TOURIST GUIDE BESANÇON AND ITS SURROUNDINGS 2021 www.besancon-tourisme.com OFFICE DE TOURISME La cave aux fromages, ET DES CONGRÈS DU GRAND BESANÇON Strasbourg Gourmandise & authenticité ! 52 Grande Rue Paris Place du Huit Septembre 25000 Besançon BESANÇON Tel. + 33 (0)3 81 80 92 55 Geneva Fax +33 (0)3 81 80 58 30 [email protected] Lyon www.besancon-tourisme.com High Season – July and August From Monday to Sunday -10am to 6pm Low Season From Monday to Saturday 10am -12.30 and 1.30-6pm On Sunday from 10am to 1pm during school holidays and on June and September Closed Closed on Bank holidays, except Opening times may change ! during the year. on High Season GROUP TOURS, BESANÇON GROUP CONVENTIONS TOUR SERVICE You want to organise an excursion AND SEMINARS: or a stay in Besançon for at least 20 people? We will arrange it all, WE ORGANISE THEM with you, coordinating sightseeing, WITH YOU meals, accommodation, an expert Plus de 3000 références ! tour guide… BESANÇON CONVENTION Contact: Fromages - Épicerie fine - Vins et spiritueux Tel + 33 (0)3 81 80 92 69 SERVICE Fax + 33 (0)3 81 80 58 30 Crèmerie - Produits du terroir. You would like to organise [email protected] a convention, seminar or conference? Let us customise it with you from start to finish. This is a free service. Tel + 33 (0)3 81 80 92 00 Fax + 33 (0)3 81 80 58 30 Boutique en ligne [email protected] www.lacaveauxfromages.com 2, rue Gustave Courbet - Place du Marché - 25000 BESANCON Avril 2021 — Réalisation : Office de Tourisme du Grand Besançon — Photo Credits: Direction de la Communication Ville de Besançon: Jean Charles Tél. : 03 63 18 33 81 - Email : [email protected] Sexe, Eric Chatelain — Regional Tourism Committee of Franche-Comté, Casino JOA, Clap 35, CIGC Images et Associés, CIGC Szewczyk, D. Bringard, H. Guenat, L.D. Hughes, Yves Petit, J-F Berne, Jack Varlet, Le Criollo, M. Pierre, Métiers d’Art en Franche-Comté, Musée des Maisons Comtoises, Nicolas site : www.lacaveauxfromages.com Waltefaugle, Salins-les-Bains Tourist Office, MTCC-cl. Y. Goux, La Rodia, City of Besançon, Besançon Visitor and Convention Information Centre, FRAC 3 Besançon is the City of Time. It has a rich clockmaking and historical past. Besançon clockmakers continue to exercise their craft and art today, and traces of their history can still be seen here and there in the streets of the city. There are also many architectural treasures (Renaissance facades, outdoor staircases, buildings of blue-beige stone) which will delight all heritage and history lovers. Besançon, with its tourist, heritage and clockmaking attractions, has made it into the ranks of the best! In 2020 the UNESCO inscribed on its list the know-how in watchmaking mechanics and art as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. It consistently comes in first, of all the “green” cities of France, thanks to its extensive network of green park areas. Life is good in Besançon and you can feel it in its daily rhythm of special events, festivals and exhibitions. IMPORTANT: COVID-19 information As the tourism sector is still strongly impacted, our information may change daily. Please check our website regularly, or contact us for up-to-date and verified information. 4 Photo opposite, photograph : Emmanuel EME 5 Copyright/Crédits : Grand Besançon Métropole P.8 FAMOUS PEOPLE P.44 VILLAGES AROUND BESANÇON P.14 CULTURAL HERITAGE P.49 GOING OUT P.16 VAUBAN P.50 BESANÇON OUTDOOR P.18 THE CITADEL P.53 OPEN-AIR MARKETS/ P.21 THE GAULS ANTIQUE MARKETS AND THE ROMANS P.54 USEFUL ADDRESSES P.22 MUSEUMS P.56 COMING AND GOING P.25 AS TIME GOES BY P.58 CITY CENTRE MAP P.26 RELIGIOUS HERITAGE P.64 MAP OF GREATER P.28 ARCHITECTURE BESANÇON P.31 FOUNTAINS P.67 THE RIVERS AND VALLEYS OF LOUE-LISON P.32 THE DOUBS AWAIT YOU! P.36 THE SURROUNDING AREA P.38 FAMILY AND CHILDREN all prices are quoted for 2021 and may be modified P.42 AN INTERNATIONAL CITY P.43 UNESCO SITE CITÉ DES ARTS - CITADELLE 6 7 BESANÇON FAMOUS PEOPLE 4 1 2 3 5 6 WRITERS VICTOR HUGO 3 ARTISTS JENS BOETTCHER 6 GABRIELLE SIDONIE (1802–1885) This sculptor, born in Essen, Germany “COLETTE” 1 Due to one of the military postings CLAUDE GOUDIMEL in 1933, came to live in France in 1968. of his father, then General of He was appointed professor at the (1873–1954) (ca 1520–1572) the Empire, the Hugo family settled School of Fine Art of Besançon in 1975; Colette was a novelist, journalist Born in Besançon, Goudimel was in the Doubs for a time. Hugo was born he taught there until retirement. and music hall artist. In September a musician and a composer who put on February 26th, 1802 in Besançon He now lives in Barjac in the Gard 1902, her