LE LONG DE LA VIA FRANCIGENA ITINERAIRE 1 : DE BESANÇON A LA CHAPELLE DES BUIS

This remarkable route crosses the Doubs department!

Recognised as a "Great Cultural Itinerary" by the Council of Europe, the Via Francigena links Canterbury to Rome via England, France, Switzerland and Italy.1700 km of hiking in total, including 110 km in the Doubs, from Cussey-sur-l'Ognon to Les Fourgs via Besançon, the Loue valley and Pontarlier, from the relaxing plains to the summits offering superb panoramic views of the Alps and the high altitude lakes..
Its route corresponds to that of the GR®145 approved by the French Hiking Federation.
This itinerary also invites you to discover the cultural wealth of the area, which is why the Greater Besançon Tourist Office invites you to visit the cultural and environmental wealth of the Via Francigena on our territory.

Two millennia of history have passed along the Via Francigena, the route that links the north of Europe, Canterbury, to Rome, the Eternal City.
Unlike the routes to Santiago de Compostela, which were born exclusively of pilgrimage, the Via Francigena is an ancient route of the Roman Empire, with a military and strategic vocation.
It became a pilgrimage route when, under Constantine, the first Christians went to Rome to visit the tombs of Saint Peter and Saint Paul.

This urban walk starting from the Battant district allows you to evoke the historical and architectural heritage along the Via Francigena, to follow the loop of the Doubs and finally to continue through the hills to the Chapelle-des-Buis.