Fort du Bois-d'Oye (Bermont) walks

This walk follows the fortified belt around Belfort.You’ll discover lovely countryside and woodland scenery, as well as several charming villages: Sévenans, Leupe, Meroux, Vézelois, Chèvremont and Bessoncourt. You’ll pass several structures of the Belfort fortified belt: the forts.

This hike is the first of two stages linking the end of the Vosges crossing in Belfort to the start of the Grande Traversée du Jura (or GTJ on maps), located at the start of Mandeure. This hike is very cultural, starting in the historic town of Belfort. The first part takes you past three forts: Belfort, Basses Perches and Bosmont. The hike is never very far from urban areas and it is even possible to get there by TGV as the high-speed train passes through. It is a hike that alternates between woods, agricultural plains and villages of varying sizes, including Bourogne and its charming wash houses. The end of the hike is the most pleasant part of the route, crossing the dry grasslands of Bourogne and walking along the Rhône-Rhine Canal.

This is the last stage before the start of the Grande Traversée du Jura. The hike is mainly through forest, crossing the woods of Sochaux, Fays and Goutils. At the end of the stage, you can explore the village of Thulay. Halfway along the route, there are shops where you can buy supplies in Seloncourt. There are also some interesting viewpoints along the way.

This stage is the first stage of the Grande Traversée du Jura (or GTJ). It is the easiest. It can be done in a morning and can be combined with the next stage, which goes to Saint-Hippolyte. Most of the route is through forest. The starting point is in Mandeure. A detour to the Gallo-Roman theatre allows you to start with a touch of history. After an hour's walk, the stage passes near the Mandeure viewpoint before continuing through the forest. There are a few open spaces, but they are rare. The descent to Pont-de-Roide is then short and quick.

This stage is the last of the Club Vosgien's red rectangle trail through the Vosges. This stage is classified as moderate as there is virtually no elevation gain. Most of the hike takes place under forest cover. The stage starts in the small town of Giromagny and ends in the beautiful city of Belfort, passing by Bartholdi's Lion, a must-see photo spot for those completing the Vosges crossing!