DÉCOUVERTE DE LA CITÉ BATAVILLE
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A tour of Bataville, a city built in 1931 by Czech entrepreneur Thomas Bata...
It's one of only thirty Bata cités in the world, and the only one in France, totally out of place in the Lorraine countryside, between forest and ponds. It has been recognized as a historic monument and protected heritage site since 2014. This paternalistic factory town is one of the rare examples of workers' housing estates totally isolated from any urban area. It was built in 1931 as part of the Bauhaus movement by Czech entrepreneur Thomas Bata, founder of the eponymous shoe brand. Industrial buildings line up on either side of Thomas Bata Avenue, which extends towards the workers' housing estate to the north. Halfway between the industrial complex and the workers' housing estate, you come across community facilities designed to ensure the well-being of its residents. The factory is located in the communes of Moussey and Réchicourt-le-Château, and the workers' housing estate is shared with Maizières-lès-Vic and Réchicourt-le-Château. Bataville was self-sufficient, with a canteen, social center, shops, schools, swimming pool and church. Its architecture retains an emblematic aesthetic. Employing up to 2,700 people in 1939, the factory closed in 2002. This industrial wasteland looks totally incongruous, like a movie set in the middle of nowhere, and the city seems quite peaceful. Two concurrent nature trails can be combined with the Bataville trail: the Petit Étang trail (5.9 km) and the Grande Écluse trail (4.6 km).
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