| Nestled in the gap between the southern reaches of the Vosges and the northern outliers of the Jura mountains – the one natural chink in France's eastern geological armour and the obvious route for invaders – BELFORT is assured of a place in French hearts for its deeds of military daring. Its name is particularly linked with the 1870 Prussian War, when its long resistance to siege spared it the humiliating annexation to Germany suffered by much of neighbouring Alsace-Lorraine. The commanding officer at the time, Colonel Denfert-Rochereau (the "Lion of Belfort"), earned himself the honour of numerous street names as well as that of a Parisian square and métro station. These days it's an interesting town with a mixed population. Finding your way around Belfort is easy enough. the town is sliced in two by the River Savoureuse: the new town to the west is the commercial hub; to the east lies the quieter old town, laid out below the massive red Château. Built by the ubiquitous fortress-architect Vauban on the site of a medieval fort, it now houses the Musée d'Art et d'Histoire (May–Sept daily 10am–7pm; Oct–April daily except Tues 10am–noon & 2–5pm; tel 03.84.54.25.51/52; €2.75, or €3 including entry to the viewing platform at the lion), containing works by Dürer, Doré and Rodin. The other collections include military objects from Belfort's centuries of conflicts, and artefacts from the Bronze and Iron ages found in the funeral cave at Cravanche in 1876. Vauban is also responsible for the fortifications surrounding Belfort, which created a five-sided old town whose street plan is still largely unchanged. Belfort's other museum, the Donation Maurice Jardot (daily except Tues 10am–6pm; €4), is a ten-minute walk away from the tourist office down rue de Mulhouse, at no. 8, and will be of interest to fans of Cubism. Jardot was an associate of Daniel-Henry Kahnweiler, one of the great twentieth-century art dealers: his collection, left to the town of Belfort on his death in 1997, contains 110 works of art, including some by Braque, Léger and Picasso. The most famous and photographed phenomenon in town is the eleven-metre-high red sandstone lion carved out of the rock-face that you pass on the way up to the castle, Bartholdi's monument to commemorate the 1870 siege. From the viewing platform at the front paw of the lion (April & Oct daily 8am–noon & 2–6pm; May & June 8am–noon & 2–7pm; July–Sept daily 8am–7pm; Nov–March Mon–Fri 10am–noon & 2–5pm, weekends & hols 8am–noon & 2–5pm; €1, or €3, combined ticket to the Musée d'Art et d'Histoire), you get some stunning views over the town and surrounding countryside. Belfort is a good base for exploring the northeastern corner of the River Doubs. After that, it's either follow the autoroute directly to Besançon, or take your time and lose yourself in the hills and forests and pretty towns and villages along the scenic route.
Pages in section ‘Belfort’: Practicalities.
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