Besançon is a city on the river Doubs in eastern France close to the border with Switzerland. Besançon is an ancient city known from the year 58 BC, when it was called Vesontio. At that time, Vesontio played a military strategic role due to its location with the Alps to the south. Over time, the city changed its name to the current Besançon, and it gained the status of an archbishop’s seat in the 4th century. Later, the town and area became part of Lotharingia, before Besançon became part of the Holy Roman Empire in 1034.

In 1184, Besançon got status as a so-called free imperial city, which belonged directly to the emperor. In the 15th century, the city was influenced by the Dukes of Burgundy, but Besançon maintained its autonomy. In the period 1523-1673 there was a mint in Besançon, which in 1555 was a royal city under the protection of the Spanish king. With the Peace of Westphalia in 1648, the city lost its status as a free city and it changed several times from being Spanish to French, and Austrians and Germans invaded Besançon in 1814 and during World War II respectively.

Today, Besançon is a cozy city, with the center located with the river Doubs on three sides and the city’s old citadel on the fourth. You can thus easily take some nice walks along the river along some of the city’s promenade streets, such as in the northwest at Quai Vauban. From here you can walk to the Place de la Révolution and along the long main street Grande Rue, which was the Roman cardo. Grande Rue is a beautiful urban space where you get a good impression of the city’s harmonious architecture and where you can enjoy some of Besançon’s sights.

At the southern end of the Grande Rue is the Roman triumphal arch Porte Noire, which was built in the 100s when Marcus Aurelius was Roman emperor. The Porte Noire is a magnificent monument to Besançon’s Roman era, and close to the arch you can see quite a few Roman ruins in the Square Castan. You can also walk north of the river, where the remains of Vesontio’s ancient amphitheater are located. Along the Grande Rue you can see Victor Hugo’s birthplace at number 140 as well as and the historical museum, the Musée du Temps, located in a Renaissance mansion from the 16th century.

There are several other beautiful and interesting buildings in Besançon. You can visit, for example, the cathedral Cathédrale Saint-Jean, which is the seat of the city’s archbishop. The church is Romanesque and was originally built in the 1000s and 1300s, but it has later been expanded and rebuilt several times. The cathedral is located at the foot of the Mont Saint-Étienne ridge, where the Citadelle de Besançon fortress is located. The citadel spreads over 11 hectares and is one of the military engineer Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban’s finest fortress constructions. The fortress was built 1668-1711 and is today one of Besançon’s biggest attractions.

In the large area of ​​the Citadelle de Besançon, you can experience Vauban’s interesting fortress architecture, and you can also visit several museums and activities. This is where the city’s zoo and aquarium are located. You can also visit the Musée de la Résistance et de la Déportation, which is a historical museum depicting the struggle against German occupation during World War II. Le Musée Comtois is another interesting museum, where you can learn about daily life in the city and the area throughout the 1800s and 1900s. Space Vauban is also located in the citadel, and it is an exhibition that takes visitors back to Vauban’s time.