Two-day itinerary around Montbéliard’s Christmas market (Christmas Lights 2026): châteaux and fortresses of the Pays de Montbéliard and the Territoire de Belfort
Christmas Lights 2026 in Montbéliard: a weekend between the Château des Wurtemberg, Belfort and Belvoir
From 21 November to 24 December 2026, Montbéliard will celebrate the 40th edition of its Christmas Lights, with Switzerland as the guest of honour. Two days to link the market to the dukes of Württemberg’s château, the citadel of Belfort, the keep of Héricourt, the fort of Mont-Bart and Belvoir.
Editorial journal · Carte des Châteaux ·
Week-end de l'Avent
For nearly four centuries, Montbéliard was not French. From 1407 to the Revolution, the town and its château belonged to the counts and then dukes of Württemberg, which explains the round towers above the Allan, the Lutheran temple built by a Swabian architect and, perhaps, this very German taste for Advent celebrations. Created in 1986, the Christmas Lights will celebrate their 40th edition in 2026, from Saturday 21 November to Thursday 24 December, with Switzerland as the guest of honour. The market occupies the historic centre, but the surrounding countryside is worth staying an extra day for: Vauban’s citadel and Bartholdi’s Lion in Belfort, the keep of Héricourt where a great harpsichordist died, a fort from the Séré de Rivières belt perched at 483 metres, and, to the south, the château of Belvoir saved from ruin by a family. Here is a two-day route, by car or partly by train, that keeps the evenings free for the chalets.
Did you know? Four fates linked to these walls
Béatrix de Cusance
1614-1663
Daughter of the family that owned Belvoir, princess of Cantecroix by her first marriage, she married Duke Charles IV of Lorraine in 1637, a union long contested by the Church as the duke was already married. She died in 1663 and is buried beneath a funerary monument still visible in the Château de Belvoir.
Heinrich Schickhardt
1558-1635
An architect from Herrenberg in the service of the dukes of Württemberg, he worked extensively in Montbéliard. His most visible work is the Saint-Martin Temple, commissioned by Frédéric Ier and completed in 1607, whose foundation inscription bears his name.
Johann Jakob Froberger
1616-1667
Organist to the imperial court of Vienna and one of the great harpsichord composers of his age, he spent his final years at the Château d’Héricourt, hosted by Princess Sibylle of Württemberg, who welcomed him from 1663 until his death in 1667.
Aristide Denfert-Rochereau
1823-1878
Polytechnician and military engineer, chief engineer in Belfort since 1864, he was promoted to colonel and appointed governor of the fortress in the autumn of 1870. He held out for 103 days against von Werder’s troops, then became a deputy. In Montbéliard, Father Christmas arrives at Place Denfert-Rochereau.
Weekend getaway
The route on the map
From Belfort to Belvoir via Montbéliard
The route follows the Belfort gap from north to south, then reaches the Doubs plateaus: around sixty kilometres from Belfort to Belvoir, not including the return to Montbéliard.
Markers follow the suggested visiting order. Select a castle to open its page.
Read next
A three-day Alsace itinerary combining Christmas markets 2026 (Saverne, Strasbourg, Sélestat) with five castles: Hunebourg, Osthoffen, Kintzheim, Haut-Koenigsbourg and Frankenbourg.Christmas markets in Alsace: three days of castle-hopping from Saverne to Sélestat
History and visit of the Château de Joux (Doubs): Vauban, famous prisoners and 2020–2030 restorationChâteau de Joux: the Jura fortress where Toussaint Louverture died
Castles of the Dukes of Lorraine and Stanislas around Nancy, to be discovered during the St Nicholas Festivities 2026St Nicholas Festivities 2026: Five Castles of the Dukes of Lorraine, from Nancy to Haroué
Bournel Castle (Doubs), filming location for seasons 4 to 7 of the M6 show « Les Traîtres »Les Traîtres seasons 4 to 7: Bournel Castle, the new neo-Gothic lair of the show
Sources
Read more
Day by day
The itinerary
Day 1, morning: Belfort
Arrival in Belfort, by car or via the Belfort-Montbéliard TGV station. Walk up to the citadel via the old town, past the foot of the Lion and around the ramparts. Allow the whole morning if visiting the military history museum.
Day 1, early afternoon: Héricourt
A dozen kilometres south via the Lizaine valley. Stop at the keep, visible from the town centre; check the commune’s website for interior visit details.
Day 1, late afternoon and evening: Montbéliard
Check into Montbéliard before nightfall, then explore the Christmas market around the Saint-Martin Temple, the gourmet alley along Cours Sponeck and the illuminated esplanade of the château.
Day 2, morning: Montbéliard château and Mont-Bart
Visit the château museums at opening time, then a seven-kilometre drive to Bavans for a walk up to Fort du Mont-Bart.
Day 2, afternoon: Belvoir
Drive south-west to Belvoir, guided tour of the château if available that day, then return to Montbéliard for a final evening at the market.