Itinerary · Bourgogne-Franche-Comté
Besançon and Belfort, Franche-Comté Fortresses: a 4-Day Road Trip
A road trip between two Franche-Comté strongholds: Vauban's UNESCO-listed citadel at Besançon and the Lion of Belfort — plus the Musée du Temps, the Musée des Beaux-Arts and the Musée de la Mécanographie.
4 days · 7 stops · Road trip
Other itineraries for Bourgogne-Franche-Comté:
Overview
Numbers follow the order of the route, day by day — the dashed line is indicative, not a precise driving route.
Day 1
Besançon, Vauban's citadel
Built by Vauban from 1668 on a rocky spur encircled by the Doubs river, Besançon's citadel has been UNESCO-listed since 2008 as part of Vauban's fortifications — three museums and a sweeping view over the whole city from its outer defences.
UNESCO-listed since 2008Castle · Besançon
Citadelle de Besançon
The Citadelle de Besançon is a Vauban fortress listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, located in Besançon in the Doubs. It houses three museums labeled…
Listed fortificationsHeritage · Besançon
Fortifications de Vauban
Built under the direction of military engineer Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban in the 17th and 18th centuries, this fortified complex in Besançon represents a…
Day 2
Besançon, time and fine arts
The Musée du Temps, housed in the Palais Granvelle, traces the history of the clockmaking that built Besançon's reputation from the 19th century onward; then the Musée des Beaux-Arts et d'Archéologie, one of the oldest museums in France, open to the public since 1694.
France's clockmaking capitalMuseum · Besançon
Musée du temps
The Museum of Time in Besançon is dedicated to the history and watchmaking. Located in the Doubs in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, it houses remarkable collections…
Open to the public since 1694Museum · Besançon
Musée des Beaux-Arts et d'Archéologie de Besançon
The Museum of Fine Arts and Archaeology of Besançon is an institution recognized as. Located in Besançon, in the Doubs department in the…
Day 3
Belfort, city of the Lion
The Musée d'Histoire de Belfort, set in the château overlooking the city and Bartholdi's Lion, carved after the 1870-71 siege, tells the story of the stronghold's resistance against the Prussians; then the Musée d'Art Moderne, built on the donation of art dealer Maurice Jardot, a friend of Picasso and Braque.
The 1870-71 siegeMuseum · Belfort
Musée d'Histoire de Belfort
The Belfort History Museum, officially named "collector's cabinet - Maurice Jardot donation," is a museum. Located in Belfort, in the Territoire-de-Belfort, it…
Maurice Jardot donationMuseum · Belfort
Musée d'Art moderne - donation Maurice-Jardot
Le Musée d'Art moderne - donation Maurice-Jardot est un musée consacré à l'art moderne, situé à Belfort en Territoire de Belfort. Il constitue un établissement…
Day 4
Belfort, an unusual detour
Final stop at the Musée de la Mécanographie, devoted to the ancestors of the computer — punch cards and early 20th-century calculating machines — an unusual site before heading home.
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