Free walking tours in Besançon and what to see

Must-sees

Besançon, capital of the Doubs, occupies an almost closed loop of the river, and at the neck of that loop stands the citadel Vauban fortified in the 17th century. It is part of the Fortifications of Vauban on the UNESCO World Heritage list and, as well as its ramparts and views over the city, brings together several museums: the Muséum, with a zoo, aquarium and insectarium, and the Musée Comtois.

Below, the old town is explored on foot among façades of Chailluz stone, a limestone in shades of blue and ochre. Saint-Jean cathedral holds a 19th-century astronomical clock with dozens of dials and automata. On the Grande Rue are Victor Hugo’s birthplace and the Palais Granvelle, which houses the Musée du Temps, devoted to time measurement and watchmaking. The Museum of Fine Arts and Archaeology, near the bridge to the Battant quarter, rounds off the visit.

Free tours and guided visits

Besançon has no regular free walking tours. Civitatis offers a private guided tour of the city, designed to explore the old town and the citadel at your own pace. The tourist office also runs guided tours, and another easy way to understand the city is the boat trip around the loop of the Doubs, which passes through locks and the canal tunnel dug beneath the citadel.

How long to spend

A full day covers the essentials: the citadel with one or two of its museums in the morning and the old town, the cathedral and the Grande Rue in the afternoon. If you want to take your time in the Museum of Fine Arts and the Musée du Temps, or do the boat trip, allow two days. A third day allows for the forests on the nearby hills or a trip along the Doubs Valley towards the Jura.

Where to stay

The most practical place to stay is inside the loop, in the old town, because from there you can do almost everything on foot and the climb to the citadel is close by. Battant, across the bridge, is a good alternative with a neighbourhood feel. If you arrive by train, the area around Viotte station is a downhill walk from the centre, and if you are driving, the outskirts have hotels with easy parking.