Balan () is a

commune A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to: Administrative-territorial entities * Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township ** Communes of ...

in the Ardennes department in the

Grand Est Grand Est (; gsw-FR, Grossa Oschta; Moselle Franconian/ lb, Grouss Osten; Rhine Franconian: ''Groß Oschte''; german: Großer Osten ; en, "Great East") is an administrative region in Northeastern France. It superseded three former administra ...

region of northern

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

. The inhabitants of the commune are known as ''Balanais'' or ''Balanaises''. The commune has been awarded three flowers by the ''National Council of Towns and Villages in Bloom'' in the ''Competition of cities and villages in Bloom''.

Geography

Balan is located just east of Sedan and north-east of Bazeilles. Access to the commune is by the D8043A road from Sedan which continues south-east to Bazeilles. The D17 also passes through the town and continues east to

Rubécourt-et-Lamécourt Rubécourt-et-Lamécourt () is a former commune in the Ardennes department in northern France. On 1 January 2017, it was merged into the commune Bazeilles.Route nationale A ''route nationale'', or simply ''nationale'', is a class of trunk road in France. They are important roads of national significance which cross broad portions of the French territory, in contrast to departmental or communal roads which serve m ...

N43 (E46) highway passes through the commune with the nearest exit being Exit just south-east of the commune. Much of the central area of the commune is urban with the northern part farmland and some forest.Google Maps
/ref> The

Meuse The Meuse ( , , , ; wa, Moûze ) or Maas ( , ; li, Maos or ) is a major European river, rising in France and flowing through Belgium and the Netherlands before draining into the North Sea from the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta. It has a t ...

river forms the south-western border of the commune as it flows north through Sedan.

Neighbouring communes and villages

History

From 1560 to 1642 Balan was part of the

Principality of Sedan The Principality of Sedan (French: ''Principauté de Sedan'') was an independent Protestant state centered on the Château de Sedan (now the city of Sedan) in the Ardennes. It was ruled by the Prince of Sedan (''prince de Sedan''), who belong ...

Heraldry

Administration

List of Successive Mayors ; Mayors from 1995

Demography

In 2017 the commune had 1,618 inhabitants.

Culture and heritage

Civil heritage

The commune has several buildings and sites that are registered as historical monuments: *The Bonhomme Spinning Mill (Now a Community Hall) (19th century) *The Godchaux Weaving Mill (Now a Warehouse) (20th century) *The Stackler Textile Works (Now a Business incubator) (19th century) *The Bazaille Chard Plant (1906)Ministry of Culture, Mérimée

Notable people linked to the commune

*Jean-Baptiste Herbin-Dessaux (1765-1832): French General of the Revolution and the Empire, died at Balan. *Élisabeth Lion (1904-1988), French aviator, born at Balan.