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Coordinates: 46°33′N, 06°26′E

Apples
Country Switzerland Canton Vaud District Aubonne 46°33′N, 06°26′E
Population	1,142  (2004)
- Density	89 /km² (34 /sq.mi.)
Area	12.89 km² (5 sq mi)
Elevation	635 m (2,083 ft)
Postal code	1143
SFOS number	5421
Mayor	Claude-Alain Roulet
Demonym	Les Caque à part Lè Caca-pai
Surrounded by (view map)	Pampigny, Sévery, Colombier (VD), Clarmont, Reverolle, Bussy-Chardonney, Yens, Ballens, Mollens (VD)
Website	www.apples.ch
Apples [zoom]

Apples is a municipality in the district of Aubonne in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland.

Contents 1 Geography 2 Demographics 3 Economy 4 Transportation 5 History 6 Attractions 7 External links

Apples is located at 630 m above mean sea level (ASML), 7km northwest of the city of Morges. The scattered villages of Apples span a knoll on the edge of a plateau, located at the foot of the Jura Mountains. This is in Swiss Plateau, an area full of impressive views looking out over the Morges River valley.

The municipality has an area of 12.9 km², containing a section in its western edge of the Swiss Plateau. The eastern part of the municipality is located in the drainage basin of the Morges Creek and the Le Curbit creek. In the western section of the municipality, which is larger by far, there is a glacial landscape of molasse hills with extensive woods and moor-like depressions. Several forests are a part of this western section: Les Bougeries (up to 704 m AMSL) in the southwest), Bois de Saint-Pierre (up to 684 m AMSL in the north), and Bois de Savoye and Bois de Fermens in the northwest. The highest point in Apples is in the forest La Chaux-Derrière at a height of 708 m AMSL. On its western border, the municipality reaches the edge of a former river valley, Grand Marais, which once served as a channel for glacial melt waters from the Rhône Glacier. This valley is drained by the Veyron River to the northeast. The land in the municipality is comprised as follows (as of 1997): 5% residential, 48% woodlands and forests, 47% agricultural uses.

Two new isolated developments, En Lèvremont (600 m AMSL) and La Motte (615 m AMSL), are also a part of Apples. They are located on the gentle slopes of the Morges Valley. The municipalities that border Apples are Ballens, Mollens, Pampigny, Sévery, Colombier, Clarmont, Reverolle, Bussy-Chardonney und Yens.

With a population of 1,157 (as of the end of 2005), Apples is one of the medium-sized municipalities in the canton of Vaud. 86.2% of the population speaks French, 7.3% speaks German and 1.9% speaks Portuguese (as of 2000). In 1900 the population of Apples totaled 546. After 1970 (pop. 652) there was a rapid increase in the population; it nearly doubled in just 30 years.

Up until the 20th century, Apples was primarily an agricultural village. Today agriculture is only a secondary source of income for the residents of Apples. They focus on cultivation and animal husbandry with respect to dairy farming. North of the village there is a small industrial area, where, among other things, switchgear and high grad steel are manufactured. More jobs also exist in the services sector.

In Apples there is a riding school, a sports center, and an educational center, as well as a regional nursing home and foster home. In the last few decades the village has developed into a residential area thanks to its attractive location. Many of the employed residents are commuters, who work primarily in the cities of Morges and Lausanne.

The municipality is well located in terms of transportation. It is situated on the main road, which runs between Morges and Bière. The light rail Chemin de fer Bière-Apples-Morges began running on July 1, 1985, with a station in Apples. The section from Apples to L'Isle was inaugurated on September 12, 1896. There is also a postal service route on the road between Morges and Apples.

Apples has a long history of settlements. Remains from the Neolithic, the Bronze Age, and the Romans have been found in the municipality. The first true settlement was founded by the Burgundians in the 5th century. It was most likely called ‘‘Iplingen’’. Under the Romans this name probably was changed to Iplens and then Aplis. It was with this name that the village was first mentioned in a document, in 1011, when King Rudolf III presented the church and the village to the Romainmôtier Monastery as a gift. The spelling Aples appeared later (in 1222) and the current name came into use in 1328.

With the capture of Vaud by Bern in 1536, Apples became an exclave under the administration of the Romainmôtier district. After the collapse of the Ancien régime, the village became a part of the canton of Léman, from 1798 to 1803. It was subsequently absorbed by the canton of Vaud, and in 1798 it became a part of the Morges District. In 1803 Apples was moved to the district of Aubonne.

The medieval church in Apples stands on the foundations of a Romanesque building. It was renovated in 1838 and 1905.

• (French) Official website
• (French) Aerial views of the municipality
• (French) Commune de Apples - VD - Suisse. communal.ch. Retrieved March 5, 2005.

v • d • e Municipalities in the district of Aubonne, Switzerland
Apples | Aubonne | Ballens | Berolle | Bière | Bougy-Villars | Féchy | Gimel | Longirod | Marchissy | Mollens | Montherod | Pizy | Saubraz | Saint-George | Saint-Livres | Saint-Oyens Canton of Vaud | Districts of the canton of Vaud | Municipalities of the canton of Vaud

This article incorporates text translated from the corresponding German Wikipedia article as of 9 November 2006.