Weekend in Besançon: citadel, gardens and other essentials

The essentials

Morning: The UNESCO-listed Vauban Citadel

Your weekend begins with a must-see, the Vauban Citadel. After all, you can't miss it. Listed by UNESCO, this fortress is worth a half-day visit all by itself.

Expect to

• feast your eyes from the top of the ramparts,
• better understand Vauban's military ingenuity and the site's history after watching the multimedia display
• meet lots of animals at the zoo,
• get the shivers observing the microcosm in the insectarium,
• touch multicoloured koi in the aquarium
• be moved at the Resistance and Deportation Museum.

Discover the Citadel

The essentials

Afternoon: Town centre

Next, head for the town centre for coffee on a café terrace in Place Granvelle, the square dotted with horse chestnut trees. There you'll see the statue of Victor Hugo, who came from Besançon. That's right, and you can even visit the house where he was born!

Afterwards, step inside the Granvelle Palace. This Renaissance gem houses the Time Museum which pays homage to local clockmaking traditions and the local passion for high-precision timekeeping that goes back a long way.

Between locally-made clocks and the Foucault pendulum, you won't have time to be bored!

Then go for a stroll to admire the city's elegant classical facades, pretty fountains and inner courtyards oozing with charm. The Grandes Heures Nature app proposes itineraries that take you exploring the entire town.

Nature & Culture

Morning: parks and gardens

A morning of nature and fresh air right in the town! There's greenery everywhere in Besançon, the city that was named the "French biodiversity capital" in 2018. Micaud Promenade, Gare d’Eau park, Chamars park, you'll be spoilt for choice when it comes to walks! To fully appreciate just how green the city is, we recommend the river walk on the banks of the Doubs.

On foot or by riverboat, you'll realise that the city flourishes in an outstanding natural environment.

Afternoon: architecture and contemporary art

Do not miss the Cité des Arts! The building's architecture is as decidedly contemporary as the collections it houses from the FRAC (Regional Contemporary Art Collection). Outside, the Pixel terrace invites you to enjoy a well-deserved drink and a panoramic view of the river, the boats in the river port and the tree-covered hills.