The cozy town of Besancon, France, will find something to interest its guests. But most of all, of course, it attracts fans of military history. And all thanks to the Citadel-a masterpiece of the engineer Vauban and a remarkable testimony to the military architecture of the XVII century.
General information about the city
Besancon is a small town in the south-east of France, in the region of Burgundy-Franche-Comté. It is located on the eastern slope of the Jurassic Mountains, at the turn of the Du River, and covers an area of just over 65 km2.
Besancon has a rich history. It was founded during the Roman Empire, in the Middle Ages it served as the center of the county of Burgundy, and in 1674 it became part of France.
Today, Besancon is an important center of industry, education and culture in the Franche-Comté region, as well as its administrative center.
For many years Besancon was a well-known center of the watch industry, where factories of such famous brands as Tissot, Hamilton, Certina worked. Now the economy is reoriented to nanotechnologies, and many enterprises in this area are developing in the city.
Besancon is a rather cozy and attractive town with interesting buildings, picturesque embankments, numerous parks and green areas.
According to the French National Institute of Statistics and Economic Research, Besancon is home to almost 117,000 people in 2023.
Besancon attractions
The city is very interesting, but small. If you don’t have much time, then you can see all its sights in a day. What should you pay attention to first?
Citadel of Besancon
This fortification is located on the 100-meter mount Saint-Etienne, which occupies a strategic position on a narrow isthmus in the bend of the Doubs River.
The Citadel of Besancon is a real masterpiece created by the Marshal of France and the brilliant military engineer of the XVII century, Sebastian Vauban.
The Citadel consists of 3 large bastions, behind them are open esplanades. The fortifications around the Citadel are 5-meter-thick walls that rise 15-20 meters high, with built-in towers with loopholes for circular shelling. Citadel courtyard – location of the main buildings:
- powder magazine with reliable additional fortifications;
- arsenal;
- school for cadets;
- several deep wells (135 m), which, if necessary, should provide a continuous supply of water.
On the territory of this large-scale tourist attraction in France, there are such museums:
- The Museum of Resistance and Deportation, which tells about France’s participation in World War II and the Resistance to fascism movement. Among the exhibits are many photos and documents, as well as works of art created by prisoners of concentration camps.
- The Comtois Museum is an ethnographic museum dedicated to the traditions of Franche-Comté. The museum’s collection, which occupies 17 halls, contains many household items of the XIX-XX centuries. A unique collection of dolls is especially valuable.
- An atypical Natural History Museum. In addition to the natural history collection, there is a zoological garden, an insectarium and an aquarium with many live species of flora and fauna.
The citadel is a great place to take panoramic photos of Besancon. From the height of its walls, you can enjoy a beautiful view of the old town and the valleys of the Du River.
- The citadel is located at 99 Rue des Fusilles de la Resistance, 25000 Besancon, France.
- Website: www.citadelle.com.
- The attraction is open to the public at the following times: February-March and November-December (low season) – from 10: 00 to 17: 00; April-June and September-October (medium season) – from 9:00 to 18: 00; July-August (high season) – from 9: 00:00 to 19: 00.
- Visiting the attraction is paid. The ticket is valid throughout the day, it gives you the opportunity to explore the courtyard and premises of the Citadel, as well as visit all 3 museums and temporary exhibitions. Ticket price for adults: in low season-9.50 euros, in medium season-11.50 euros, in high season-12.50 euros. For children, the ticket price is the same at any time of the year: 4-7 years – 5.80 euros, 8-17 years – 9.50 euros.
Saint-Jean Cathedral
One of the most notable sights of Besancon is the Cathedral of Saint-Jean. The beautiful monumental building, located in the center of the old town, acquired its current appearance in the XVI-XVII centuries. The church is quite unusual, it combines 3 different styles: Romanesque, Gothic and Baroque.
The interior is rich, complete with beautiful statues. Of particular value is the round altar made of white marble – the only one in France of this type, as well as the painting by Bartolomeo “Our Lady with Saints” from 1512.
- The temple is located at 10 Rue de la Convention, 25000 Besancon, France.
- The cathedral is open from 9: 00 to 18: 00.
Astronomical clock
The unique landmark of Besancon in France is the Astronomical Clock of the Cathedral of Saint-Jean. This technical masterpiece was designed and manufactured by mechanical watchmaker Auguste-Lucien Verite. To create the watch, the master took 2 years – from 1858 to 1860.
An astronomical clock weighing 2 tons is located on 6 levels, the total height of which is 5.8 meters. The incredibly complex mechanism combines more than 30,000 parts. The clock mechanism installed in the lower part of the bell tower ensures the operation of the external and internal dials of the cathedral, as well as two bells.
The watch has a total of 57 dials-they are located on the pediment, on the back and on the sides of the device. The time of day is displayed on 4 dials that face different sides of the cathedral, and on another one installed inside the cathedral.
The mechanism contains 122 interdependent indications, including: date, time in 20 different parts of the world, religious holidays, seasons, solar and lunar eclipses, tides in large ports of France and other countries.
- The attraction is located at: Rue du Chapitre, 25000 Besancon, France.
- Сайт: https://www.horloge-astronomique-besancon.fr/.
- Access to the clock is available on all days of the week, except Mondays, from 10: 00 to 12: 30 and from 14: 00 to 18: 00.
