Marché Couvert

Belfort is a fortified town in the gap between the Vosges and the Jura, in the Territoire de Belfort, the small department that connects Alsace with Franche-Comté, and the covered market is a lively corner of its everyday life. The market hall stands in the old town, in the lower part of the city, below the citadel, and it is a handsome building of metal and glass in the style of the early twentieth century. Covered markets of this kind were built in French towns around 1900, when engineers used iron and glass to create large and well-lit spaces, and the one in Belfort keeps that historical character, with a light, airy interior.

Inside, stallholders from the surrounding countryside sell what the region produces. Belfort lies at the meeting point of several food traditions, and the stalls show it. From Franche-Comté come cheeses, among them Comté, a hard cheese matured in the caves of the Jura, Morbier, with its dark line of ash, and Mont d'Or, a creamy cheese eaten in winter with potatoes. The local fresh cheese Cancoillotte, a runny, garlicky spread, is a speciality that visitors are often invited to taste. Smoked sausages from Morteau and Montbéliard, which have protected designations, hang from the butchers' stalls, and charcuterie, bread, pastries, fruit and vegetables, honey and preserves complete the choice. The fruit brandy of the region, such as kirsch from the Fougerolles area, is also on sale in some shops nearby.

The market is open on several mornings in the week, and it is advisable to check the days and times with the tourist office. Arriving early gives the best choice and the liveliest atmosphere, with vendors happy to let you taste. It is a good place to buy unusual gifts and food to take home, and the stalls make it easy to put together a picnic.

Belfort's best-known landmark is the Lion of Belfort, a huge sandstone sculpture by Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi, the sculptor of the Statue of Liberty, which is carved into the rock below the citadel and commemorates the town's resistance during the siege of 1870 and 1871. The Citadelle de Belfort, a fortress strengthened by Vauban, and the Tour 41 – Musée d'Art moderne, Donation Maurice-Jardot are close to the market, and the Théâtre de Belfort is in the centre of town.

The market suits food lovers, those travelling between Alsace and the Jura and anyone who wants to see the daily life of the town. Allow an hour.