The unusual geology of these valleys offers the discovery of interesting
natural phenomena like the the fairy chimneys at the top of the
Genin coomb (as you leave the Arves tunnel), the eroded black
schist slabs and white gypsum so sensitive to land movements.
This geology gave rise to unusual architectural forms in Les Bottières
and Jarrier : jambed houses. The slate roofs of these houses are
upheld by six or eight beams resting on flat stones allowing corrections
in the balance of a house built on unstable ground.
The church in Jarrier, with its traditional masonry work, and
some of the neighboring chapels, lean.
Albiez-le-Vieux, in 1890, saw the birth of the
famous
Opinel pocket knife (Joseph Opinel).
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