- The ticket price is 4 euros. On the first Sunday of January, February and November, admission is free for everyone.
St. Peter’s Church
This religious building was built in 1782-1786 by architect Claude Bertrand.
The church has an atypical bell tower. And not only because of the height of 70 meters, but also because it served as a bell tower of the town hall and a guardhouse. This combination of religious and civil is extremely rare.
There is a strong contrast between the massive exterior of the building and the rather small space inside.
The church houses many works of art, the wooden decoration of the choir is impressive, and a beautiful organ rises above the altar.
- Saint-Pierre Church is located in La Boucle, in the heart of the old town. Exact address: 8-12 Pl. du 8 Septembre, 25000 Besancon, France.
- The church is open from Monday to Saturday, from 9: 00 to 17: 00.
Archaeological territory of Kastan
In 1870, Auguste Castan began to conduct excavations on the site of the Church of St. John the Baptist destroyed during the Revolution. During the excavations, the archaeologist found 8 Corinthian columns, part of an unknown Roman building of the II-III century, as well as the ruins of a Gallo-Roman amphitheater with a diameter of about 54 meters.
An English park was built around the ancient amphitheater. This is how a small square with archaeological artifacts, surrounded by large deciduous trees, appeared in the center of Besancon.
- Address: 1-5 Sq. Castan, 25000 Besancon, France.
Place de la Granvelle
Granvelle square is a large and very picturesque city park that was once a garden attached to the palace of Cardinal Granvelle. Despite its location almost in the center of the city, the park remains a place with a relaxing and peaceful atmosphere.
On the territory there is a fountain, created in the middle of the XVI century by order of Cardinal Granvelle. The fountain has an unusual shape in the form of a circle with a dragon’s head in the middle and small fountains around the perimeter.
Another attraction of the square is the beautiful Renaissance gazebo, and not far from it is the monument to Victor Hugo. There is also a children’s playground with several attractions. There is a small kiosk selling snacks, as well as several good bars.
- Address: Pl. Granvelle, 25000 Besancon, France.
Gare d’Eau Park
This is a very large, well-maintained green area with picturesque majestic trees. On the one hand, the park is adjacent to the fortress walls of Vauban, on the other hand, it is bounded by the Doubs River. Residents of Besancon like to relax in the shady Gare d’eau, because there is plenty of entertainment and activities there, especially in summer. For example, you can sunbathe on the river bank (but swimming is prohibited), you can organize a picnic on the green lawn. There is a bar for adults and a playground with a very good play structure for children.
- Address: Bd. Charles de Gaulle, 25000 Besancon, France.
- Access is allowed on Monday-Wednesday from 9: 30 to 20: 00, on Thursday-Sunday from 9: 30 to 21: 30.
Places to stay in Besancon
Besancon has several districts where most hotels are located.
- City center. It is there that almost all historical attractions are located, as well as shops, restaurants and bars. Especially many hotels of different categories are located on the streets Dufour-Mansard and Lamartine, as well as near the Cathedral of Saint-Jean.
- Gare de Besancon-Viotte train station area. Many tourists stay in the hotels located there, as it is convenient from the point of view of moving around the city.
- Palar district, located near the city center. There are many hotels in the area, as well as restaurants and a variety of entertainment options.
On average, prices per night in a double room are at the following level: apartments-from 50 euros, 3* hotel – from 70 euros, 5* hotel – from 150 euros.
How to get to Besancon
Besancon does not have its own airport. Lyon International Airport in France and Karlsruhe Airport in Germany are relatively close by, and Besancon can be reached in 2 hours by car.
There are direct bus services to Besancon from Lyon (1 time a day) and Karlsruhe (2-3 times a week).
But the railway connection to Besancon is very well established. There are trains from such French cities as Paris (just over 2 hours), colorful Dijon (25 minutes), Lyon, Marseille (4 hours 35 minutes), Strasbourg (1 hour 45 minutes), Nimes, Mulhouse (45 minutes). There are also trains from the cities of Switzerland (Zurich, trade and financial Basel) and Germany (Frankfurt). There are two railway stations in Besancon: Gare de Besancon-Viotte and Gare de Besancon Franche-Comte TGV.
Interesting facts
- In 1986, Besancon received the title of “City of Art and History”.
- Victor Hugo was born in Besancon, and Stendhal placed some of the events of his book “Red and Black”in this city.
- The oldest quarter of the city is called “Battan”. In its upper part stands Fort Griffon, from the walls of which you can enjoy a panoramic view of the city.
- At the end of the 18th century, Swiss refugees created the basis for the development of the watch industry in Besancon.
- Marshal of France and brilliant military engineer Sebastian Vauban, who designed the Citadel of Besancon, built 33 fortresses in his lifetime, and improved 300 more.
- Besancon (France) is a city that hosts many music festivals. In September – the oldest and most prestigious classical music festival in France. In June – a jazz festival, in August – French country music, and in October – street tunes.
- More than 250,000 tourists visit the Citadel of Besancon every year.
- Besancon has a Time Museum that stores unusual clocks from different eras. The museum is located in the Palace of Cardinal Granvelle.
- In 2008, the Citadel of Besancon, as one of the structures of Engineer Vauban, became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In total, the UNESCO list includes 13 of all the fortifications built by Vauban.
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