1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers
> 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river
estuaries.
2 Population without double counting: residents of multiple communes
(e.g., students and military personnel) only counted once.
Belfort

Belfort (French pronunciation: [bɛl.fɔʁ]) is a city in
northeastern
France

France in the
Bourgogne-Franche-Comté

Bourgogne-Franche-Comté région, situated
between
Lyon

Lyon and Strasbourg. It is the biggest town and also the
administrative centre of the
Territoire de Belfort

Territoire de Belfort département.
Belfort

Belfort is 400 km (249 mi) from Paris, 141 km
(88 mi) from Strasbourg, 290 km (180 mi) from
Lyon

Lyon and
150 km (93 mi) from Zürich. The residents of the city are
called "Belfortains". The city is located on the
Savoureuse river, on
a strategically important natural route between the
Rhine

Rhine and the
Rhône – the
Belfort Gap

Belfort Gap (Trouée de Belfort) or Burgundian Gate
(Porte de Bourgogne). It is located approximately 16 km
(10 mi) south from the base of the
Ballon d'Alsace

Ballon d'Alsace mountain
range, source of the Savoureuse. The city of
Belfort

Belfort has 50,199
inhabitants.[1] Together with its suburbs and satellite towns, Belfort
forms the largest agglomeration (metropolitan area) in the
Bourgogne-Franche-Comté

Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region with an urban population of 308,601
inhabitants.[2]
Contents
1 History
2 Economy
3 Transport
3.1 Road
3.2 Air
3.3 Rail links
3.4 Local transport
3.5 Cycling tracks
4 Sights
5 Culture
5.1 Eurockéennes
5.2 FIMU
6 Personalities
6.1 Births
6.2 Deaths
7 International relations
8 See also
9 References
10 External links
History[edit]
November 25, 1944: a French woman exclaims to neighbor and American
soldier: "Tout
Belfort

Belfort est libre" (All
Belfort

Belfort is free).
Belfort's strategic location, in a natural gap between the Vosges and
the Jura, on a route linking the
Rhine

Rhine and the Rhône, has attracted
human settlement since Roman times, and has also made it a frequent
target for invading armies.
The site of
Belfort

Belfort was inhabited in Gallo-Roman times. It was
subsequently recorded in the 13th century as a possession of the
counts of Montbéliard, who granted it a charter in 1307.
Previously an Austrian possession,
Belfort

Belfort was transferred to France
by the
Treaty of Westphalia
.jpg/600px-Westfaelischer_Friede_in_Muenster_(Gerard_Terborch_1648).jpg)
Treaty of Westphalia (1648), which ended the Thirty Years' War.
The town's fortifications were extended and developed by the military
architect
Vauban

Vauban for Louis XIV.
Until 1871,
Belfort

Belfort was part of the département of Haut-Rhin, in
Alsace. The
Siege of Belfort
_-_Le_théatre_de_guerre,_1870-1871_-_Vue_générale_de_Belfort.jpg/440px-Braun,_Adolphe_(1811-1877)_-_Le_théatre_de_guerre,_1870-1871_-_Vue_générale_de_Belfort.jpg)
Siege of Belfort (between 3 November 1870 and 18 February
1871) was successfully resisted until the garrison was ordered to
surrender 21 days after the armistice between
France

France and Prussia. The
region was not annexed by
Prussia
.svg/250px-Flag_of_Prussia_(1892-1918).svg.png)
Prussia like the rest of
Alsace

Alsace and was
exchanged for other territories in the vicinity of Metz. It formed, as
it still does, the Territoire de Belfort. The siege is commemorated by
a huge statue, the Lion of Belfort, by Frédéric Bartholdi.
Alsatians who sought a new French home in
Belfort

Belfort made a significant
contribution to its industry (see Société Alsacienne de
Constructions Mécaniques).
The town was bombarded by the German army during World War I and
occupied by it during World War II. In November 1944 the retreating
German army held off the
French First Army

French First Army outside the town until
French Commandos made a successful night attack on the Salbert Fort.
Belfort

Belfort was liberated on 22 November 1944.
Economy[edit]
Belfort

Belfort is a centre for heavy engineering industries, mostly dedicated
to railways and turbines.
Belfort

