Bullet

Origin of the name Bullet

First mentioned in 1323 as «Buleto». The etymology of the name is not explained in the sources consulted.

Founding of Bullet

Bullet lies at 1'143 m above sea level, on remains of the terminal moraine of the former Rhône glacier, at the foot of the Chasseron. The village appears in the records at the beginning of the 14th century; no source consulted names a founder or describes the circumstances of its creation. In the Middle Ages and the Bernese period it belonged to the lordship of Sainte-Croix. The municipality includes Bullet and the hamlets of Les Rasses, Les Cluds, La Crochère, Les Crosats and La Frétaz. For a long time the economy combined livestock farming with crafts: watchmaking from the 18th century, then the making of music boxes in the 19th century, before the rise of tourism.

History of Bullet

1323. First mention of the village, as «Buleto».

1536. Bernese conquest of Vaud: Bullet, which belongs to the lordship of Sainte-Croix, is attached to the bailiwick of Yverdon.

1569. A chapel is built as a daughter church of Sainte-Croix.

1663. The chapel becomes a parish church.

1744. The village and the church are destroyed by fire; the Bernese authorities organise a general collection for the affected families.

1745. The church is rebuilt.

18th century. Watchmaking is added to livestock farming as a source of income.

1798. The inhabitants oppose the Vaud Revolution and fight against the supporters of the new regime; Bullet is then attached to the district of Grandson.

19th century. Music box making develops, an activity that declines in the 20th century.

1886. The church burns once again; it is rebuilt in 1887.

1893. Opening of the Yverdon-Sainte-Croix railway, which, together with the postal coach, fosters the development of tourism.

1898. Opening of the Grand Hôtel des Rasses and the Hôtel du Chasseron, on the initiative of Edouard Baierlé and Edouard Junod-Jéquier.

1922. Adoption of the current coat of arms: the colours of Bern, with a gold mountain symbolising the Chasseron.

after 1930. Tourism declines.

1950s. Skiing develops: a chairlift and ski tows are built in the Les Rasses area.

around 1960. Tourism revives with holiday homes and cross-country skiing.

2006-2008. Reform of the Vaud districts (adopted in 2006, in force on 1 January 2008): the district of Grandson is dissolved and Bullet joins the district of Jura-Nord vaudois.

2019. The Grand Hôtel des Rasses is named «Historic Hotel of the Year» by ICOMOS Switzerland.

Population of Bullet

Population of Bullet

1764	583
1850	719
1860	767
1900	631
1950	635
1980	436
2000	522
2022	656
2025	687

Historic sites in Bullet

Bullet church. Chapel founded in 1569 as a daughter church of Sainte-Croix, which became a parish church in 1663. Burnt down with the village in 1744 and rebuilt in 1745, it burned again in 1886; the present building dates from 1887.

Grand Hôtel des Rasses. Belle Époque palace hotel opened in 1898 on the Les Rasses plateau, at about 1'200 m above sea level, with a view of the Alps. It retains its «Belle Époque» hall and was named «Historic Hotel of the Year 2019».

The Chasseron and the Les Rasses plateau. The Chasseron, whose outline has appeared on the municipal coat of arms since 1922, towers over the village. The Les Rasses plateau became a holiday spot after the railway reached Sainte-Croix in 1893, and later an area for skiing and cross-country skiing.

Remains in Bullet

Terminal moraine of the Rhône glacier. The village stands on remains of the terminal moraine left by the former Rhône glacier during the ice ages, evidence that the ice reached the slopes of the Jura.

Sources

• Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Bullet »
• Feuille des avis officiels du canton de Vaud, « Alphabet des communes vaudoises : Bullet »
• Swiss Historic Hotels, « Grand Hôtel des Rasses »
• Commune de Bullet, « Grand Hôtel des Rasses »
• Wikipédia, « Bullet »
• Wikipedia (de), « Bullet VD »
• Statistique Vaud, « Population résidante permanente au 31 décembre 2025 »

Localities of the municipality with a page

• Les Rasses

Other villages near Bullet

• Vuitebœuf (VD)
• La Mothe (VD)
• Les Rasses (VD)
• Peney (VD)
• Vugelles-La Mothe (VD)