Though Belfort (bel-fohr; pop. 52,000) houses the factories that produce TGV trains and Peugeot automobiles, the industrial development has not penetrated its vieille ville, which remains full of bustling shops and hosts France’s largest open-air rock festival. The town now has few attractions besides a sprawling mountaintop citadel and the enormous lion statue below, but it is a great base for a trip to the surprisingly awesome Chapelle Notre-Dame du Haut.
To get from the station to the tourist office, walk left down av. Wilson and keep right as it curves onto Faubourg de France. Turn left on Faubourg des Ancêtres and follow it to rue Clemenceau; the office, set back from the road, is to the right of the massive Caisse d’Épargne.
Belfort has a smattering of one- and two-star hotels but few truly budget places. Find info on camping at the tourist office or on its website.
Be sure to try a belfore— a fluffy raspberry-almond meringue tart. Finding food is delightfully easy anywhere in the vieille ville, especially along Faubourg de France, which runs from the river to the train station. Cafes, boulangeries, and restaurants cluster around place d’Armes. For groceries, head to Petit Casino, 1 rue Léon Blum, by the hostel. (☎03 84 21 20 88. Open M-F 7am-12:30pm and 3-7pm, Sa 7am-noon. MC/V.) Monoprix, at the corner of bd. Carnot and av. Foch, is another option. (☎03 84 21 47 67. Open M-Sa 8:15am-8pm. AmEx/MC/V.)
A joint admission pass for the Belfort Lion statue, Musée d’Histoire, Grand Souterrain, Musée Beaux-Arts, Musée d’Art Moderne, Donation Jardot, and Tour 46 is €8 for adults, €6 for students and seniors.
Medieval Château. Atop any list of Belfort’s attractions—and atop the hill overlooking the town—is the city’s medieval château, which served as a military fortress during the Thirty Years’ War but now shelters a scenic hodgepodge of historical attractions. An entertaining 1hr. audio tour of the grounds, included in the price of admission, recounts the state’s turbulent history. (☎03 84 22 84 22. Open daily Apr.-Sept. 10am-6pm; Oct.-Mar. 10am-5pm. Last entry 5:30pm. €5, students and seniors €4.50, ages 11-18 €3.50. Includes visit to the lion.)
Belfort Lion. This giant monument pays tribute to the failure of the Prussians’ 1870-71 siege and to the pride of the citizens of Belfort. Sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi—the Alsatian native who crafted the Statue of Liberty—carved the lion out of pink Vosges sandstone. Photos and other representations of the lion that appear throughout the city don’t do justice to the real thing; be sure to pay a visit. (On the château grounds. Platform open daily June-July 9am-7pm; Aug.-Sept. 9am-6pm; Oct.-Mar. 10am-noon and 2-5pm; Apr.-May 9am-noon and 2-7pm.)
Donation Maurice Jardot. This chic museum houses an impressive rotating collection by modern greats like Picasso, Braque, Léger, and Chagall. (8 rue de Mulhouse. ☎03 84 90 40 70; www.mairie-belfort.fr. Open July-Aug. M and W-Su 10am-6pm; Sept. and Apr.-June daily 10am-noon and 2-6pm; Oct.-Mar. daily 10am-noon and 2-5pm. Wheelchair-accessible. €4, students €2.50, under 18 free. AmEx/MC/V.)
The centre-ville, particularly along Faubourg de Montbeliard, hosts several popular bars. Even on calm nights, locals flock to Bistrot des Moines, 22 rue Dreyfus Schmidt, a lively bar and restaurant with an extensive beer selection served from creative bar taps. Intimate round booths line the sides. (☎03 84 21 86 40. Beer from €2.20. Open M-F 10:30am-1am, Sa 10:30am-2am. MC/V.)
The tourist office has a free guide with info on summer concerts and festivals. During these events, reserve accommodations well in advance.
The tourist office has pamphlets with information on hiking and biking trails in and around Belfort. One popular route circles Bessoncourt, 4km to the east. The town is also the departure point for the daunting E5 trail from the Adriatic to the Atlantic. Follow one of the petites randonnées around the area for a fairly flat circuit (10-14km, 3-5hr.). North of town, three major long-distance trails—the GR5, GR7, and GR59—meet at the towering summit of the 1247m Ballon d’Alsace. The taxing hike to Ballon’s peak culminates in panoramic views of the glacial Doller Valley and Rhine and Saône Valleys.
Lac du Malsaucy, west of Belfort, offers hiking, swimming, sunbathing, and fishing. Boats, nautical bicycles, and mountain bikes can be rented from the Base de Loisirs du Malsaucy, rue d’Evette (☎03 84 29 21 13). Nearby Maison de l’Environnement (☎03 84 29 18 12) has exhibits on everything from frogs to weather patterns. Throughout the summer, puppeteers, acrobats, comedians, and musicians perform lakeside. Free outdoor movies are shown on Tuesdays at 10pm from late July through August. To get to the lake, take bus #17 from town. For more info on fishing in and around Belfort, contact the Fédération du Territoire de Belfort pour la Pêche (☎03 84 23 39 49; www.federationpeche.fr/90).
To reach Ronchamp, take the SNCF train from Belfort (20min., 4-6 per day, €4). Buy your return tickets in Belfort; the Ronchamp station does not sell them. To reach the chapel from the train station, follow rue de la Gare left, turn left onto rue Le Corbusier, and go left again onto rue de la Chapelle. Climb the steep road for 1.5km. For those without a car, bike, or the desire for a moderately difficult hike, call Taxi Guy Bourgogne (☎03 84 20 65 66; 24hr.). The ride is about €6 each way from the train or bus stop.
A 20min. train ride west, in the tiny village of Ronchamp (rhon-sham), stands Le Corbusier’s famous 1954 Chapelle Notre-Dame du Haut, on the site of a disastrous 1944 German attack. The mushroom-shaped chapel, which draws architecture students and pilgrims from all over the world, was built as a testament to hope in the wake of WWII’s devastation. Its sloping lines, receding walls, and sparsely decorated candlelit interior “create a space of silence, prayer, peace, and interior joy.” The asymmetrical pews and inscribed stained glass are truly unique. (☎03 84 20 65 13. Open daily Apr.-Sept. 9:30am-7pm; Oct. and Mar. 10am-5pm; Nov.-Feb. 10am-4pm. Wheelchair-accessible. €3, students €2, ages 5-12 free. Guided tours €25.)
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