Top 10 Things To Do In Besancon

Top 10 Things To Do In Besancon

The city of Besancon is located on a loop in the River Doubs close to the Jura Mountains and borders Switzerland. Besancon is the capital of the department of Doubs in the region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté. It is the historical capital of watchmaking in France.

Besancon has been labelled a “Town of Art and History” since 1986 thanks to its rich historical and cultural heritage. It is the capital of the historic and cultural region of Franche-Comté regional council headquarters.

Besancon has a unique architectural style because of its “chailluz” stone which comes in shades of blue, grey and beige. Besancon, a city rich in culture, arts and architecture, has so much to offer and here are 10 interesting things to do in Besancon;

1. Citadel Of Besancon

Citadelle Besançon – Wikipedia

It is a 17th-century citadel designed by Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban. This 11 hectares fortress is located on Mount Saint- Etienne. Its construction was so costly that King Louis XIV asked Vauban if he was building the walls of gold. The citadel was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site on 7^th July 2008.

The citadel towers over the old quarter of the city providing an unforgettable view of the city and the meandering river below. Today the citadel houses several tourist attractions such as; museum of the resistance and deportation, the museum focuses on traditional life in Franche-Comté and it’s archaeological history and a museum of natural history that has a zoo, an insectarium, an aquarium, vivariums, a noctarium, a climatorium, a pedagogical exhibit on evolution, botanical gardens and a children’s farm.

2. Besancon Cathedral

Citadelle Besançon – Wikipedia

This Romanesque to Baroque-style cathedral dates back as far as the 9^th century. It is a Roman Catholic Church dedicated to Saint John. The cathedral is located near the base of Mount Saint-Etienne below the citadel. It is the site of the Archbishop of Besancon. In 1875 the cathedral was declared as a historic monument.

The cathedral not only houses the famous astronomical clock but also has a large nave between two aisles. It has two facing apes, each with an altar. Romanesque style dominates the top interior with 30 splendid paintings including La Vierge aux Saints painted by Fra Bartolomeo in 1512. The Romanesque to Baroque style gives the church a very unique appearance like none in the region. Something very exciting about the Besancon cathedral is that it does not have the main doorway.

3. Astronomical Clock

Astronomical Clock – Wikipedia

It is housed in the Besancon cathedral. Auguste-Lucient Vérité of Beauvais was commissioned to design and build the clock between 1858 and 1863 by Cardinal Mathieu, the Archbishop of Besancon. The ticking clock is meant to express the religious concept that each second of the day the Resurrection of Christ transforms the existence of man and of the world.

This impressive clock stands at 5.8m high and 2.5m wide. It is one of the most complicated horological devices in the world made up 30.000 mechanical parts. This remarkable scale of workmanship measures a large array of data from simple timekeeping to complex depicting of eclipses in its own planetarium.

4. Forest Of Chailluz

Forêt de Chailluz_- Wikipedia

It is a natural forested area covering 1,673 hectares located to the north of Besancon. Around This, its elevation ranges from 319m to 619m at the Fort de la Dame Blanche. It is bisected by Highway A36 due to its closeness to the city. The forest has seven different trails that have signposts and information boards about the history and nature of the forest.

The forest of Chailluz is where the beautiful multicolored oolitic limestone has been mined since the 1500s. Majority of the old buildings in the center of Besancon were built from these stones.

Enjoy the fresh air in this wilderness where you are likely to spot a deer, chamois or Peregrine falcon. Also, keep your eyes peeled for the hamlet of the “Grades Baraques” and the fort de Chailluz.

5. Eglise De La Madeleine

Besançon, l’église de la Madeleine – Wikimedia Commons

Antoine-Pierre II de Grammont, the Archbishop of Besancon, commissioned architect Nicolas Nicole to design the church. The church was built from 1746 to 1766. This neoclassical hall church was dedicated to Saint Mary Magdalene. It was classified as a historical monument on 13^th March 1930 and shelters an organ classified in the historical monument as well.

Over the years the building has served as a meeting place for clubs, a store for fodder and in 1795 it returned to a place of worship. Today the church houses a three-room museum of past life in the Battant district and has a vast collection of old art. The church with its remarkable vault enriched with a dome at the cross of the transept gives the church a particularly attractive artistic status.

6. Fort Of Bregille

Fort de Bregille – Wikipedia

It is also known as the strong Bregille. It replaced a military fortification that was considered outdated mostly because it was capture by the enemy in 1814. The Ford of Bregille was constructed from 1820 to 1832. It is located at the top of the hill Bregille, 446m above sea level. The building now houses an animal pound for the Society for the Protection of Animals and for the municipal police.

Today the access to the fort itself is restricted to the general public however, its surrounding remain open to the public to take a stroll and enjoy the green view. Hike along with the fort and discover the city’s old fortification system.

7. The Grand Bois Karst Trail

The Grand Bois Karst Merey – Flickr

Karst is a type of erosions specific to limestone regions. The Grand Bois Karst trail translates to Sentire Karstique Du Grand Bois in French. It is one of the oldest Karst trails in France. It is located near Mérey-sous-Montrond, Jura.

Hike along the secure path that gives an impressive view of the karst from the top as well as from the bottom. Marvel at the astonishing view of the corroded limestone landscape covered with moss. Discover the caves, chasm, sinkholes and lapiaz as you walk the underground.

8. Chapelle Notre-Dame Du Refuge

Chapelle Notre-Dame Refuge – Wikipedia

Following the 2^nd conquest of Franche-Comté in 1678 by king Louis XIV of France, the Archbishop of Besancon had the Saint-Jacques Hospital built in 1686 to fight against the possible depravity of young girls by the foreigners, the French. In 1709 the “Refuge Convent” was added. Then this chapel in 1739.

This Baroque chapel owes its name to the establishment created to shelter young girls “in immoral danger”.  It was designed by Nicolas Nicole. The chapel of Our Lady of Refuge was classified as a historical monument on 16^th June 1970.

The chapel is topped with a glazed tiles dome and has painted medallions, masterpieces and sculpture by Claude François Devosge.

9. Museum Of Times

Musée du temps Besançon – Wikimedia Commons

Besancon is known as the historical capital of watchmaking and this is evident up to date with it being a world leader in the nanotechnology industry. The museum of times is located in the Granvelle Palace. The Granvelle Palace is a 16^th century Renaissance palace built from 1534 to 1547. In 2002 the palace was renovated and now houses the museum of Time.

The museum deals with Time in two sense, Time as history, from the ancient quest to measure time with sundials, hourglasses and so on to the 20th-century advancements in electronic timekeeping and nanotechnology. Visitors also get a chance to experience the rotation of the earth thanks to the Foucault pendulum at the museum.

10. Porte Noire

Porte Noire – Wikipedia

Porte Noire is also referred to as The Black Door of Besancon. The Black door is a triumphal Gall-Roman arch measuring 16.56m. It was built under the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius in the 175 AD century. The doorway is linked to the military victories of Marc Auréle and Lucius Aurelius Verus against the Parthians. The Black Door was classification as a historical monument in 1840

The doorway was entirely built on Vergenne stone. The arch was decorated in original fine sculptures depicting deities from Greek and Roman mythology and scenes of combat mostly obliterated by time. Due to the soft nature of the Vergenne Stone the arch is much damaged today but you can still make out traces of these ancient sculptures.