Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Hotel de Voyageurs du Lion Rouge, located in Montbéliard in the Doubs, is an emblematic building of the first half of the 16th century. Its construction, dated from the beginning or the middle of this century, reflects the civil architecture of the Renaissance, with sledging windows and a spiral staircase. The building has experienced several extension campaigns, notably in the 17th and 18th centuries, incorporating adjoining houses and remarkable interior decorations such as painted ceilings and ground flooring.

Certified as an inn from the seventeenth century, the hotel welcomed historical personalities, including Emperor Joseph II in 1781, brother of Marie-Antoinette. His hotel assignment continued until the 20th century. Partially classified in 1989, then entirely for its southern building body in 2012, it now houses housing. Recent excavations and redevelopments revealed architectural and decorative elements reflecting its evolution, such as a screw staircase and painted medallions.

The Red Lion illustrates Montbéliard's urban history, marked by its role as a stage town and trade. Its successive transformations, from Renaissance additions to enlargements of the 18th and 19th centuries, make it a witness to the architectural and social changes of the region. The protection of historic monuments underscores its heritage value, combining late medieval heritage and modern adaptations.

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