Étang des Forges & Forêt du Monceau
Barely five minutes by bike from Place d'Armes, the Étang des Forges is a 34-hectare lake fringed by flooded alder and willow forest where herons stand motionless in the shallows and the only sounds are rustling leaves and lapping water. It is Belfort's best-kept open secret — beloved by locals, barely mentioned in guidebooks.
Lake, Forest & Medieval History
The lake's origins go back to the Middle Ages, when it provided fish for the city. Later its water powered iron furnaces — the 'forges' that gave it its name. Today the peaceful 4-km perimeter trail winds through a protected natural zone particularly rich in birdlife, with a restored bird-watching observatory on the eastern bank where you can spot great crested grebes, kingfishers and grey herons without disturbing them.
The flooded forest of alder and willow on the western shore is the most atmospheric stretch — roots in the water, canopy overhead, light filtering through in long gold shafts on summer mornings. It feels genuinely wild for somewhere so close to a city of 50,000 people.
On the Water, On the Path, On the Bike
The flat, signposted 4-km loop around the lake is ideal for families, runners and cyclists — there are no meaningful gradients, a bike-tyre inflation station, picnic tables, barbecue areas, and a dedicated fishing pontoon. A nautical base offers sailing and windsurfing for clubs and schools, and the whole site carries the 'Tourisme et Handicap' accessibility label.
For a longer adventure, the Forêt du Monceau and the trails climbing towards Salbert mountain begin just beyond the lake's northern shore, connecting to a network of hiking and mountain-bike paths that reach deep into the southern Vosges foothills.
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