INTERACTIVE SIGHTSEEING MAP

At the Pont de la République our boat is waiting for you.

Passing through the first lock, this one is manual. Opening by the force of the arms by the crew members.

Admire the Parc Micaud (background), a nature area in the heart of Besançon. Ideal for a jog, a walk or a picnic.

The Cité des Arts et de la Culture, the fruit of Kengo Kuma’s creativity, inaugurated in 2013. It houses the FRAC (Regional Fund for Contemporary Art) and the Conservatory.

Built on stilts, the complex includes a 600 m2 esplanade and concert halls.

Former industrial pole of the city, these factories are now in abandon. Thirty years ago more than 5000 people worked there.

This defensive tower was built in the 17th century to protect the city from any attack.

Is it possible to go under the Citadel? Yes, thanks to the 375 meters underground tunnel which the boat Le Vauban uses.

Automatic lock, the boat goes down three meters to get back to the starting level of the river.

Breathtaking view on the fortifications of the Citadel (built by Vauban and listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2008) and on the Tarragnoz dam.

Preferred place for walkers. Ideal to rest on the grass, on a bench, around a good picnic or during a nap.

This former headquarters of the General Administration of Besançon, built at the end of the 18th century, has housed, since the Revolution, the prefecture services of the Doubs department and the Franche-Comté region.

Another defense tower built by Vauban in the 17th century. It ends the banks of the water station.

Built on the banks of the Doubs, the business center houses a hotel and offices. Among other things, it is home of the Applied Linguistics Center.

University residence close to the city center, it has been completely renovated. Its architecture blends perfectly into the historical setting of the city.

A true architectural treasure of Vauban, the quays are composed of a group of arcaded houses built between 1692 and 1695. Once the night falls, the quays are illuminated and another vision comes to you.

Built at the entrance of the Battant district, it was built, destroyed and restored several times since the 11th century. Inside, it is white and luminous. It houses, among other things, a life-size Way of the Cross.

On the edge of the Quays you can admire the synagogue. An atypical style for a place of cult of the most ancient.

Built in the 15th century, this tower has been classified as a historical monument since October 21st, 1942.

This sculpture – bronze fountain of 7 meters – represents a minotaur which during floods of the Doubs is used as the Zouave of the Pont de l’Alma in Paris”.

Find the Little Train at its departure from the Rivotte car park.

A military building built in the 16th century under Charles Quint, it is one of the last two gates of the city. In 1893 the towers were pierced by two crosswalks.

Located at the corner of rue des Martelots and rue Peclet, the Alvizet hotel is a mansion. Its construction would be between 1620 and 1625.

The monumental fountain that decorates the Jean Cornet Place is graved with the slogan of Besançon: “UTINAM”, a Latin term that means “Pleasant to God”.

Stroll along the rue des Granges and admire the typical old buildings of the city center.

Also commonly known as Saint Pierre Place, it takes its name from the date of the liberation of Besançon on September 8th, 1944.

Located in the heart of the city center, this church was built from 1782 to 1786.

The Granvelle Palace reflects the prestige of its builder, Nicolas Perrenot of Granvelle. It was built from 1532 on a huge plot of land in the heart of the city. Today it houses the Museum of Time.

At the bend in the road you will pass in front of the house where Victor Hugo was born. Inaugurated in 2014, it is a museum dedicated to this great man from Franche-Comté.

Located not far away from Victor Hugo’s birth house, this square inspired many local artists and poets such as Pierre-Joseph Proudhon or Charles Nodier.

The Black Gate of Besançon is a 16.56 meter high Gallo-Roman triumphal arch built in the second century. It is entirely decorated with thin sculptures representing divinities from Greek and Roman mythology and scenes of fights.

Church, basilica and cathedral at the same time, it was built in the 3rd century then rebuilt in the 9th and 11th centuries. The building is one of the few to have two opposing choirs.

Housed in the Saint Pierre Cathedral, the astronomical clock of Besançon is designed with a precise and complex mechanism of more than 30,000 elements and 11 movements.

On the way up to the Citadel you can see a monument dedicated to the shot men.

Built by the famous architect Vauban, the Little Train will take you to the entrance of the Citadel, classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2008. You will have the opportunity to walk along the guard way and visit among others the museum of the Resistance.

Take advantage of the wonderful view from the car park of the Citadel where the Little Train will drop you off.