Musée du château de Montbéliard

The Musée du château de Montbéliard is a natural history and archaeology museum housed in a fortress built on a rocky outcrop where two towers from 1424 and 1590 overlook the meeting point of two rivers. The spaces blend ancient stone walls with modern exhibition areas displaying prehistoric bones, stone tools, and other regional discoveries.

The fortress was built starting in 1397 under the Dukes of Württemberg and remained under their rule until the end of the 18th century. After the French Revolution brought new control, the building was converted into a museum in 1937 to preserve local prehistory.

The collections feature regional Bronze Age objects and human remains found in local areas, revealing how people lived here in ancient times. You can also see contemporary art pieces from the 1970s that show how the castle remains connected to modern creative life.

The site sits on a hilltop with stairs and uneven ground, so expect some difficult paths during your visit. The museum does provide wheelchair access, though the exhibition areas are spread across multiple levels.

The most striking collection is a complete skeleton of a bear around 50,000 years old, discovered in a nearby cave system. Together with fossilized marine reptiles found in another location, these specimens show the varied wildlife that once thrived in this region.