Fanny Smith (born 1992), a Swiss freestyle skier who won a bronze medal at the Winter Olympics.
• Gino Mäder (born 1997), a Swiss professional cyclist.

Aigle's Sister Cities

Aigle is twinned with other cities around the world. This means they have a special friendship and cultural exchange.

Getting Around Aigle

Aigle railway station with trains of AOMC, ASD und AL (from left to right)

Aigle is an important stop on the main Swiss Federal Railway's line that connects Italy to Lausanne and Geneva. At the Aigle station, you can connect to three narrow-gauge railways. These are the ASD, AL, and AOMC.

• The Aigle-Sepey-Diablerets railway (ASD) goes east to the ski resort of Diablerets.
• The Aigle-Leysin railway (AL) also goes east to the ski resort of Leysin.
• The Aigle-Ollon–Monthey–Champéry railway (AOMC) goes west across the Rhône valley to Monthey and the ski resort of Champery.

These railways are run by a company called Transports Publics du Chablais (TPC). Their motto means: "For over 100 years, the TPC lines have connected plains and mountains, Vaud and Valais, town and country, Catholic and Protestant lands." This motto highlights how the railways have brought different parts of the region together.

The Aigle train station has been rebuilt to make it better for passengers. It is the second most important station in the canton of Vaud after Lausanne. There are also plans to extend the Aigle-Leysin line further into the mountains. This would allow people to travel directly to a spot with amazing views of the Alps and Lake Geneva. This project aims to help tourism in the region.

Aigle's Weather

Aigle has an oceanic climate, which means it has mild temperatures and rain throughout the year. On average, Aigle gets about 1012 mm (40 inches) of rain each year. It rains about 118 days a year. July is usually the wettest month, while February is the driest.

See also

In Spanish: Aigle para niños