Essert: Fortifications, Local History and the Coulée Verte

Essert offers two distinct ways to plan your visit: military and religious architectural history, and the Coulée Verte. The voie verte starts in Essert, runs mostly along the Canal de la Haute-Saône, and connects Belfort and Montbéliard over 26 km. Its historic sites span different types of buildings and periods.

Late 19th-century fortifications

Fort de la Côte d'Essert was built between 1889 and 1890 on the Essert hillside to monitor the flanks of Mont-Vaudois and Salbert. Ouvrage d'Essert was excavated into the rock between 1890 and 1892 and designed for a garrison of 276 men. Concrete casemates can be seen in its upper sections. Ouvrage de la Côte d'Essert is an underground infantry fortification; its underground rooms were designed to accommodate more than 250 men. Its military history thus ranges from its hillside location and the surveillance of two flanks to rock-cut construction, casemates and planned underground rooms.

Church and chapel

Église Saint-Léger features a variety of architectural and artistic details. The current bell tower dates from 1753, and the stained-glass windows were made in Grenoble in 1899. The church preserves relics of Saint Léger, Saint Jerome, Saint Emilien and Saint Francis of Paola. The choir stalls and wood panelling come from the former Capuchin monastery. Architecture, stained glass, relics and woodwork, each with its own history, can thus be found in the same building.

The Notre Dame du Voeu chapel was built in 1931 at the top of Rue Leiris, at the edge of the forest. It houses a painted metal statue of the Virgin Mary designed by Jules Chell. Its construction date, location and artistic detail give the chapel a distinct place alongside Église Saint-Léger, without conflating its history with that of the church.

Fountains, washhouse and travel provisions of the past

The Fontaine du Charpiot has a livestock watering trough and a public washhouse. On the Route de Paris, it once provided supplies for travellers, stagecoaches and their horses. The Lavoir du Bas du village was built in 1807. If you are grouping Essert’s attractions by historical theme, you can consider its fortifications, religious art and facilities from everyday village life separately.

Coulée Verte: a section and the full route

For the first 8 km between Essert and the A36 motorway, the Coulée Verte follows a shaded path alongside the canal; canal structures are visible along the way. Vegetation and path conditions may vary. This section can be distinguished from the full 26 km voie verte linking Belfort and Montbéliard, which mostly follows the Canal de la Haute-Saône. This distinction offers a practical way to plan your trip: you can decide whether to focus your route on the section between Essert and the A36 or on the longer connection.

At the RN19 on the border between Châlonvillars and Essert, the Coulée Verte has an access point with a car park. Check parking availability before setting out. Your trip can therefore focus on two distinct themes: Essert’s history of fortifications, churches and local life, or a clearly defined section of a longer voie verte.

Discover more destinations: Rougegoutte, Bessoncourt, Lachapelle-Sous-Chaux, Frais, Buc, Lepuix, Novillard, Autrechêne

Go to the overview of the wider area: Territoire De Belfort.