Belfort Attractions

The town of Belfort on the river Savoureuse, capital of the Territoire de Belfort, was an important fortress controlling the Trouée de Belfort, the Belfort Gap, a key-point on the route between the Vosges and the Jura. Until 1870-1871 it belonged to the département of Haut-Rhin. Belfort has important textile and engineering industries. For many centuries the destinies of the town turned on its geographical situation. Until the 14th C it belonged to the Counts of Måmpelgard (Montbéliard). From 1350 to 1639 it was held by the Habsburgs; then in 1648, under the Peace of Westphalia, it was assigned to France. Vauban surrounded the town with fortifications which helped it to withstand a 103-day siege during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-1871.