The Bartholdi Lion looms over Belfort from the cliff of its citadel, built from blocks of pink sandstone assembled against the rock. It is an integral part of the city’s identity, and it pairs naturally with the Vauban citadel and, a few kilometers away, the Malsaucy lake. From La Bresse, this excursion fits into a single day, offering a change of pace from the usual nature outings.
The Bartholdi Lion, a pink sandstone monument set against the cliff
The Lion measures 22 meters long by 11 meters high. It was built between 1875 and 1880 by Auguste Bartholdi, the sculptor also behind the Statue of Liberty. The work commemorates the resistance of Belfort’s residents during the siege of 1870-1871: besieged by the Prussians, the city laid down its arms only on the orders of the French government, with Colonel Denfert-Rochereau leading the defence. Under the 1871 Treaty of Frankfurt, Adolphe Thiers secured that Belfort and 105 communes stayed French, as a provisional administrative entity called the Territoire de Belfort; department status came in 1922, when its administrator became a prefect.
The Lion’s terrace is located at allée du Souvenir français, 90000 Belfort. The tourist office listing mentions no facilities for visitors with reduced mobility, so it is worth checking with the Belfort museums service before travelling. The terrace opens each day, morning and afternoon, with a midday break, within a range running from 9:30am to 6:30pm depending on the season, apart from the closures listed below.
Admission is 1 euro, free for under-18s; other concessions are worth checking with the Belfort museums service. The terrace is closed on January 1, July 13, November 1 and December 25. The detailed calendar is published by the tourist office and by the Belfort museums service: in 2026, an exceptional closure from March 30 to May 20 suspended access to the terrace and to the passage under the Lion, both reopening on May 21.
The Belfort citadel: what surrounds the Lion
The Lion is part of a larger complex: the Belfort citadel, fortified by Vauban from 1687, open to visitors in every season. The tourist office gives the address of the citadel’s Museum of History as rue Xavier Bauer, 90000 Belfort, with a small tourist train serving the site from April to October, departing from the Arsenal car park.
On site, two other elements round out the visit: the Museum of History, housed in a former barracks at the top of the citadel, and the Grand Souterrain, a medieval trench covered over by Vauban in 1749, open from April to October. The museum closes on Tuesdays, except in July and August when it opens every day. A café-restaurant operates from March to October in a former artillery hall.
This layout across several areas (Lion, museum, underground trench) makes it easy to adjust the visit to however much time is available. A morning is enough for the Lion’s terrace and a walk along the ramparts; a full day allows adding the museum and the underground trench. For another town-based excursion in the Hautes Vosges, Le Thillot and its Hautes-Mynes offer a similar format, closer to La Bresse.
Combining Belfort with the Malsaucy lake
A few kilometers north of Belfort, the Malsaucy lake is the largest body of water in the Territoire de Belfort, covering 55 hectares with a 6,000 m² beach. Swimming is free and supervised from June to August. The rest of the year, the peninsula remains open for walking, cycling and birdwatching: the site holds the Refuge LPO label (Ligue pour la Protection des Oiseaux, the French bird protection league) for its Jardin d’Oiseaux.
Summer activities include pedal boats, paddleboarding, kayaking, mini-golf and beach volleyball, along with an environmental centre (Maison de l’environnement) open from April to October. Malsaucy is also known for hosting the Eurockéennes festival in summer: it’s worth checking the events calendar before heading there, since crowds and access can change significantly on those days.
Combining the citadel and Malsaucy in the same day remains realistic: the drive between the two sites takes just a few minutes, without much of a detour from the route back to the Vosges.
Planning the excursion from La Bresse
From La Bresse, the trip is made by car, heading for the southern end of the massif. This is a full-day outing rather than a half-day one, best planned with an early start if you want to fit in the Lion, the citadel and Malsaucy without rushing.
This urban excursion complements a nature- and hiking-focused stay well. It’s also a solid backup option if the mountain weather turns bad: if the day’s plans in the Vosges fall through, our guide to rainy-day activities in La Bresse lists other options closer by, to combine depending on the length of the stay.
Before setting off, check the current hours for the Lion and the Museum of History on the official websites: they vary by season and can change from one year to the next.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to visit the Bartholdi Lion?
Access to the Lion's terrace costs 1 euro, free for under-18s. Other concessions, and the prices for the citadel's paying sites, are published by the Belfort museums service.
What are the opening hours for the Lion's terrace?
It opens each day, morning and afternoon, with a midday break, within a range running from 9:30am to 6:30pm depending on the season. It's closed on January 1, July 13, November 1 and December 25. The exact calendar is published by the Belfort museums service.
Can Belfort and the Malsaucy lake be combined in the same day?
Yes. Malsaucy is a few kilometers north of Belfort. Free supervised swimming runs from June to August, as do the pedal boats and mini-golf. The walking and mountain-bike trails stay open in every season.