Circular walk around the castle mound at Montreux-Château

Parking near the supermarket opposite the town hall, Rue du Maréchal Leclerc in Montreux-Château.
The walk is marked with a Red Ring.

(S/E) Continue along Rue du Maréchal Leclerc towards the north-west, ignoring Rue du 8 mai 1945 on the right. Cross Rue de Courte Aige and walk along the right-hand side of the cemetery. The road becomes a path.

(1) 100m after the cemetery, ignore a path on the right, cross the stream and walk past the hunters’ shelter.
You’ll reach the sign for “Point de vue de la Courte Aige”. Lovely view of the Swiss Jura and Lomont. Turn right as indicated by the signposts and turn right again 400m further on.

(2) Cross the channel feeding the Rhône-Rhine Canal and follow it to the right. 150m further on, turn left and then cross over the railway line. Continue straight ahead and cross the housing estate via Rue du Coudra to reach the D28.

(3) Take Rue des Champs straight ahead and to the right; this leads onto a path through the fields. Ignore a path on the left, cross the D29 with care and continue straight ahead.

(4) Be very careful here, as there are many signposts. Turn right, continue straight on for 300m, following the path which curves to the left and then to the right.
At the crossroads, turn right towards Cunelières. 50m further on, pass the spot where Pégoud’s plane crashed. There is an interesting information board.
Continue straight ahead.

(5) Take the D29 to the left for 600m, proceeding with caution, then turn right onto a small path to reach Cunelières.

(6) Turn right onto the D11 for 100m, then turn left onto Rue Saint-Nicolas. Next, turn right onto Rue Sous-les-Vergers and, 150m further on, take a path on the right. Follow the signposts carefully.
The path turns south-west then sharply west to reach the D11.

(7) Take the road on the left with care. Follow it to the sign marking the entrance to Montreux-Château.

(8) Just after the sign, turn right. The signposting is very helpful. Pass two paths on the right and head back towards the village via Rue Henry Dorey.

(9) Turn left onto the D28. After 50m, turn right onto the main road. Cross the railway line using the Victor Hugo footbridge. Continue straight ahead and go round the roundabout.

(10) 100m past the church, turn left onto Rue d’Alsace towards Montreux-Vieux.
Turn right just before the Canal du Moulin (look out for the sign on the bridge) and take Rue de l'Ancienne Église.

(11) Follow the signs on the left for the Chapelle Sainte-Catherine, which is less than 100m away on the left.
Return to Rue de l'Ancienne Église, continue left, pass a house with sundials and carry on to the wash house and the Town Hall.
Turn left onto Rue du Général de Gaulle for 50 metres, then you will find the car park on the right (S/E).

Start in Montreux-Château.

Parking near the supermarket opposite the town hall on Rue du Maréchal Leclerc in Montreux-Château.

Visorando was informed by Mr Chevalley, a volunteer member of Balisage90.

This walk was created by the Bourbeuse Basin Community of Communes, which is now part of Greater Belfort.

Montreux-Château

The castle mound
Montreux is an ancient village (Münsterol) mentioned in a document dating from 962.
Situated a short distance from the village, the motte-and-bailey was located on a headland of marshy ground bounded to the south by the Suarcine and to the north-west by the Saint-Nicolas.
The motte consists of a circular mound of earth. Most of the time, the summit was occupied by a wooden palisade. They are found in all regions of Europe.
The castle is first mentioned in 1260.

For further information, visit the Medieval website:

St Catherine’s Chapel

It was built in 1610 by the Reinach family, the local lords. (The Reinachs can also be found in Foussemagne). The chapel is the only remaining vestige in the centre of the old cemetery.

Cunelières

Place names: Von Küniglieren (1566), Queneliere (1655), Kunglieu (1662), Cuneliere (1793), Cunelières (1860).
In German: Löffeldorf.
The village’s name appears in the archives from the 15th century onwards as Cournoillière or Loeffeldorf in documents written in German. In the Middle Ages, Cunelières was part of the fiefdom of Montreux and its history closely mirrors that of the neighbouring seigneury.
Source: Wikipedia:

Pégoud Monument

On 31 August 1915, flying ace Adolphe Pégoud (1889–1915), assigned to the MS49 squadron based at Fontaine, was shot down over Petit-Croix by a German opponent and his Nieuport crashed into a field. The walk passes close to the site where a monument was erected on 23 September 1917, then moved to the centre of the village on 15 May 1982 for practical reasons: it commemorates this tragic end.
A very detailed information panel summarises the information given here.

The Rigole

The Belfort Rigole draws water from the Champagney reservoir via the Haute-Saône Canal. Part of it runs underground and emerges near Meroux to feed the Rhône-Rhine Canal at the leat in Montreux-Château.
For further details, click on the VNF link (Voies Navigables de France):