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france

Basilique Saint-Joseph-des-Fins

The Basilique Saint-Joseph-des-Fins is a catholic church located in Annecy. It was built in the mid-20th century based on designs by architect Dom Paul Bellot, who also worked on the Oratoire Saint-Joseph du Mont Royal in Montreal. One of the bells of the church is a Liberty Bell replica, one of 57 bells ordered by the United States Department of the Treasury as part of the Liberty Bell Savings Bonds drive in 1950. All the bells were cast in Annecy-le-Vieux by the Fonderie Paccard. While most of them are now displayed near state capitol buildings in the USA, one was gifted to Annecy by the US government.

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Fort l'Écluse

Fort l’Écluse is a fortress near Bellegarde-sur-Valserine. It guards the Rhône valley between the Vuache hills and the Jura Mountains and is a natural entrance into France from Geneva. The fort was founded by the Duchy of Savoy in the 13th century and, after it was ceded to France along with the Pays de Gex during the reign of Louis XIV, completed by Vauban. It was destroyed by the Austrians in 1815, but was rebuilt by the French and considerably strengthened and heightened. The fort is open to visitors during summer.

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Promenade des Pertes de la Valserine

The Promenade des Pertes de la Valserine in Bellegarde-sur-Valserine is a short and easy walk that follows the Valserine, a river that takes its source in the Jura mountains and empties into the Rhône. Starting near the train station in the city, the path goes upstream to the Pertes (French for “losses”), where the river disappears in natural canyons dug into limestone rocks.

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