From Sévenans to Bessoncourt via the forts

The start and finish points are served by buses and have car parks. See Practical Information.

The route is marked with a yellow and red rectangle.

(S) From the Carrefour Des Œufs Frais bus stop, head north-east along the cycle path.

(1) Cross the Savoureuse river via the beautiful Sablettes footbridge. Continue along the cycle path towards Leupe. You will reach a junction just after an EDF power line.

(2) Continue straight ahead. On the right, there are old blockhouses and signs of former mining activity. At the crossroads, turn left onto the Leupe road and go under the railway line. Turn right when you reach the hamlet of Leupe.

(3) In Leupe, continue straight on, following the signposts. (The path on the left leads to another walk: “Forests and Canal at Danjoutin”, available on Visarando). Continue straight on along the cycle path.
Note: on the left there is a beautiful landscape with several ponds. Join the D23 road.

(4) Turn right and then right again just before the cemetery, walk alongside it and turn left to go round the back and reach the farmhouse. Turn left onto Rue de l'Ouvrage. Continue to the next junction.

(5) At the barrier, enjoy a lovely view of the fort known as the Meroux fortification. Continue right onto Rue de l'Ouvrage. At the end, turn left onto Rue du 15 Juillet 1972 and take the left fork at the next junction until you reach the crossroads with Rue de Belfort (D23).

(6) Cross carefully and continue straight ahead on the D25, Rue de Vézelois, towards Fort Ordener. About 150 m further on, turn right into Rue de la Mairie, then, after Place de la Mairie, almost directly opposite, take Rue du Lavoir. Continue on the D23, Rue de Charmois, until you reach Rue des Pierres

(7) Turn left onto this street, which is a farm track. Cross a stone-built canal, the Belfort ditch, and continue straight on at the next junction. Turn left when you reach Fort de Vézelois or Fort Ordener. Walk along the left-hand side of the fort, then continue left towards the D25.

(8) Cross it carefully and continue along the path opposite. After about 300 m, turn right towards a housing estate via Chemin du Chatus. At the junction with Rue des Longerois, turn right. At the stop sign, turn left then follow the D25 (Rue des Meroux) and at the next junction, turn left again onto Rue de la Praille, which leads to the junction with the D13 (Rue de Danjoutin).

(9) Cross it carefully and continue straight ahead along Rue Traversière. At the next junction, take the^second right onto Chemin de Fontenelle. This leads through the fields. Continue straight on until you reach the forest. Pass by the hunters’ hut. Follow the markings carefully, ignoring the many paths branching off to the right and left. Further on, keep a close eye on the markings to find a path on the left that winds sharply north-west.

(10) Turn left onto this path, then right, and cross the railway line. Arrive in Chèvremont via Rue du Petit Bois. Reach the junction 50 m before a stop sign (Caution: do not go as far as the cross at the junction with the D25).

(11) Turn right and continue straight ahead along Chemin Rural. When you reach the sewage treatment plant, turn left and cross the Ruisseau du Trovaire. Pass to the left of the riding club and cross the D28.

(12) A few metres further on, at the wayside shrine, turn left onto Chemin des Pointes. Follow it straight on for about 600 m. Keep a close eye on the signposts to find, at a left-hand bend, a path leading off to the right towards the forest.

(13) Continue along the farm track, enter the forest and cross the Ruisseau de la Mèche. The track curves to the left before leaving the forest and reaching a crossroads.

(14) Continue straight ahead. Arrive in Bessoncourt via Rue des Primevères, and follow it to the end.

(15) Turn right and follow the D25, Rue des Lilas, for about 100 metres. Take care, as this is a busy road.

(16) Turn left and admire the sandstone fountain. Continue along Rue des Bleuets, pass the school, then turn right onto Rue des Lys and proceed to the stop sign on the D419.

(16) Take care, as the D419 is very busy. Turn left onto it (Rue des Magnolias) for 100 m, cross it very carefully and continue right onto Rue du Fort de Sénarmont. You will arrive at Fort Sénarmont or Fort de Bessoncourt (E).

The start and finish points are served from Belfort by the city’s buses: Optymo
You can download the Optymo app onto your phone and view the timetables. You can pay for your journey using your phone.
Bessoncourt, line 24.
Sévenans, line 3.
By car, you can park at the end of Rue des Sablettes near La Savoureuse (2 or 3 parking spaces). There are also spaces in the supermarket car park (please note that it is closed outside opening hours).
In Bessoncourt, you can park right at the entrance to the fort.
The description has been updated following the reopening of the Sablettes footbridge in Sévenans in June 2023.

A fortified belt was built after the 1870 war. General Séré de Rivières oversaw the operations. For further details, see the following link.
Fort d’Ordener, or Fort de Vézelois, named after an imperial general, is one of the fortifications protecting Belfort. It was built between 1883 and 1886.
The Méroux Fort. The Méroux intermediate infantry fort was built between 1908 and 1913. It is one of the fortifications protecting Belfort.
The Belfort Canal 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 into the leat at Montreux-Château.
Fort Vézelois. Built between 1883 and 1886, it can accommodate 500 men.
Fort Senarmont in Bessoncourt. Built from 1883 onwards, it could accommodate 800 men. It was designed to protect the valley between Mulhouse and Basel. In 1914, it housed a field hospital. During the occupation of 1940–1944, it served as an ammunition depot for the Germans.