SCHWEIZ / SUISSE / SVIZZERA / SVIZRA | SWITZERLAND |
Waadt / Vaud / Vaud / Vad |
Château-d'Œx is situated at an elevation of 958 m in the district Riviera-Pays-d'Enhaut of the canton Vaud in Switzerland. The municipality was part of the district Pays-d'Enhaut until it was dissolved on 31 August 2006, and Château-d'Œx became part of the new district of Riviera-Pays-d'Enhaut. In the 14th to 18th centuries, the seven établées of Sous le Scex, Mont, Village, Frasse, Entre deux Eaux, Monteiller and L'Etivaz merged into the municipality. It consists of the villages of Château-d'Œx, L'Étivaz, Les Moulins and Les Granges (see below), 35 hamlets and 22 alpine herding camps. The municipality has a total population of about 3,300 (2011).
Château-d'Œx was first mentioned in 1115 as Oit, Oyz, Oix and Oyez. The church of St. Donat was consecrated and first mentioned in 1175. In 1403, against the wishes of the Count of Gruyères, the villagers joined a limited alliance with Bern. In 1555 Bern received the upper part of the county of Gruyere including Château-d'Œx. It became part of the German-speaking bailiwick of Saanen. The rights and freedoms of the villagers were now based on Bernese law and not on the Land Law of Moudon. However, the village church was still part of the parish under the collegiate church of Lausanne. Following the Protestant Reformation in 1555, the parish also included Etivaz until 1713. Under Bernese rule, the economy experienced a strong upswing. The alpine pastures were leased to private cheese makers, who there produced Gruyère cheese. In the 18th century, the inhabitants of the municipality sold the cheese at the market in Vevey. From there it went over the Col de Jaman to Marseille where it was exported to Asia and America. In 1798, Château-d'Œx came to the newly formed Canton du Léman. In 1803, the Canton du Léman was dissolved with the Act of Mediation and the municipality became part of the new canton of Vaud. The construction of the road over the Col des Mosses (1865–1871) and the construction of a new road to Bulle (1895) eased transportation. The opening of the Montreux Oberland Bernois Railway (MOB) in 1904 made Château-d'Œx an attractive summer resort. The agricultural sector has remained important, with the emphasis again shifting to cheese. In the 20th Century, winter tourism became an important additional source of income.
Les Granges [left], part of the municipaity of Château-d'Œx, is situated at an elevation
of 1,000 m on the southern slope of the Laitemaire (1,678 m), about 1 km east of Châteaux-d'Œx.