Essert can be explored through two distinct themes: military history on the hilltop and the Coulée Verte along the canal. The village church, a chapel and historic water facilities round out the picture. You can decide whether you are more interested in fortifications, sacred art and architecture, or a green route.
Military History on the Hilltop
Fort de la Côte d'Essert was built between 1889 and 1890 on the hilltop in Essert. Its purpose was to monitor the flanks of Mont-Vaudois and Salbert. Ouvrage d'Essert was created between 1890 and 1892 by digging into the rock; the site was designed for a garrison of 276 men. Concrete casemates are visible in the upper sections. Ouvrage de la Côte d'Essert is an underground infantry fortification designed for more than 250 men. The construction period, building method, military function and planned garrison size offer different points of reference as you explore the site's fortification history.
Coulée Verte: Canal and Route
The Coulée Verte starts in Essert, runs mostly alongside the Haute-Saône Canal, and connects Belfort and Montbéliard over a distance of 26 kilometres. The first eight kilometres between Essert and the A36 motorway follow a shaded path beside the canal. Canal structures are visible along the way; vegetation and path conditions may vary. The section of path and the longer connection offer two different scales for getting your bearings: a specifically described stretch near Essert and the 26-kilometre voie verte between Belfort and Montbéliard as a whole. There is an access point with parking on the RN19, at the boundary between Châlonvillars and Essert. Check parking availability before setting off.
Church and Chapel
The present bell tower of Église Saint-Léger dates from 1753. The church's stained-glass windows were made in Grenoble in 1899. It also preserves relics of Saint Léger, Saint Jérôme, Saint Emilien and Saint François de Paul. The choir stalls come from the former Capuchin monastery. These details bring together the building's history, the origins of its windows and the church's interior furnishings, without limiting the view to just one period.
The Chapelle Notre Dame du Voeu was built in 1931 at the upper end of Rue Leiris, at the edge of the forest. It houses a painted metal statue of the Virgin Mary designed by Jules Chell. Alongside the church, the chapel adds another site of sacred art; its location at the end of the street and at the forest's edge is part of the description of the building. Those interested in Essert's religious architecture can thus explore two different buildings and their distinctive artistic and architectural details.
Historic Water Facilities
The Fontaine du Charpiot has a livestock watering trough and a public washhouse. On the Route de Paris, it once served travellers, stagecoaches and their horses. Its facilities can therefore be linked to its historic role in transport. The Lavoir du Bas du village was built in 1807. Together, these water facilities broaden the picture of local cultural history with sites whose historical significance is not limited to churches and fortifications.
Discover more destinations: Buc, Grosmagny, Suarce, Chaux, Offemont, Lachapelle-Sous-Chaux, Villars-Le-Sec, Frais.
For the broader travel overview: Territoire De Belfort.
