Les Verrières
Origin of the name Les Verrières
First written mentions in 1311 in the form « Myezour », in 1337 « Mey Joulz », then « Mijoux », and in 1344 « villa de Verreriis ». The municipal website presents several hypotheses for the name Verrières: a derivation from « ferrières » (blast furnaces), a glassworks on the hill, or « vernaies », willow plantations (form « Verreyres » of 1344), the last being preferred by modern historians (to be cross-checked).
Founding of Les Verrières
No founder or founding act is known. The village arose from the clearing of the forest of the upper Val-de-Travers around 1300; the municipal website mentions the arrival of eighty settlers in 1337 (to be cross-checked). The parish was created between 1294 and 1303. From 1373 to 1413, Les Verrières and Les Bayards formed a lordship created by Count Louis de Neuchâtel for his natural sons Vauthier and Jean. From the end of the 14th century to 1848, Les Verrières was the seat of a mairie, a civil judicial district covering Les Verrières, Les Bayards and La Côte-aux-Fées. From the 15th century, five « bourgeaux » (Meudon, Belle-Perche, Petit Bayard, Grand Bayard and Grand-Bourgeau) joined in a « Générale communauté ». The present municipality was formed in 1878 by the merger of Meudon, Grand-Bourgeau and Belle-Perche.
History of Les Verrières
1294-1303. Creation of the parish, which coincides with the territory of the later mairie and belongs to the diocese of Besançon.
around 1300. First inhabitants and start of forest clearing.
1311. First written mention, in the form « Myezour ».
1324. First mention of the church, dedicated to Saint Nicholas.
1344. Mention of the « villa de Verreriis ».
14th century. Toll at the Combette de Mijoux on the road to France; the mills of Les Verrières are located in Saint-Sulpice.
1373-1413. Lordship of Les Verrières and Les Bayards for Vauthier and Jean, natural sons of Count Louis de Neuchâtel.
late 14th century-1848. Les Verrières is the seat of a mairie, a civil judicial district that also includes Les Bayards and La Côte-aux-Fées.
15th century. The five bourgeaux join in a « Générale communauté », led by two governors and a council supervised by the assembly of heads of household.
1476. In February, a vanguard of the army of Charles the Bold tries to enter the country; part of the village is set on fire.
before 1517. Rebuilding of the church of Saint-Nicolas.
1664. The village has 114 hearths, about 570 inhabitants.
1672. La Côte-aux-Fées is separated from the parish.
1712. Les Bayards are in turn separated from the parish.
18th-19th century. Diversified economy: international trade, cheese making, lacemaking, watchmaking, absinthe distilling, printing.
1813-1814. The Allied army passes through in winter.
1850. Opening of a federal customs office.
1860. Opening of the Franco-Suisse railway, which ends the heavy carting traffic on the road to France.
1871. On 1 February, around 3 a.m., General Hans Herzog signs at Les Verrières the convention for the internment of the Bourbaki army; from 1 to 3 February, 87'000 men and 12'000 horses enter Switzerland through Les Verrières.
1878. Meudon, Grand-Bourgeau and Belle-Perche merge into the municipality of Les Verrières.
1883. Dissolution of the Générale communauté.
1894-1971. A secondary school operates.
1942. Opening of a Catholic chapel.
1942-1949. Land consolidation.
2005. The primary sector still provides 30 % of jobs.
Population of Les Verrières
| 1664 | 114 hearths (households), about 570 inhabitants |
| 1818 | 1'420 |
| 1850 | 1'635 |
| 1900 | 1'765 |
| 1950 | 1'119 |
| 2000 | 735 |
| 2008 | 673 (31 December) |
| 2025 | 663 (31 December) |
Historic sites in Les Verrières
Protestant church (former church of Saint-Nicolas). Church mentioned from 1324, dedicated to Saint Nicholas and rebuilt before 1517, set apart from the village. It was the centre of the original parish, which also included La Côte-aux-Fées and Les Bayards until 1672 and 1712.
The street village. A 3 km street village made up of the districts of Le Crêt, Belle-Perche, Grand-Bourgeau, Croix-Blanche and Meudon, together with the hamlets of Les Cernets and Mont-des-Verrières, between 910 and 1'286 m above sea level.
Site of the Bourbaki army internment. It was at Les Verrières that General Hans Herzog signed, on 1 February 1871 around 3 a.m., the convention by which the French Army of the East, commanded since 26 January by General Justin Clinchant, laid down its weapons and equipment at the border. The troops entered Switzerland from 5 a.m.: until 3 February, 87'000 men and 12'000 horses passed through Les Verrières. They were repatriated from 13 to 22 March 1871; Switzerland spent more than 12.1 million francs, which France undertook to reimburse.
The road to France and the customs. The village long lived from carting on the road to France, with a toll at the Combette de Mijoux from the 14th century, then a federal customs office from 1850, until the opening of the Franco-Suisse railway in 1860.
Catholic chapel. Chapel opened in 1942, dedicated to Saint Nicholas of Flüe (to be cross-checked).
Sources
- Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Les Verrières »
- Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Armée Bourbaki »
- Commune des Verrières, « Histoire »
- État de Neuchâtel, arrêté du 21 janvier 2009 portant homologation des résultats du recensement cantonal de la population du 31 décembre 2008
- État de Neuchâtel, arrêté du 4 février 2026 homologuant le recensement cantonal de la population au 31 décembre 2025
- Wikipédia, « Les Verrières » (à recouper)
Localities of the municipality with a page
Other villages near Les Verrières
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