Эвиан-ле-Бен: Францияның таулы курорты және минералды су қаласы

Commune in Auvergne Rhône Alpes, France

Évian les Bains (evjɑ̃ le bɛ̃), or simply Évian (, Évyan, or L'Èvian), is a commune in Eastern France, by the border with Switzerland. It is located in the northern part of the Haute Savoie department in the Auvergne Rhône Alpes region. A high market holiday resort and spa town on the shores of Lake Geneva , it has been visited, over two centuries, by royalty such as Kings Edward VII and George V of the United Kingdom and King Farouk of Egypt, and celebrities such as countess Anna de Noailles and Marcel Proust.

The springs of Evian were still rather unknown at the time of the French Revolution. But the First Empire's interest for spa towns inspired a scientist to analyse the Evian springs in 1807 and 1808. A lakeside port and a new road (RN5) connecting the town to Milan and Paris were constructed in 1809. In 1823, Genevan entrepreneur M. Fauconnet launched the Évian mineral water company (Société des Eaux Minérales d'Évian) and purchased the city's two main springs (the better known being the Cachat spring named after the family that sold it) in March 1827. M. Fauconnet's company eventually went bankrupt, and the springs were bought by the Hôtel des Bains. In the following years, many hotels (Hôtel des quatre saisons, Hôtel de France, Hôtel des Alpes) were built, helping the town's popularity as a holiday resort.

The Cachat mineral waters SA (Société Anonyme des Eaux Minérales de Cachat) was created as an anonymous company in December 1859 by Parisian investors, selling Évian water, and in 1865 the small town changed its name to Évian les bains to promote its rise as a spa town. Three other springs joined the Cachat (Guillot, Bonnevie, Corporau). Improvement in transportation (a railroad station) helped make the town a more famous spa. In the late 19th century, the city contained more than 20 hotels. The hills and the lakeshore were covered with noble houses and luxurious villas and a theatre and a casino were built on the lakeside. In 1902, the baths were constructed and in 1909, the architect Hébrard built one of the most luxurious hotels: the Royal Hotel. Evian considers itself one of the top European spas, claiming popularity with high society figures such as Countess Anna de Noailles, Frédéric Mistral, the Lumiere Brothers and Marcel Proust. After World War I, the city maintained its status as a high class spa town, hosting socialites and royalty such as Aga Khan III, the Maharaja of Kapurthala, Albert Lebrun (President of the République), King George V of United Kingdom and King Fuad I of Egypt. The Évian Conference was convened in Évian in July 1938 to discuss the problem of Jewish refugees. During World War II, German forces occupied Évian and the town's statue of General Dupas was removed.

The Évian Accords, which ended the Algerian War and recognized an independent Algeria, were signed there on 18 March 1962. The G8 began its 29th summit meeting in Évian on 1 June 2003. From 26 to 30 August 2015 the 6th Annual Summit of the G 20Y Association was held there. Évian still derives funding as a holiday resort and spa town.

The climate is continental mountainous, characterized by a marked humidity. Winters are cold and snowy and the summer season is mild with occasional stormy episodes. The off seasons (April and October) are also on average relatively humid. Annecy Meythet Average period 1981–2010 except insolation 1961–1990 Month J F M A M Jun Jul A S O N D Year Maximum temperatures (in °C) 5,4 7,6 12,0 15,6 20,5 24,0 26,1 25,7 20,7 16,0 9,5 5,6 15.9 °C Minimum temperatures (in °C) 1,6 1,0 1,6 4,7 9,5 12,5 14,3 14,1 10,4 7,2 2,3 0,7 6.2 °C Rainfall (average height in mm) 91,2 82,2 94,6 102,8 105,1 90,0 100,8 114,8 123,3 118,0 116,8 109,9 1253 mm Number of changes with rainfall (> ) 11,1 9,4 10,2 10,3 11,6 9,1 9,6 10,2 9,1 11,4 11,7 10,9 125 days Number of hours of sunshine 93 117 172 196 224 262 277 242 192 138 83 70 2046 h Records mensuels de température depuis 1970 Monthly temperature records since 1970 (in °C) 16,4 19,3 23,5 27,7 32,6 35,1 38 38,5 30,7 26,5 22,1 19,9 Years of maximum temperatures 2003 2017 1972 2018 2009 2019 2019 2003 2018 1977 2015 2000 Record minimum temperatures (in °C) 23,0 15,5 15,0 6,0 2,0 1,0 3,0 1,5 2,5 5,0 11,5 16,0 Years of minimum temperatures 1971 1978 1971 1975 1979 1975 1977 1978 1972 1973 1973 1973 Source : Météo France

The town is home to Évian mineral water, which adds significantly to the economy, together with the Casino d'Evian, the largest themed casino in Europe, and the Evian Royal Resort, the reported favorite holiday destination of former French President François Mitterrand and King Farouk of Egypt. Many of the inhabitants of Évian work in Lausanne and other Swiss cities nearby. The two largest hotels in Évian are the Hotel Royal (where the G8 summit was held) and the Hilton.

Évian is served by a bus network, as well as a train station with regular trains to Geneva, Annemasse, and Bellegarde, as well as less frequent services to Paris and Lyon. There is also a very busy ferry service running between the town and Lausanne, as well as a more tourist centered service that runs to Yvoire.