Top 15 Must-Do Activities in Besançon, France

Located on a bend in the River Doubs known as the Boucle (Oxbow), Besançon is an exceptional city that historically served as a strategic asset for Europe’s influential empires. The Doubs effectively creates a natural moat, rendering Besançon highly defensible, particularly as access by land necessitates traversing a formidable promontory.

It is upon this landform that the military architect Vauban devised a remarkable citadel, unparalleled within France. The city’s older structures are uniquely captivating, constructed from “Chailluz” stone, which displays an array of blue, grey, and beige tones.

Here, we will explore the most notable attractions in Besançon:

1. Citadel

The UNESCO-listed citadel is arguably Vauban’s most significant work.

The military genius conceived this extensive, 11-hectare fortified complex during the 1660s, adapting it to the massive promontory at the neck of the loop formed by the Doubs River.

The initiative was as inventive as it was exorbitant, leading Louis XIV to humorously speculate whether the walls were constructed from gold.

This colossal structure could accommodate a population of 10,000 and stands as an attraction in its own right, featuring astonishing dimensions, including a well that penetrates the bedrock to a depth of 132 meters.

The citadel also hosts museums within its preserved buildings, alongside a botanical garden, zoo, and children’s farm.

2. Musée des Beaux-Arts et d’Archaeologie

Established in 1694, the abbot and scholar Jean-Baptiste Boisot entrusted his collection of manuscripts, busts, medals, paintings, and books to the Benedictine monks of Saint-Vincent, under the condition it be accessible to the public twice a week.

Thus began the oldest museum in France.

Subsequent gifts have expanded the collection, which is organized into archaeology, drawings, and paintings.

Each department deserves your consideration, whether it’s the Gallo-Roman bronze bull and mosaics or an impressive drawing cabinet featuring works by Rubens, Dürer, Rembrandt, Delacroix, and Matisse.

The fine art section is equally remarkable, showcasing pieces from Titian, Bellini, Breughel the Elder, Goya, and Renoir, among others.

3. Musée de la Résistance et de la Déportation

Besançon’s museum dedicated to the resistance and concentration camps delivers a deeply poignant experience.

Housed within the cadet building of the Citadel, this location is significant, as approximately 100 resistance members were executed here during the war.

The exhibition spans 20 rooms and features documents, photographs, and narratives of ambushes and sabotage, while also addressing the broader context of the rise of Nazism and the Vichy regime.

Equally impactful are the galleries dedicated to deportation, displaying art created by Jean Daligault and Léon Delarbre, both painters and resistance fighters who ultimately found themselves in concentration camps.

4. Musée du Temps

During the late 18th century, Swiss craftsmen flocked to Besançon, transforming it into one of Europe’s foremost watchmaking hubs.

This legacy is evident today in the city’s advancements in nanotechnology, in which Besançon excels globally.

The Musée du Temps chronicles the ancient pursuit of measuring time, featuring sundials, hourglasses, antique watches, astronomical clocks, and a Foucault pendulum.

It also includes modern exhibits on nanotechnology and the evolution of electronic timekeeping in the mid-20th century.

The museum is located in the Palais Granvelle, a fascinating site dating back to the 1530s, showcasing Renaissance-inspired architecture.

5. Besançon Cathedral

Through centuries of renovations and restorations, the cathedral emerges as an intriguing blend of architectural styles, encompassing Romanesque and Baroque elements.

What distinguishes this cathedral from many others is its dual choir arrangement, comprising both a main choir and a counter-choir—in a feature typically observed in Rhenish architecture.

Should you have time to explore the interior, you will find a masterful astronomical clock, numerous exquisite paintings, and an 11th-century Romanesque altar carved from white marble.

Notable historical figures, including eight sovereign Dukes of Burgundy, are interred in the Sacré-Cœur Chapel.

6. Astronomical Clock

In the 1850s, the cathedral commissioned skilled clockmaker Auguste-Lucien Vérité to construct an astronomical clock to replace a previously defective timepiece.

Due to its scale, craftsmanship, and intricacy, many visitors are drawn to the cathedral primarily to observe the clock.

Standing nearly six meters tall, it comprises 30,000 mechanical components.

The clock features 70 faces, displaying a remarkable range of information, including planetary orbits and even simulating eclipses within its own miniature planetarium.

7. Quai Vauban

The riverside shoreline along the Doubs near the Pont Battant is utterly breathtaking.

The arcaded docks, named after the military engineer responsible for the citadel, have an interesting origin, as they were conceived by architect Isaac Robelin in the early 1690s and may have even been erected against Vauban’s recommendations.

Regardless of their origins, the setting is picturesque, particularly from the right bank or the bridge, where the facades’ soft greyish-blue stone is mirrored in the Doubs.