Belfort is the hometown of
Alstom

Alstom where the
first TGVs (Trains à Grande Vitesse, High Speed Trains) were
produced, as well as being the GE Energy European headquarter and a
centre of excellence for the manufacturing of gas turbines.
Transport[edit]
"All united for Belfort." Demonstration for
Alstom

Alstom against the loss of
6,500 jobs.
Belfort

Belfort in the road and train network of Franche-Comté
Road[edit]
Like many other European cities, the volume of road traffic in Belfort
continues to increases and dominates transport.[3]
Belfort

Belfort is situated
at only 25 mi (40 km) from the commercial port of
Mulhouse-Rhin which allows international trade. The motorway A36 from
Beaune to
Mulhouse

Mulhouse follows a route to the south and east of the city,
and forms the main axis linking
Belfort

Belfort to other French and European
cities. N19 is another major route which joins the south of Belfort
with Paris, Nancy and Switzerland.
Air[edit]
EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg

EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg is located about 60 km
(37 mi) east of
Belfort

Belfort (1 hour drive).
Rail links[edit]
SNCF
.JPG/500px-Service_d'hiver_en_gare_de_Chambéry_(2016).JPG)
SNCF station of Belfort-Ville
Belfort

Belfort is well connected with the rest of France, with direct
connections by train to major destinations such as Paris, Dijon,
Besançon, Mulhouse, Strasbourg, Lyon, Marseille,
Montpellier

Montpellier and
Lille, including high-speed trains. Some trains operate into
Switzerland, such as
Basel

Basel and
Zürich

Zürich stations. There is also a train
service to
Frankfurt am Main

Frankfurt am Main in Germany.
Regional services connect
Belfort

Belfort to Montbéliard, Besançon,
Mulhouse, Vesoul,
Épinal

Épinal and Nancy.
Gare de Belfort
_(by-sa).jpg/440px-Yisris_-_Gare_Belfort_(modifid_by_ComputerHotline)_(by-sa).jpg)
Gare de Belfort is the main railway station in the centre of the city.
Gare de Belfort
_(by-sa).jpg/440px-Yisris_-_Gare_Belfort_(modifid_by_ComputerHotline)_(by-sa).jpg)
Gare de Belfort –
Montbéliard

Montbéliard
TGV

TGV is the high speed railway
station, 9 km (6 mi) south of the city.
From 2017, regional trains will connect
Belfort

Belfort with
Belfort-
Montbéliard

Montbéliard
TGV

TGV station using the new Belfort–
Delle

Delle railway
link. This service will link
Belfort

Belfort and the surrounding area to
Switzerland, and the high-speed train link will connect Swiss towns
such as Delémont, Bern,
Fribourg

Fribourg and
Lausanne

Lausanne to
Paris

Paris and other
cities.[4] Before 2020, the service Épinal-
Belfort

Belfort will be
electrified and modernized. This will allow a link between
LGV Est

LGV Est and
LGV Rhin-Rhône

LGV Rhin-Rhône in Belfort-
Montbéliard

Montbéliard
TGV

TGV station, opening new
destinations like Nancy,
Metz

Metz and Luxembourg.[5]
Local transport[edit]
Cycling is a good way to explore the beauty of nature around Belfort
A local bus network Optymo operates within
Belfort

Belfort (www.optymo.fr).
Tickets can be bought from any newsagent in the city, or a bus
passenger can send a sms 'BUS' to 84100 and show the confirmation sms
as a ticket.
Cycling tracks[edit]
The region of
Belfort

Belfort already offers around 70 km (43 mi) of
cycling tracks with more under construction. Visit the local tourist
office for information on the latest additions including the 'Coulée
verte' to the west, malsaucy-giromany to the north and the Euro Velo 6
about 20 km (12 mi) to the south. There are many organised
cycling events, offering the opportunity for people to explore the
area in the company of an official guide.
Sights[edit]
Lion of Belfort
The
Belfort Synagogue

Belfort Synagogue erected in 1857.
Belfort

Belfort is the home of the Lion of Belfort, a sculpture (that
expressed people's resistance against the siege in the Franco-Prussian
War (1870)) by
Frédéric Bartholdi

