Essert: Holiday Apartments and Holiday Homes

The history of Essert can be seen in its fortifications, religious buildings, and old village washhouses. Its military installations include Fort de la Côte d'Essert, which was built between 1889 and 1890 on the Essert hilltop to monitor the flanks of Mont-Vaudois and Salbert. Ouvrage d'Essert was excavated into the rock between 1890 and 1892 and designed for a garrison of 276 men. Concrete casemates are visible on its upper sections. Ouvrage de la Côte d'Essert is an underground infantry fortification designed to accommodate more than 250 men.

Culture and History

The Église Saint-Léger has a bell tower dating from 1753. Its stained-glass windows were made in Grenoble in 1899. The church houses relics of Saint Léger, Saint Jerome, Saint Emilien, and Saint François de Paul. The choir stalls, or wood panelling, come from the former Capuchin monastery.

The Notre Dame du Voeu chapel was built in 1931 at the upper end of Rue Leiris on the edge of the forest. It houses a painted metal statue of the Virgin Mary designed by Jules Chell. The village's older history also includes the Lavoir du Bas du village, built in 1807, and the Fontaine du Charpiot. The latter has a livestock watering trough and a public washhouse and formerly served to supply travellers, stagecoaches, and their horses along the Route de Paris.

Those planning a stay in Essert may wish to rent a holiday apartment.

Paths

The Coulée Verte begins in Essert and runs mainly along the Haute-Saône Canal. The 26-kilometre greenway connects Belfort and Montbéliard. The first 8 km between Essert and the A36 motorway run along a shaded path beside the canal, where canal structures can be seen. On the RN19, there is an access point with a car park at the boundary between Châlonvillars and Essert.

Other places: Bourogne, Grosne, Buc, Suarce, Lepuix, Bavilliers, Auxelles-Haut, Danjoutin

For the higher-level travel overview: Territoire De Belfort.