Chaudes-Aigues
Commune in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Chaudes-Aigues (French: [ʃod.z‿ɛɡ]; Occitan: Chaudas Aigas, lit. '"Hot Waters"') is a commune in the Cantal department in south-central France. It is a spa town, famous for its hot spring waters.
Chaudes-Aigues
| |
|---|---|
 Source of the Par and museum | |
.svg) Coat of arms | |
 Location of Chaudes-Aigues | |
  Chaudes-Aigues  Chaudes-Aigues | |
| Coordinates: 44°51′19″N 3°00′17″E | |
| Country | France |
| Region | Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes |
| Department | Cantal |
| Arrondissement | Saint-Flour |
| Canton | Neuvéglise-sur-Truyère |
| Intercommunality | Saint-Flour Communauté |
| Government | |
| • Mayor (2020–2026) | Michel Brousse[1] |
Area 1 | 53.16 km2 (20.53 sq mi) |
| Population (2023)[2] | 813 |
| • Density | 15.3/km2 (39.6/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| INSEE/Postal code | 15045 /15110 |
| Elevation | 637–1,280 m (2,090–4,199 ft) (avg. 750 m or 2,460 ft) |
| 1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. | |
Geography
The commune is situated in the Massif Central in Aubrac. Its inhabitants are called the Caldaguès, from the Latin meaning 'hot waters', or in French, eaux chaudes; hence the name of the commune, Chaudes-Aigues
As its name suggests, there are thirty natural hot water sources with temperatures ranging from 45°C to more than 80°C. The most famous is the source of the Par river with a water temperature of 82°C - the hottest in Europe - with a flow in the region of 450,000 litres a day. One local story suggests that the source is so-named because a pig was dressed (paré) or jointed thanks to the hot water. The waters were known to the Romans,[3] and are used all year round. In winter, they have provided heat for houses and the church as district heating since the 14th Century;[4][5] from spring the waters are channeled to the spa for the treatment of rheumatics.
The Remontalou crosses the commune.
Population
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1962 | 1,218 | — |
| 1968 | 1,114 | −8.5% |
| 1975 | 1,187 | +6.6% |
| 1982 | 1,186 | −0.1% |
| 1990 | 1,110 | −6.4% |
| 1999 | 986 | −11.2% |
| 2008 | 954 | −3.2% |
Sights
The Château de Couffour is a ruined castle, dating back to the 15th century, situated in the commune.
