St Claude Attractions

St-Claude (pop. 13,000), a town noted for the manufacture of pipes, with an interesting Pipe Museum, is one of the leading tourist centers of the Upper Jura. Its principal attraction is the Cathedral of St-Pierre (14th- 15th C.), which was completed only in the 18th C. with a square tower and neo-classical west front. It has fine choir-stalls (mid 15th C.) and a notable altar. Originally belonging to an abbey which was destroyed during the French Revolution, it is one of the finest churches in the Jura. The Diamond Museum displays a collection of both rough and cut diamonds and precious stones and illustrates the process of cutting and the industrial use of diamonds.