Besançon
Getty Images
LONELY PLANET’S RECOMMENDED eSIM
Stay connected in Besançon
with
Saily is an affordable eSIM service that helps you stay connected and secure, anywhere in the world.
Overview
Capped with a citadel and folded into a bend in the Doubs River, Besançon is a pleasant surprise. Unshowy and laid-back, the capital of the Doubs département nonetheless offers a broad spectrum of culture: 18th-century town houses, many now housing hotels and restaurants; active contemporary arts and local music scenes; and monuments to homegrown luminaries like Victor Hugo.
Attractions
Must-see attractions
Save your favorites!
Sign in to save, get inspo & more
Besançon
Dominating the city from Mt St-Etienne, more than 100 vertical metres above the old town, the 17th-century Citadelle de Besançon – designed by Vauban for…
Save your favorites!
Sign in to save, get inspo & more
Besançon
Literal and figurative interpretations of time are woven together at the Musée du Temps, which places allegorical paintings about the passage of time next…
Save your favorites!
Sign in to save, get inspo & more
Musée des Beaux-Arts et d’Archéologie
Besançon
France's oldest public museum, founded in 1694, is famous for its stellar collection of local Gallo-Roman archaeology; its Cabinet des Dessins, with some…
Save your favorites!
Sign in to save, get inspo & more
Besançon
The base of 18th-century Cathédrale St-Jean's bell tower houses an incredible astronomical clock, powered by 11 weights, that has run the church's bells…
Save your favorites!
Sign in to save, get inspo & more
Besançon
Erected in AD 175 in honour of Marcus Aurelius, this 16.5m-high Roman triumphal arch stands very near where the columns of a Roman theatre and the…
Save your favorites!
Sign in to save, get inspo & more
Besançon
This spiffy museum gives an engaging account of the life and works of Besançon's best-known literary son, Victor Hugo, famous for masterpieces such as Les…
Save your favorites!
Sign in to save, get inspo & more
Besançon
The earliest parts of Besançon's cathedral date to 1127. Though heavily modified in ensuing centuries, following a 13th-century fire and the collapse of…
Save your favorites!
Sign in to save, get inspo & more
Besançon
Dating in its earliest parts from the late 14th century and later decorated with Italian Renaissance-style flourishes, Besançon's town hall was gutted by…
Advertisement
Plan with a local
Get a book. Get inspired. Get exploring.
-
$29.99 USD
-
$13.99 USD
-
$24.99 USD
in partnership with getyourguide
Book popular activities in Besançon
Advertisement