Besançon has the privilege of being the birthplace of many philosophers, writers, and artists :
- Victor Hugo (1802-1885) He was a poet, playwright and novelist.
- Auguste (1862-1954) and Louis Lumière (1864-1948) The Lumière brothers were the inventors of the technology and the commercial exploitation of cinematography. They also made significant improvements to photography.
- Jean Charles Emmanuel Nodier (1780-1844) He was a journalist, writer and leader of the Romantics.
- Pierre-Joseph Proudhon (1809-1865) He was the author of internationally recognised socialist theories.
- Hilaire de Chardonnet (1839-1924) He was a French engineer, industrialist and inventor of artificial silk.
- Tristan Bernard (1866-1947) He was a French playwright, novelist, journalist and lawyer.
They are also important persons in Besançon :
- Claude Nicolas Ledoux (1736-1806) He was a visionary architect from the Age of Enlightenment, Ledoux’s work was the precursor to functional architecture.
- Colette (1873-1954) She was a novelist, journalist and music hall artist.
- Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban (1633-1707) As the King’s Engineer, after the conquest in 1668, he designed the plans for the Citadel. From 1689 to 1695, he reinforced Fort Griffon, Besançon’s “second Citadel”, and rebuilt strong defensive bastions around the Loop. As garrison for the troops, barracks were built: another innovative idea.
The specialties from Franche-Comté are numerous and various :
- Cheeses : Comté, Morbier, Mont-d’Or, Cancoillotte, Mamirolle, la Vache qui rit, Edel de Cléron…
- Sausages : Saucisse de Morteau, Saucisse de Montbéliard, Brési, Gandeuillot, Jambon de Luxeuil…
- Wines and alcoholic drinks : Vin jaune du Jura, Crémant du jura, Pontarlier (apéritif), Vin de paille…
- Desserts and pastries : Sèches, Galette Comtoise, Gâteau de ménage…
Yes sure! We invite you to discover the 3 different paths in Besançon. You can easily orientate yourself by following the arrows on the ground, materialized by golden triangles, with an indication proper to each path.
Yes, the public toilets are located behind the building (City Hall). They are continuously available.
There are two big parking in Besançon: Parking de la Rodia, Avenue de Chardonnet and Parking Battant, 115 rue Battant. The other places are paid parking, however it is free on Sundays and bank holidays. They are also always free for the vehicles displaying the European disability disk on the dashboard.
The market days are the following:
- Place de la Révolution (city centre) : on Tuesday and Friday 7-12:30am and on Saturdays 7am-7pm. Covered market “Beaux-arts” : from Tuesday to Saturday 7am-7pm and on Sundays 8am-1pm.
- Battant district (city centre) : Place Jouffroy on Sundays and bank holidays in the morning.
- Taragnoz : Place de Lattre de Tassigny : from May to October, on Tuesdays 5-9pm.
- Quartier Palente : Place des Tilleuls on Wednesdays and Saturdays 8-12am.
- Quartier Saint-Ferjeux : Place de la Bascule on Sunday mornings.
- Quartier Planoise : Shopping centre Epoisses : on Tuesday and Friday mornings ; Shopping centre Ile de France : on Thursday and Sunday mornings ; Place Cassin : on Wednesdays and Saturdays 7am-6pm.
There is a free Wi-FI network named “VISITER BESANCON”. It provides an access to a touristic portal and to internet. Easy connexion and numerous connecting terminals in the city centre.