husband Henry Gauthier- several of Ronsard’s odes and sonnets at No. 104, Grande Rue. He was a poet, Department. He created The Minotaur, Villars (Willy), descendant of an old to music. playwright and novelist and is the huge fountain sculpture in bronze Franche-Comté family, bought a house considered one of the most important you can see in the river at the Denfert- and property at Monts-Boucons. OUSMANE SOW 4 writers of the French language. Rochereau Bridge. The Minotaur She spent several summers there, He was also involved in politics This sculptor from Senegal created is 7m high and weighs 10 tonnes. using some of her time to write some and was an intellectual who played the statue of Victor Hugo for the Another of his sculptures is at Victor of her novels. Some titles: Claudine a major role in 19th century history. Refusal of Exclusion and Poverty Day Hugo square. The St. Quentin at School, Claudine in Paris, Claudine His birthplace is now a museum, which in 2002. It stands in the Rights of Man Fountain dates from 1756: it forms Married, Seven animal’s conversations celebrates his talents and influence. plaza in Besançon’s city centre. the background for Boettcher’s Some of his most well-known novels In 2013, Sow sculpted Man and Child La Source. JEAN-CHARLES are: The Misérable, The Hunchback for Besançon’s new memorial to EMMANUEL NODIER 2 of Notre-Dame, The Last Day of the dead at the Memorial Space GUSTAVE COURBET , at Les Glacis Park. (1780–1844) a Condemned Man The Legend of (1819–1877) Nodier was a journalist, writer and the Ages. Born on June 10th, 1819 in Ornans, near LUC BRETON 5 leader of the Romantics. He frequently Besançon, Courbet was a painter and mentioned the charms of his native (1731–1800) one of the leaders of the Realist School. province in his writings. He was born Born in Besançon, Breton was a He is known for the raw realism of th on April 29 , 1780, in a house – no sculptor, who made his career in Italy. his works, in particular, The Origin longer extant – on Victor Hugo Square “I am one He returned to Besançon in 1771 of the World (1866), which was (site of the current No. 7). and in 1773, with the Swiss painter considered scandalous at the time. of the paving Jean Wyrsch, founded the Besançon Courbet was anticlerical, had anarchistic School of Painting and Sculpting. leanings, was a friend of the socialist stones on He is considered to be the best theoretician, Pierre-Joseph Proudhon, Franche-Comté sculptor of the 18th and one of the elected members of century. His works in Besançon include the Paris Commune of 1871. He lived the road of The Pieta in Saint Peter’s Church, at No. 140, Grande-Rue in Besançon. the Angels in Adoration behind There is a trompe-l’œil of him at humanity.” the high altar at Saint John’s Cathedral the windows giving onto Victor Hugo In a letter from Victor Hugo and the decor of the Fountain of the Square. He died on 31 December 1877 to the people of Besançon, 1880 Ladies at 8 bis, rue Charles Nodier. in La Tour-de-Peilz in Switzerland. 8 9 2 6 1 3 4 5 7 MILITARY AND NICOLAS PERRENOT VAUBAN (SÉBASTIEN SCIENTISTS DE GRANVELLE 2 LE PRESTRE DE VAUBAN) 5 POLITICAL PEOPLE (1486–1550) (1633–1707) AND ENGINEERS De Granvelle was a lawyer, Louis XIV owed much to Sébastien CHARLES FOURIER 1 who became the Holy Roman Emperor Le Prestre de Vauban. From 1668 AUGUSTE AND LOUIS LUMIÈRE 6 (1772–1837) Charles V’s First Advisor in 1524. onwards, as the King’s Engineer, (1862–1954) (1864–1948) After working in trade and banking, He built the Granvelle Palace he designed and built the first defence The Lumière brothers were Charles Fourier, philosopher and in Besançon. system for France’s land and maritime the inventors of the technology utopian economist, designed plans borders. He studied attack procedures and the commercial exploitation for a harmoniously built city, ANTOINE PERRENOT and created a method of siege that of cinematography. They also made a Phalanstère (Phalanstery), whose was used for 2 centuries. He provided significant improvements to DE GRANVELLE 3 citizens would find personal and the brilliant strategic and military photography. They were born at No. 1, professional fulfilment in their work. (1517–1586) advice that was largely responsible Saint Quentin Square (now Victor This economic, social and human Son of Nicolas, Antoine de Granvelle for the destruction of the Besançon Hugo Square). There is a sculpture reform project aimed at ensuring became a cardinal and succeeded (and Franche-Comté) forces, both illustrating a scene from their film, an ideal life for mankind, but attempts his father in service to the Hapsburgs.