Territoire de Belfort: Holiday Apartments and Holiday Homes

Territoire de Belfort is the only French département where two mountain ranges meet. Ballon d’Alsace is the highest point in Territoire de Belfort, reaching 1,247 metres and offering a 360-degree panoramic view. The département highlights Ballon d’Alsace, the Malsaucy leisure complex, historic monuments, cycle paths and hiking trails as visitor attractions. There are around 50 listed or registered historic monuments in total, including museums, churches and castles.

Nature and landscape

The landscape includes more than 2,000 ponds, including Malsaucy, Véronne, Forges, Seigneurie and Verchat. The Étang Verchat near Joncherey is highlighted for its reflections. The Presqu’île du Malsaucy is a leisure complex and the venue for the Eurockéennes festival.

The Maison départementale de l’environnement at Malsaucy offers free exhibitions and activities about local fauna and flora all year round. Discovery trails at Ballon d’Alsace, Malsaucy, Forges and Verchat provide information about the local fauna and flora. The Véronne trail is described as accessible to wheelchair users and suitable for pushchairs.

Trails and winter

Territoire de Belfort offers signposted hiking trails with varying levels of difficulty between the southern Vosges and the Jura Mountains, including options for beginners and families. There are 1,246 km of signposted trails in total; enduro mountain biking and adventure activities at Ballon d’Alsace are also promoted. The François-Mitterrand promenade connects Belfort and the Malsaucy peninsula along a 7 km route. The FrancoVéloSuisse runs through the southern part of Territoire de Belfort for 40 km from Belfort via Delle to Porrentruy.

Ballon d’Alsace has 14 alpine ski runs: six green, three blue, three red and two black runs. The mountain bears the “Nordic France” label and offers six cross-country ski runs in a 22 km-long groomed Nordic area. A black run connects Ballon d’Alsace with Planche des Belles-Filles over 21 km and has an uphill elevation gain of 517 metres. There are also five freely accessible snowshoe circuits starting at the Maison du tourisme and in Gentiane. Parc Aventure du Ballon d’Alsace offers 120 workshops and 11 courses of varying difficulty for visitors aged three and over.

Culture and history

The Belfort Citadel and the Lion de Bartholdi are highlighted as visitor attractions. The Presqu’île du Malsaucy is also the venue for the Eurockéennes, described as an international festival and a springboard for young artists. In Froidefontaine, the Romanesque apse of a former 12th-century Cluniac Benedictine monastery has been preserved.

Cuisine

The cuisine of Territoire de Belfort combines Alsatian and Franche-Comté traditions and includes Munster AOP. Belflore is a dessert from Territoire de Belfort made with almond meringue, hazelnuts and raspberry jam. A local producer makes Cancoillotte with butter and Metton from Doubs in a short supply chain.

Getting there

Territoire de Belfort has three railway stations, including Belfort-Montbéliard TGV station. The département is served by the A36 motorway and is less than an hour’s drive from EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg.

Those wishing to rent a holiday apartment can visit the following local pages: Giromagny, Offemont, Buc, Bessoncourt, Belfort, Villars-Le-Sec, Lepuix, Andelnans, Danjoutin, Bavilliers, Novillard, Bourogne, Suarce, Autrechêne, Cravanche, Auxelles-Haut, Lachapelle-Sous-Chaux, Grosne, Chaux, Meroux, Frais, Grosmagny, Rougegoutte, Essert.

To the main travel overview: Franche Comte.