Visit Besançon Capital of time
Escape to Besançon
Située dans un environnement naturel exceptionnel, Besançon, destination aux multiples facettes, propose une expérience unique : elle offre à ses visiteurs tout à la fois la possibilité d’une immersion dans l’histoire, de multiples pratiques outdoor et tous les charmes de la vie « à la française » d’une cité active et inventive. Tout autour, la nature est généreuse, rivières, sentiers, forêts et marais composent la grande diversité des paysages.
Whether for a weekend or a longer stay, depending on your mood, you can
stroll through the charming streets, visit one of France's most beautiful fine arts museums, or discover the city from a breathtaking viewpoint by taking the wooded paths.
Besançon is multifaceted: a city of water, capital of time, birthplace of great men (Victor Hugo foremost among them), wine-growing town with its old Battant district, land of invention and innovation... and capital of biodiversity.
2,000 years of history
For over 2,000 years, the exceptional site of Besançon has been occupied by humans: first by the Gallic Sequani tribe, then by the Romans, following in the footsteps of Julius Caesar, who admired the defensive qualities of the site, "whose river forms a loop that looks as if it were drawn with a compass." Indeed, Besançon's geographical location is remarkable, and it has been fortified throughout history.
Après la période médiévale, durant laquelle l’archevêque s’impose comme prince du Saint-Empire, vient la foisonnante Renaissance, illustrée par la famille de Granvelle, puis, à la fin du XVIIe siècle, la conquête française par les armées de Louis XIV. Dès lors, Besançon devient la capitale de la Franche-Comté, province de langue française longtemps rattachée à l’Empire des Habsbourg. Vauban, sur ordre de son souverain, crée une enceinte urbaine et transforme la citadelle en un véritable chef-d’œuvre architectural. Cela vaut à Besançon d’être inscrite au Patrimoine mondial de l’UNESCO, dans le cadre des sites majeurs du réseau Vauban.
Since then, the city has continued to grow, first within the loop of the Doubs River, then beyond, on the slopes of the site's natural amphitheater.
From the Revolution onwards, watchmaking reinforced the city's dynamism. Watchmakers, who initially came from Switzerland, settled in the heart of the city and eventually became one of its main industries. During the Second Empire, nearly 400 workshops were established in the city, sharing the task of manufacturing watches. The creation of a watchmaking school and an observatory at the end of the 19th century ensured the transmission of knowledge and the development of industrial activity. Besançon became the capital of French watchmaking.
The watchmaking expertise of Besançon was added to UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list in December 2020.
Besançon, City of Art and History
Besançon has been a City of Art and History since 1986.
A stroll through Besançon is like traveling through centuries of history, and the old neighborhoods offer visitors architectural treasures, but it is also an escape into the surrounding forests or to the Doubs River, which surrounds the old town with a natural rampart, reinforced by the walls built by Vauban.
Au hasard des pas, on peut admirer les façades de très beaux hôtels particuliers (près de 200, essentiellement construits au XVIIIe siècle), flâner dans Battant, ancien quartier vigneron, construit sur les pentes qui jadis se prolongeaient par des vignes, découvrir le quartier Saint Jean, blotti sur les pentes de la citadelle, autour de la cathédrale éponyme. Cet édifice remontant au haut Moyen-Âge recèle de nombreux trésors dont des chef-d’œuvre de l’art pictural de la Renaissance italienne, et la fameuse horloge astronomique, d’une exceptionnelle complexité. Outre pont, on peut aller jouer au casino, au cœur de l’ancien quartier thermal qui a vu passer Colette, entre autres.
You can also head to the lower town, around the covered market, sit down at a terrace
or stroll through the busiest shopping streets, which are pedestrianized as they should be.
A dense, rich, and varied cultural program offers shows, concerts, entertainment, and events throughout the year
, focusing on music, contemporary art, fine arts, and dance.
There are many outdoor activities available in Besançon and the surrounding area: canoeing and kayaking, hiking and cycling, climbing, swimming, gliding, caving, horse riding, golf, and more.
The must-sees
The Museum of Fine Arts and Archaeology in Besançon
It houses one of the richest and oldest public collections in France. Paintings by prestigious masters, from Bellini to Bonnard and Courbet, justify the reputation of this collection. Its Cabinet of Drawings, comprising 5,000 sheets, is considered one of the most important in France.
The Museum of Time
Part history museum, part clock museum, and part science museum, the Musée du Temps, housed in a magnificent Renaissance palace, pays tribute to the history and tradition of clockmaking in Besançon.
The Birthplace of Victor Hugo
Designed as a space for mediation, this house, where the great writer was born, uses lively museography to explore the main commitments of Victor Hugo, who always remained attached to his hometown.
The FRAC
(Regional Contemporary Art Fund) in a magnificent architectural creation by Kengo Kuma, on the banks of the Doubs River, an exhibition space for contemporary art in all its forms and states.
The Comtois Houses Museum Park (Nancray)
On the first plateau of the Jura, 20 minutes from the city center, an open-air museum brings together nearly 30 old buildings that have been rebuilt here to showcase traditional rural housing, offering a program focused on the relationship between humans and nature.
Useful
Besançon in the bag
Find tourist routes, the main places of interest, and all the shops in the city center, as well as the events calendar, at visiter.besancon.fr, freely accessible via Wi-Fi (visiter.besancon network), 4G network, or by scanning the QR code opposite.
More information on theGreater Besançon Tourist Office website.
Great tip for exploring Besançon
Tourism Pass on sale at the Tourist Office and throughout the Ginko network, particularly at the departure point of the Ginko Citadelle line.