Lion du Belfort The Jura Mountains

Belfort's icon is a monumental lion statue that sits astride the citadel, scowling down on the town. Created by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, best known for designing the Statue of Liberty, the red sandstone lion – almost 11m high – represents the spirit of the French army's resistance during the Siege of Belfort during the Franco-Prussian War (1870–71). Walk by at night, when the lion is illuminated.