Tour de la Miotte

Belfort

Long before Bartholdi's Lion became the emblem of Belfort, the town saw itself in an old tower perched on the Miotte cliff, to the north-east of the city. Mentioned as early as 1474, this "Pierre de la Miotte" of uncertain origin — watchtower, signal tower or place of pilgrimage, depending on the author — fed a whole body of legend. The people of Belfort called themselves "children of the Miotte": tradition had it that the town's newborns came into the world at the foot of its rock, just as elsewhere the storks bring them, and it was told that a couple had found a child there in a hollow of the rock. Another attested custom: anyone leaving Belfort for a long journey or for military service took with them, as a protective talisman, a stone picked up at the foot of the tower. Military history has been layered over the traditions: a redoubt in 1792–1793, a bastioned fort in 1831–1835, the tower rebuilt in 1840. Collapsed in 1873, raised again in 1874–1875, destroyed once more in the 20th century, the tower was rebuilt in 1946 and inaugurated before some 5,000 people: three resurrections that make it the stubborn symbol of the town.

Getting there : Miotte educational trail from the Miotte district or the Étang des Forges; about 20 minutes' walk up; surroundings of the fort freely accessible, tower can be seen at close quarters

Opening times and access details are given as a guide only: check before you set out.

Ambient sound