Divonne-les-Bains is a commune in the department of Ain in eastern France. It is a spa town situated on the border with French-speaking Switzerland, between the foot of the Jura mountains and Lake Geneva.
Nestling at the heart of Pays de Gex at the foot of the Jura Massive, at the edge of Switzerland and Upper Jura Regional Nature Park, the spa resort of Divonne-les-Bains has been famous for its pure water with beneficial properties since the middle of the 19th century.
It is situated in the Pays de Gex, about eight km from Gex, from which the area takes its name. Divonne is about 20 km from Geneva to the south-west and 10 km from Nyon to the east. Since 2012 Divonne forms part of a wider agglomeration known as Grand Genève.
A short way above the town there are several springs, which were exploited in the 19th century to provide spa facilities for which Divonne became renowned.
The golf course was built in the 1930s. Many of its present-day amenities - casino, hippodrome, open air swimming pool and artificial lake (Lac de Divonne) - were built after 1945. The Casino de Divonne was opened in 1954. A cultural centre by the lake (L'Esplanade du lac) was completed in 2005. Divonne used to host a small chamber music festival every summer, centred on its tiny theatre and the Domaine de Divonne. The Chateau of Divonne, now a luxury hotel, suffered a serious fire in January 2017, and is currently being rebuilt.
There is a lively market on Sundays and a succession of cultural and sporting events throughout the year. Every year, the town host a folk festival in the beginning of July at the Hippodrome called Les Vaches Folks.