Frédéric Bartholdi – who shortly afterwards built
the
Statue of Liberty

Statue of Liberty in New York.
The
Belfort

Belfort Citadel - A unique example of
Vauban

Vauban pentagonal
fortifications.
The
Belfort

Belfort Cathedral, 18th century
The
Belfort Synagogue

Belfort Synagogue erected in 1857.
The old town
The
Belfort

Belfort city museums are structured within three main poles:
History (from archeology to military) in the old barracks on the top
of the citadel.
Art (mainly from 16th to 19th century) in the Tour 41.
Modern Art in the Donation Jardot.
Since July 2007, a tourist sight of the citadel has been open to the
public – with a sound-, video- and light-animated trail in the moats
and the big underpass of the citadel. Its name: "La Citadelle de la
Liberté" (Citadel of Liberty).
By climbing on a tall building or going up the nearby mountains on a
clear day, the ice-capped mountains of the Alps in
Switzerland

Switzerland can be
seen.
Grand souterrain de la citadelle de Belfort- An underground passage of
Belfort

Belfort Citadel.[6]
Culture[edit]
Eurockéennes[edit]
Belfort's best known cultural event is the annual Eurockéennes, one
of France's largest rock music festivals.
FIMU[edit]
FIMU in 2013.
Belfort

Belfort is also well known for hosting the annual Festival
International de Musique Universitaire (FIMU) held in May each
year.[7] FIMU usually involves over 250 concerts at different
locations around the city and around 2500 musicians, most of them
students or amateur groups from countries across Europe and the rest
of the world. Music styles performed are extremely diverse and include
traditional, folk, rock, jazz, classical and experimental.
Personalities[edit]
Births[edit]
Belfort

Belfort was the birthplace of:
Joseph de La Porte (1714–1779), 18th-century Jesuit, literary
critic, poet and playwright.
Marie-Anne Françoise Brideau (1751-1794), Carmelite nun (Sœur Saint
Louis), one of the sixteen Martyrs of Compiègne
François Joseph Heim

François Joseph Heim (1787–1865), painter
Jules Brunet

Jules Brunet (1838–1911), a member of the first French Military
Mission to Japan in order to help modernize the armies of the
shogunate
Louis-Gabriel-Charles Vicaire

Louis-Gabriel-Charles Vicaire (1848–1900), poet
Tahar Rahim

Tahar Rahim (1981– ), actor
Raymond Forni

Raymond Forni (1941–2008), politician
Jean-Pierre Chevènement

Jean-Pierre Chevènement (9 mars 1939), politician
Gérard Grisey (born 1946–1998), composer
Alexander Toponce

Alexander Toponce (1839–1923), American pioneer
Frederic Duplus, footballer
John Glele, footballer
Pierre Macherey (1938- ), literary critic
Deaths[edit]
Léon Delarbre, painter – known from his drawings for the Shoah
camps
International relations[edit]
See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in France
Belfort

Belfort is twinned with:[8]
Delémont, Switzerland[8]
Leonberg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany[8]
Castel San Pietro Terme, Italy
Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine[8][9]
Stafford, United Kingdom[8]
Tanghin-Dassouri, Burkina Faso[8]
See also[edit]
Communes of the
Territoire de Belfort

Territoire de Belfort department
Fortified region of Belfort
The works of Antonin Mercié
References[edit]
INSEE
^ "Population légale par commune". INSEE. Retrieved 4 January
2010.
^ "Population légale 2009" (PDF). AUTB. Retrieved 13 January
2012.
^ "Mobilité et transports" (PDF). Agence d'Urbanisme du Territoire de
Belfort

Belfort (in French). 2010. Retrieved 28 December 2011.
^ "La liaison Belfort-Delle" (in French). Facs. 2009. Archived from
the original on 18 June 2013. Retrieved 11 December 2011.
^ "La liaison Épinal-Belfort" (in French). Facs. 2009. Archived from
the original on 29 December 2010. Retrieved 11 December 2011.
^ La Citadelle de la Liberté, a new way of visiting Belfort's
magnificent citadel Archived 2 November 2007 at the Wayback Machine.
(in French)
^ FIMU Music festival website (in French)
^ a b c d e f "
Belfort

Belfort - Les Relations Internationales" [
Belfort

Belfort -
International Relations].
Belfort

Belfort Mairie (in French). Archived from
the original on 2011-07-20. Retrieved 2013-12-21.
^ Міста-побратими м. Запоріжжя [Twin Cities
Zaporozhye]. City of Zaporizhia (in Ukrainian). Шановні
відвідувачі і користувачі сайту. Archived
from the original on 2012-08-03. Retrieved 2013-08-07.
External links[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Belfort.
City council website (in French)
La place forte de
Belfort

