{"id":4776,"date":"2019-08-05T23:18:05","date_gmt":"2019-08-05T21:18:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/francevisiting.com\/?p=4776"},"modified":"2020-06-23T23:50:01","modified_gmt":"2020-06-23T21:50:01","slug":"discover-all-the-corners-of-the-bourgogne-franche-comte-region-through-a-fun-rally","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/francevisiting.com\/index.php\/2019\/08\/05\/discover-all-the-corners-of-the-bourgogne-franche-comte-region-through-a-fun-rally\/","title":{"rendered":"Discover all the corners of the Bourgogne Franche-Comt\u00e9 region through a fun rally!"},"content":{"rendered":"

The newly created Bourgogne Franche-Comt\u00e9<\/a> French region offers a vast panorama of landscapes, which would satisfy the curiosity of all kinds of visitors’ profiles. Indeed, this extended territory had the chance to propose an exceptional natural, cultural and historical heritage, famous all over the world. We propose you to discover it through an itinerary of some hot spots to visit, and proving you that it’s possible to get a taste of many sides of this region in a few stages… <\/strong>By Alex Plato<\/em><\/p>\n

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\"\"\"\"Located around the Pays de Montb\u00e9liard<\/strong><\/a>, starting from the smallest department of France, the Belfort Territory<\/a><\/strong>! Where you would admire from the top of the Citadel, the famous Lion of Belfort, an artwork of the French sculptor Auguste Bartholdi, built in tribute to the victims of the 1870 War, achieved in 5 years and finally issued in 1880 (photo credits: Alex Plato).<\/p>\n

This Lion honors the stubborn resistance of 16,000 armed citizens, who, during the Franco-Prussian war of 1870-1871, defended this portion of the national soil after the surrender signed by the French government. From this monumental animal (11 metres high and 22 metres long), don’t miss the incredible panorama offered on the city and the valley of the Belfort Gap (Trou\u00e9e de Belfort<\/em>)!<\/p>\n

There are plenty of this Lion replicas in Belfort<\/a><\/strong> including derivatives, present at many points of the city.
\nThe first Lion arrived a couple of time before the Bartholdi’s official one, in front of the \u00c9picerie du Lion<\/strong>, in order for the Belfort citizens to wait for the arrival of the “real one”! It was a very fine grocery store, inaugurated in 1825, which later became  L’Estaminet<\/strong><\/a> brewery, including a listed facade (check the photo below).<\/p>\n

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Indeed, if you have a look around in the city center, you would face more than a hundred lions spread throughout the city, especially on the facades of public buildings, such as 20 on the Halles market’s facade, built in one year and issued in 1905.<\/p>\n

\"\"Those are the same Parisian architects who designed the kiosk located on the Place d’Armes<\/strong> (Belfort being for a long time a garrison city), facing the H\u00f4tel de Ville<\/strong> (City Hall), being, at the basis, a mansion dating from 1724. That’s why you would find the same lions on the front. This kiosk is a place for musical rendez-vous<\/em>, and especially busy during 4 days for free concerts during the weekend of Pentecost.
\nOn this same square is located the Antique Flea Market<\/strong>, on the first Sunday of every month (from March to December). You shouldn’t miss it since it’s considered as the largest antique dealer market in eastern France.<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"Not far from this dynamic urban agora, the Saint Christopher Church<\/strong> became a cathedral in 1979, while the initial construction works began in 1727. Inside this cathedral, there is a beautiful organ, also listed in the register of historical monuments.<\/p>\n

Fortunately and sometimes unfortunately, located on an European passage zone, despite a Vauban fortification, Belfort had experienced many sieges, namely mentioned on the Monument aux Trois Si\u00e8ges<\/strong> (or Monument to the Three Liars), erected following the siege of 1814.<\/p>\n

Moreover, it should be known that at the end of the siege of 1870 and following an agreement between Thiers and Bismarck, Belfort remained French.<\/p>\n