8. Battant Quarter

On the right bank of the Doubs, just north of the Boucle lies the Battant Quarter, an area featuring over 30 hectares of protected stone-paved streets, perfect for leisurely exploration.

This historic neighborhood came into being due to the Pont Battant serving as the sole river crossing for centuries, leading to the development of a suburb around the bridge, which then ascended into the slope where vineyards once thrived.

As the northern approach to the city needed fortification, ramparts designed by Vauban, along with earlier towers named Pelote and Montmart from the 15th and 16th centuries, were constructed as well.

9. Porte Noire

As Rue de la Convention descends from the cathedral, it passes beneath a triumphal Roman arch that has stood since the 170s.

After 1,800 years of weathering, the arch’s numerous carvings have become somewhat indistinct.

This outcome is attributable to the material employed in its construction, as the Vergenne limestone is notably workable yet susceptible to erosion.

Faint traces of the ancient sculptures commemorating Marcus Aurelius’ campaigns against the Parthians can still be discerned.

10. Victor Hugo’s Birthplace

Located a short walk from the cathedral and the Porte Noire is the apartment where the illustrious author and humanitarian Victor Hugo was born in 1802. His father, a military officer, was stationed in Besançon for only a few months before being reassigned to Marseille and relocating the family.

This apartment transformed into a museum in 2013, while the Jacques de Besançon pharmacy on the ground floor has been restored to reflect its historical context from the early 19th century.

Some of Hugo’s belongings are displayed, and the apartment walls feature boards with his poignant quotes, inviting contemplation of his enduring political and literary legacy.

Notably, the Lumière Brothers and author Charles Nodier were also born in this square along Grand Rue.

11. Fort de Chaudanne

For an expansive view encompassing both Besançon’s city center and the citadel in a single picturesque vista, venture to the Fort de Chaudanne on the neighboring hill adjacent to the Doubs.

This location provides one of the best vantage points to appreciate the magnificence of Vauban’s citadel, which appears to organically emerge from its rocky cliffs.

The sight towards the city is enhanced by the array of patterned glazed roofs, characteristic of traditional Franche-Comté architecture.

The walk to the fort, constructed in the 1840s and currently used as a theater, takes roughly an hour from the center through deciduous woods.

Pleasant picnic areas are available, along with a memorial honoring American soldiers who perished while capturing this position in 1944.

12. Église Sainte-Madeleine

In the 1700s, the Gothic Sainte-Madeleine church located in the Battant Quarter was deteriorating, prompting a need for grand designs to erect a majestic neoclassical replacement.

This new structure was built over the subsequent century and is renowned for its stunning vaulted ceilings supported by soaring fluted columns.

Inside, remnants of the previous church can be found, including a 16th-century Renaissance baptismal font symbolizing the Tree of Life.

Additionally, a three-room museum within the church offers intriguing insights into the history of the Battant Quarter, detailing its growth and significant personalities.

13. Hôtels Particuliers

Besançon’s intricate history spans more than 200 years, as it was part of the Hapsburg Empire up until the 1670s, effectively belonging to Spain.

This era, coinciding with the Renaissance, resulted in the city acquiring numerous Spanish-style stone mansions, many of which remain standing today.

Hôtel de Champagney, designated as a French “monument historique,” dates back to 1565 and features a two-story Renaissance gallery, mullioned windows, and whimsical gargoyles.

The 17th-century Maison Espagnole, completed shortly after Besançon fell under French control, exhibits lingering Spanish influence through wrought-iron grills adorning its ground floor windows.

14. Maisons Comtoises de Nancray

Within 15 hectares of greenery in Nancray lies an outdoor museum dedicated to presenting authentic rural Comtois culture to visitors of all ages.

Adults will appreciate the historical timber buildings, some dating back to the 1600s, which have been preserved from demolition, carefully relocated, and reconstructed here piece by piece.

Within, you’ll gain insight into the region’s rural lifestyle at the weaver’s workshop, granary, and bakery.

Children will delight in interacting with regional farm animals and can partake in eight downloadable treasure hunts throughout this enchanting setting using their smartphones.

15. Forêt de Chailluz

You do not need to leave the city to access this expanse of wilderness that begins to the north of Besançon.

Visit for a restorative walk among the seven well-marked trails, complemented with informative signage about the forest’s rich history and ecology.

This forest was historically the source of oolitic limestone used for many of the city’s buildings, quarried since the 1500s.

While exploring, you may encounter remnants of small-scale industry hidden in the underbrush, including numerous flagstone quarries and over 200 lime kilns dating back to as early as the 1400s.

As you wander, keep an eye out for deer, chamois, and peregrine falcons that nest high up in the cliffs of Dame Blanche.