Besançon

Introducing Besançon

Old town, young heart: that’s Besançon, capital of the Franche-Comté region. One of France’s most liveable cities, Besançon boasts one of the country’s largest foreign student populations and an innovative spirit that finds expression in an old town humming with hip bars and bistros and a blog it can call its own (besanconinfo.blogspirit.com in French). The Battant quarter, originally settled by wine-makers, is the most historic.

First settled in Gallo-Roman times, Besançon became an important stop on the early trade routes between Italy, the Alps and the Rhine. In the 18th century it was a noted clock-making centre (it remains so), and in the 19th century Victor Hugo (who penned Les Misérables) and the film-pioneering Lumière brothers were born on place Victor Hugo in the old town.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009