Explore The Alps and Franche-Comté
Nestled in the gap between two mountain ranges – the Vosges to the north and the Jura to the south – lies Belfort, a town assured of a place in French hearts for its history as an insurmountable stronghold on this obvious route for invaders. The town is remembered particularly for its long resistance to a siege during the 1870 Franco–Prussian War; it was this resistance that spared it the humiliating fate of being annexed into the German empire, a fate suffered by much of neighbouring Alsace-Lorraine. The commanding officer at the time was one Colonel Denfert-Rochereau (known popularly as the “Lion of Belfort”), who earned himself the honour of numerous street names throughout the country, as well as that of a Parisian square and métro station.
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Eurockéennes
Eurockéennes
First staged in 1989, today Eurockéennes (weurockeennes.fr) is one of France’s biggest and most diverse annual rock festivals, attracting top international artists as well as plenty of up-and-coming French acts. The three-day festival takes place over the first weekend in July in a lovely setting on the shores of the Lac du Malsaucy, 6km northeast of Belfort, and the vibe is suitably relaxed and friendly, despite crowds of 100,000 or more. There’s a free campsite nearby with 12,000 spaces for those who want the full rock festival experience.
