The dragon’s house and bridge

Between this succession of high walls, Dragon’s bridge, built in 1891, only has a few metres to span to cross the river. A customs guard house was installed on the right bank to monitor the passage towards the duty-free zone in the Pays de Gex, delineated by the Valserine. On the other bank, a shop offered colonial goods and products from the duty-free zone up until 1921.
The inhabitants of Champfromier tell of how their parents or grand-parents would walk to the Dragon’s farm, where duty-free coffee was sold. The game was to hide illicit products under the women’s skirts, away from customs officials. Smuggler’s tales are now part of local folklore.