Belfort the City of the Lion
Belfort Holiday in France
A city fortified by Vauban, a city abounding in colours and blossoms, Belfort is also, in the words of Alphonse Allais, "a city in the countryside".
Over the centuries, because of its strategic location, Belfort has suffered a series of invasions.
At the request of Louis XIV, military architect Sébastien Le Preste de Vauban travelled to Belfort and decided to double the surface area of the town, using a very precise formula: a fortified pentagonal wall.
The fortification work began in 1687 and made Belfort one of the keystones in the Eastern Marches defensive system, and one of the most spectacular towns in the region.
Vauban's ramparts, the citadel which is now home to the Museums of Art and History, the famous Lion sculpted by Bartholdi - all these are the traces of Belfort's tumultuous history.
In the evening, the citadel, whose illuminations were awarded the national "Lights and Monuments" prize in 1993, comes back to the fore of the Lion City scene, to breathe new life into what is one of France's most important historical sites.
Information, advice and bookings : 
Museum of Comtoise Techniques and Cultures
This network of museums brings together eleven important sites of traditional local industry where specific expertise is laid bare...
The emblem of the "Petites Cités Comtoises de Caractère" is a sketched outline of a Franche-Comté bell tower.
