Interview with Vanessa Le Lay, Director of Pays de Montbéliard Tourism, France

In Eastern France, the small city of Montbéliard (Burgundy – Franche-Comté region-26,000 inhabitants) experienced strong tourism success in recent years. A dynamic marketing promotion, a famed Christmas market – many times rewarded as one of Europe’s top Christmas markets- and a historical town filled with monuments bearing a German influence help lifting Montbéliard to an attractive city-break destination as explained by Vanessa Le Lay, Director of Pays de Montbéliard Tourism. 

How many visitors does Montbéliard and its region receive each year?

Vanessa Le Lay – In the greater Montbéliard area, we welcome more than 4 million day visitors—French and international—and just over 2 million overnight stays, including both commercial accommodations and second homes. We have 17 hotels, offering more than 1,500 rooms available year-round and generating some 175,000 overnights in 2023. While the room occupancy rate is around 55% on an annual basis, it climbs to 70% in December with our special Christmas events.

What makes the city so distinctive for first-time travelers ?

Vanessa Le Lay – Montbéliard is a small city that is truly remarkable with an authentic sense of lifestyle, where people feels proud of their history, their industrial heritage and also their gastronomy. We offer to visitors the Castle of the Dukes of Württemberg, the Beurnier-Rossel Museum, the Science Pavilion, the 19 CRAC (contemporary art center). The city center bears a very Montbéliard architecture is very Alemannic, because the Montbéliard area was under German rule for 400 years. As a result, the city looks very different from the rest of Franche-Comté—and even from nearby Belfort. It’s a city that’s easy to explore on foot and has a very rich history.

Does this German heritage help attract German tourists?

Vanessa Le Lay – Yes, absolutely. The architecture and the castle dominating the city center are major tourism assets. Montbéliard also continues to strengthen its German identity through the Montbéliard–Ludwigsburg twinning, which was the first Franco-German twinning after World War II. In 2025, we indeed celebrated its 75th anniversary. There are many joint initiatives and a strong, ongoing connection between the two cities.

Is Germany actually the top foreign market for Montbéliard?

Vanessa Le Lay – According to data from 2023, Germans and Swiss visitors are clearly our leading foreign markets and almost on pair. Switzerland generates 26% of all tourist overnights while Germany has a 25% share. If we only look at day-trippers, these market shares stand respectively at 35% and 37%. Then come Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium and the USA for total overnights. We work a lot with all these markets. But we place particular emphasis on welcoming German visitors because there is a real shared soul here.

What is the main mean of transportation to Montbéliard?

Vanessa Le Lay – Most visitors come by car, particularly from Germany and Switzerland. Ludwigsburg is about 3.5 hours away, while Freiburg is about 1.5 hours, so it’s quite convenient. We also welcome many cycling tourists, since Montbéliard lies along the EuroVelo 6 route from Nantes to Budapest, which makes it easy to reach the city by bike.

In recent years, Montbéliard gained fame thanks to its Christmas Market. It it the main event for the city ?

Vanessa Le Lay – In terms of tourism appeal, it is truly the flagship event of the year. The Montbéliard Christmas Lights just terminated its 39th edition in December 2025. We welcome more than 500,000 visitors every year over the course of one month. It is also the largest event in terms of attendance in the entire Bourgogne–Franche-Comté region.

Hotels perform especially well during the Christmas season, and are fully booked on weekends. That’s why we encourage visitors to come during the week if possible—it’s the best way to fully enjoy the Christmas lights and the artisans at the Christmas market.

Is the city working on developing a summer event or some other attractions to balance the Christmas season?

Vanessa Le Lay – In September, we also develop what we call the Gourmet Days, which focus on gastronomy. There is an urban food walk where participants stop several times to taste local products. What makes it special is that visitors are allowed into places that are normally closed to the public and not included in traditional guided tours.

Montbéliard is also focused on revitalizing the site of the Château of the Dukes of Württemberg. The castle has been undergoing major restoration work for over a year now, and this will continue through 2028. Different areas are reopening in stages. The goal is to transform the esplanade leading up to the castle into a lively, animated space. During the summer, for example, several free performances are offered every week—for residents of Montbéliard, people living in the greater Montbéliard area, and tourists alike.

About tourism in Montbéliard

Going there : Montbéliard is easily accessible by all means of transport. It is located 1 hour away from Euroairport Basel-Mulhouse offering flights to most capitals in Europe as well as Dubai. Montbéliard is also a stop on the high-speed train line linking Paris to Switzerland. It is also 17 minutes away by train from Delle, in Switzerland.

Sightseeing : For four centuries, Montbéliard stood apart from the rest of France. Formerly a German principality ruled by the Dukes of Württemberg, the Pays de Montbéliard forged a distinct identity shaped by Lutheran Protestantism, Germanic architecture, and an entrepreneurial spirit that would later fuel industrial success. In 1556, Lutheranism became the state religion, leaving a lasting imprint on society and the urban landscape. Architect Heinrich Schickhardt gave the city its orderly layout and emblematic landmarks, including the Temple of Saint Martin, the oldest Lutheran church in France. The castle is a must-visit with its imposing architecture and its exhibition about the Württemberg dynasty.

Montbéliard became French only in 1793. Its Protestant work ethic and openness helped drive major industrial growth, notably with the presence of the world famous car manufacturer Peugeot. The Peugeot Adventure Museum in Sochaux displays on 8,000 m² of exhibition space some 130 vehicles and 50 cycles and motorbikes.

Today, designated a Town and Region of Art and History, Montbéliard blends heritage and culture in its city center. The city hall, the Saint Martin Lutheran Church, the Market hall dating from the 16th century or the Beurnier-Rossel roccoco mansion, today the city fine art and history museum are part of Montbéliard discovery.

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