Belfort 1870 – 1914 (in French)
Tourist office website
Visiting Belfort
Webpage about the fortifications
Léon Delarbre (in French)
Georges Vérez. Sculptor of
Belfort

Belfort War Memorial.
v
t
e
Prefectures of departments of France
Bourg-en-Bresse

Bourg-en-Bresse (Ain)
Laon

Laon (Aisne)
Moulins (Allier)
Digne-les-Bains

Digne-les-Bains (Alpes-de-Haute-Provence)
Gap (Hautes-Alpes)
Nice

Nice (Alpes-Maritimes)
Privas

Privas (Ardèche)
Charleville-Mézières

Charleville-Mézières (Ardennes)
Foix

Foix (Ariège)
Troyes

Troyes (Aube)
Carcassonne
.jpg/440px-Chess_(2846141682).jpg)
Carcassonne (Aude)
Rodez

Rodez (Aveyron)
Marseille

Marseille (Bouches-du-Rhône)
Caen
.JPG/540px-Caen_France_(28).JPG)
Caen (Calvados)
Aurillac

Aurillac (Cantal)
Angoulême

Angoulême (Charente)
La Rochelle

La Rochelle (Charente-Maritime)
Bourges

Bourges (Cher)
Tulle

Tulle (Corrèze)
Ajaccio

Ajaccio (Corse-du-Sud)
Bastia

Bastia (Haute-Corse)
Dijon

Dijon (Côte-d'Or)
Saint-Brieuc

Saint-Brieuc (Côtes-d'Armor)
Guéret

Guéret (Creuse)
Périgueux

Périgueux (Dordogne)
Besançon

Besançon (Doubs)
Valence (Drôme)
Évreux

Évreux (Eure)
Chartres

Chartres (Eure-et-Loir)
Quimper

Quimper (Finistère)
Nîmes

Nîmes (Gard)
Toulouse

Toulouse (Haute-Garonne)
Auch

Auch (Gers)
Bordeaux

Bordeaux (Gironde)
Montpellier

Montpellier (Hérault)
Rennes
.jpg/600px-Hdrt1_(Large).jpg)
Rennes (Ille-et-Vilaine)
Châteauroux

Châteauroux (Indre)
Tours

Tours (Indre-et-Loire)
Grenoble

Grenoble (Isère)
Lons-le-Saunier

Lons-le-Saunier (Jura)
Mont-de-Marsan

Mont-de-Marsan (Landes)
Blois

Blois (Loir-et-Cher)
Saint-Étienne

Saint-Étienne (Loire)
Le Puy-en-Velay

Le Puy-en-Velay (Haute-Loire)
Nantes

Nantes (Loire-Atlantique)
Orléans

Orléans (Loiret)
Cahors

Cahors (Lot)
Agen

Agen (Lot-et-Garonne)
Mende (Lozère)
Angers

Angers (Maine-et-Loire)
Saint-Lô

Saint-Lô (Manche)
Châlons-en-Champagne
.JPG/540px-Hôtel_de_ville_de_Châlons-en-Champagne_(Marne).JPG)
Châlons-en-Champagne (Marne)
Chaumont (Haute-Marne)
Laval (Mayenne)
Nancy (Meurthe-et-Moselle)
Bar-le-Duc

Bar-le-Duc (Meuse)
Vannes

Vannes (Morbihan)
Metz

Metz (Moselle)
Nevers

Nevers (Nièvre)
Lille

Lille (Nord)
Beauvais

Beauvais (Oise)
Alençon

Alençon (Orne)
Arras

Arras (Pas-de-Calais)
Clermont-Ferrand

Clermont-Ferrand (Puy-de-Dôme)
Pau (Pyrénées-Atlantiques)
Tarbes
.jpg/540px-Mairie_de_Tarbes_(Hautes-Pyrénées,_France).jpg)
Tarbes (Hautes-Pyrénées)
Perpignan

