The city of Besançon, picturesquely situated in a bend on the Doubs, on the northwestern fringes of the Jura, is the chief town of the département of Doubs, a university town and the see of an archbishop. It is the center of the watchmaking industry established by immigrants from the Swiss Jura, and since the late 19th century has also produced artificial silk (rayon). The poet and novelist Victor Hugo (1802-1885) and the brothers Auguste and Louis Lumière, inventors of the cinematograph, were born in Besançon.
Besançon was the capital (Vesontio) of a Gallic people, the Sequani, who are mentioned by Caesar in his account of the Gallic War.
In the Middle Ages it was for long the chief town of the Franche-Comté (the "free county" of Burgundy). In 1032-1034 it passed into the hands of the German kings. From the 13th century it was a free imperial city under the name of Bisanz; then in 1678, under the treaty of Nijmegen, it became French. The town was given its present character in the late 17th century, when Vauban pulled down the old upper town, including the cathedral, to make room for the Citadel.
In Besançon, northwest of the Place du 8-Septembre, near the Doubs, is the Musée des Beaux-Arts et d'Archéologie, housed in a former granary which was rebuilt by L. Miquel, a pupil of Le Corbusier's. It has large archeological collections, an important collection of pictures, including works by Cranach, Bronzino, Tintoretto, Rubens, Goya, Courbet, Bonnard and Picasso, and a collection of graphic art.
Address: Besançon Musée des Beaux-Arts et d'Archéologie, 1 place de la Révolution, F-25000 Besançon, France
Hours:
9:30am-12pm, 2pm-6pm; Closed: Tue
Always closed on: New Year's Day (January 1), May Day / Labor Day (May 1), All Saints' Day - Christian (November 1), Christmas - Christian (December 25)
Tips: Reduced admission on Saturdays and free on Sundays.
Disability Access: Full facilities for persons with disabilities.
Besançon International Music Festival takes place in late September for two weeks each year. An emphasis is put on symphonic concerts and recitals, although the repertoire ranges from early classical to contemporary. Major symphonies from around the world are invited to perform every year in venues including the St Jean Cathedral, the Belfort Theater, the Montbenoit Abbey and the Palais de Justice.
Address: Besançon International Music Festival, 3 bis rue Léonel de Moustier, Square Saint-Amour, F-25000 Besançon, France
Southeast of the old town of Besançon, 118m/387ft above the Doubs, lies the Citadel, with an elaborate system of fortifications which was largely the work of Vauban. It now houses a number of interesting museums - the Musée Agraire, the Musée Populaire Comtois, the Musée de la Résistance et de la Déportation and the Musée d'Histoire Naturelle, together with an Aquarium and a Zoological Park.
In the center of Besançon old town is the Palais Granvelle, built in the 16th C by Cardinal Granvelle, chancellor of Charles V, which has a fine colonnaded courtyard. It is now occupied by the Musée d'Histoire et d'Ethnographie de la Franche-Comté. The exhibits include tapestries portraying the life of Charles V, as well as memorabilia of Victor Hugo and the Granvelle family. The theater, in Rue Mégévand, was designed by the Revolutionary architect Claude Ledoux.
Address: Palais Granvelle, 96, Grande Rue, F-25000 Besançon, France
On the left bank of the Doubs in Besançon is the Quartier de Battant, the large cellar doors of the houses are a reminder of the vine-growing days. The church of Ste-Madeleine (18th C) was designed by Nicolas Nicole. Along the left bank to the east is the Promenade de Micaud, with fine views of the Citadel.
This working clock gives the local time plus that for 14 world cities, plus the days of the week, month, phases of the moon, and hours of the tides.
Address: Horloge astronomique de Besançon, Rue de la Convention - Cathédrale St Jean, F-25000 Besançon, France
Hours:
February 1 to March 31: 9:50am-5:50pm; Closed: Tue, Wed
April 1 to September 30: 9:50am-5:50pm; Closed: Tue, Wed, Tue
October 1 to December 31: 9:50am-5:50pm; Closed: Tue, Wed, Tue, Tue, Wed
Always closed on: May Day / Labor Day (May 1), All Saints' Day - Christian (November 1), Remembrance Day / 1918 Armistice Day (November 11), Christmas - Christian (December 25)
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