This culture is represented in seven museums spread over six locations form, into the city, an interesting group. For instance, from the Citadel, an exploratory visit to the Great Gallery, summarizing the History of Belfort through an augmented reality trail, then the Museum of History<\/strong><\/a>, with its archeological, historical, military collections and domestic objects, incorporating an area dedicated to Bartholdi.<\/p>\n

In downtown, the Museum of Fine Arts<\/strong><\/a> (Tower 41) contains collections of paintings, sculptures and decorative arts from the end of the Middle Ages up to the present day. The collection donated Maurice Jardot to the Museum of Modern Art<\/strong><\/a> holds the most prestigious works of artists from the first half of the 20th Century, collected by Maurice Jardot and gifted to the city of Belfort in 1997.  Tower 46<\/strong><\/a> proposes a fine space for temporary exhibition, organized around a central pentagonal pillar, in a carefully preserved and presented architectural setting. The parts of the Citadel opened to the public are the Panoramic Terrace, the Courtyard of Honor and the Bourgeois Tower.<\/p>\n

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\"\"\"\"During our visit at the top of this Belfort Citadel<\/a><\/strong>, we were welcomed by the GPPR<\/strong><\/a>, which is an organism of promotion of the Bourgogne Franche-Comt\u00e9<\/strong><\/a> region’s finest gastronomy elements. This real ambassador shares a selection of more than 200 products, among them 60 different cheese types and a selection of hundreds of wine (see the photo upon).<\/p>\n

For example, you should taste the Anis de Flavigny<\/strong><\/a> (anise candy). Those exist, since 1591, straight from the village of Flavigny, faithful to the same recipe, each seed of anise \"\"is patiently wrapped in thin layers of syrup, delicately flavored. Still manufactured in the heart of the old Benedictine abbey, the factory of those Anis de Flavigny<\/strong><\/a> is open to visitors, it could be the oldest brand in France and it’s also a small family business!<\/p>\n

The three ingredients of the basic recipe are sugar, a seed of anise and a natural aroma of anise. Nowadays, you have to know that it needs 15 days to prepare this little candy, it also comes in a variety of 10 flavors, anise, violet, rose, mint, orange blossom, flower, liquorice, lemon, ginger, blackcurrant, tangerine and even ginger! (Photo credits: Anis de Flavigny)<\/p>\n

Otherwise, you would have the choice to taste those Caramels Tendres<\/strong><\/a> (Tender Caramels, photo on the left), manufactured in Morteau<\/strong><\/a> by Klaus<\/strong><\/a>, with fresh milk and salted butter. The note of salt present in the butter enhances the delicate scent of caramel. All their caramels are made in traditional copper cookers. The caramel is then slowly cooled down from a temperature of 113 \u00b0 C to 25 \u00b0 C to be cut and packaged. They attach a lot of importance to the selection of their raw materials. Notably the quality of the fresh milk that comes from the area, close to the factory. The milk used, meets the specifications of 3 AOC: Comt\u00e9, Mont d’Or and Morbier.<\/p>\n

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Originally from the nearby South-Alsatian city of Colmar<\/a><\/strong>, the sculptor Auguste Bartholdi finally managed to convince the Belfort mayor of that time to build this famous Lion, directly designed on the rock, composed of pink sandstone from the Vosges. Mainly inspired by Egypt, Auguste Bartholdi, also designer of the Statue of Liberty in New-York City and a small replica in Paris, opted for a Lion animal, of 22 meters long. This choice was made thanks to the reference to the robustness of this feline, in the form of a tribute to the 103-day siege which weakened the city of Belfort during the sad 1870 War.<\/p>\n

This sculpture was so popular in the eyes of the Parisian visitors, that many of them made the trip to Colmar to admire it. Subsequently, the city of Paris ordered a replica to decorate the Denfert-Rochereau place.<\/p>\n