Perpignan (Pyrénées-Orientales)
Strasbourg

Strasbourg (Bas-Rhin)
Colmar

Colmar (Haut-Rhin)
Lyon

Lyon (Rhône)
Vesoul

Vesoul (Haute-Saône)
Mâcon

Mâcon (Saône-et-Loire)
Le Mans
.jpg/500px-Le_Mans_-_St_Julien_SGW_(large_version).jpg)
Le Mans (Sarthe)
Chambéry

Chambéry (Savoie)
Annecy

Annecy (Haute-Savoie)
Paris

Paris (Paris)
Rouen

Rouen (Seine-Maritime)
Melun

Melun (Seine-et-Marne)
Versailles (Yvelines)
Niort

Niort (Deux-Sèvres)
Amiens
.JPG/540px-0_Amiens_-_Place_du_Don_-_Cathédrale_(1).JPG)
Amiens (Somme)
Albi

Albi (Tarn)
Montauban

Montauban (Tarn-et-Garonne)
Toulon

Toulon (Var)
Avignon

Avignon (Vaucluse)
La Roche-sur-Yon

La Roche-sur-Yon (Vendée)
Poitiers

Poitiers (Vienne)
Limoges

Limoges (Haute-Vienne)
Épinal

Épinal (Vosges)
Auxerre

Auxerre (Yonne)
Belfort

Belfort (Territoire de Belfort)
Évry (Essonne)
Nanterre

Nanterre (Hauts-de-Seine)
Bobigny

Bobigny (Seine-Saint-Denis)
Créteil

Créteil (Val-de-Marne)
Cergy,
Pontoise
,_cathédrale_Saint-Maclou,_vue_depuis_le_jardin_des_Cinq_Sens_(promontoire_du_château).jpg/540px-Pontoise_(95),_cathédrale_Saint-Maclou,_vue_depuis_le_jardin_des_Cinq_Sens_(promontoire_du_château).jpg)
Pontoise (Val-d'Oise)
Overseas departments
Basse-Terre

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Fort-de-
France

France (Martinique)
Cayenne
.jpg/540px-Cayenne_city_(8525272038).jpg)
Cayenne (French Guiana)
Saint-Denis (Réunion)
Mamoudzou
.jpg/540px-Mamoudzou_(10029936275).jpg)
Mamoudzou (Mayotte)
v
t
e
Communes of the
Territoire de Belfort

Territoire de Belfort department
Andelnans
Angeot
Anjoutey
Argiésans
Autrechêne
Auxelles-Bas
Auxelles-Haut
Banvillars
Bavilliers
Beaucourt
Belfort
Bermont
Bessoncourt
Bethonvilliers
Boron
Botans
Bourg-sous-Châtelet
Bourogne
Brebotte
Bretagne
Buc
Charmois
Châtenois-les-Forges
Chaux
Chavanatte
Chavannes-les-Grands
Chèvremont
Courcelles
Courtelevant
Cravanche
Croix
Cunelières
Danjoutin
Delle
Denney
Dorans
Eguenigue
Éloie
Essert
Étueffont
Évette-Salbert
Faverois
Fêche-l'Église
Felon
Florimont
Fontaine
Fontenelle
Foussemagne
Frais
Froidefontaine
Giromagny
Grandvillars
Grosmagny
Grosne
Joncherey
Lachapelle-sous-Chaux
Lachapelle-sous-Rougemont
Lacollonge
Lagrange
Lamadeleine-Val-des-Anges
Larivière
Lebetain
Lepuix
Lepuix-Neuf
Leval
Menoncourt
Meroux
Méziré
Montbouton
Montreux-Château
Morvillars
Moval
Novillard
Offemont
Pérouse
Petit-Croix
Petitefontaine
Petitmagny
Phaffans
Réchésy
Recouvrance
Reppe
Riervescemont
Romagny-sous-Rougemont
Roppe
Rougegoutte
Rougemont-le-Château
Saint-Dizier-l'Évêque
Saint-Germain-le-Châtelet
Sermamagny
Sevenans
Suarce
Thiancourt
Trévenans
Urcerey
Valdoie
Vauthiermont
Vellescot
Vescemont
Vétrigne
Vézelois
Villars-le-Sec
Authority control
WorldCat Identities
VIAF: 141899400
LCCN: n81018655
ISNI: 0000 0001 2238 5253
GND: 4087112-5
BNF: cb152799516 (data)
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