Besancon tourism and travel guide
Visit Besancon: highlights and tourist information
Travel Guide To Visit AttractionsFrance This Way comment: The citadel, cathedral and some impressive 16th century townhouses are among the highlights to discover in Besancon
Important note
This page features a summary of highlights that you might like to explore near Besancon. For detailed visitor information see the Besancon travel guide.
Besancon is situated in the Doubs department and Franche-Comte region (now part of the Burgundy-Franche-Comté region), in the eastern-center of France - it is the prefecture (capital) of the Doubs department (general information: Besancon is 327 kilometres from Paris).
Tourist classifications for Besancon include "national monument", "secteur sauvegarde", "town of art and history" and "zoo or wildlife park". It is unusual for a town to have 4 awards, which indicates how important Besancon is as a tourist destination!
Popular places to visit nearby include Ornans at 17 km and Lods at 27 km. For more places to visit and local tourist attractions see the map and listings below.
Besancon, France: places to visit and attractions
Some of the places that we have visited and reviewed and can recommend when you are sightseeing close to Besancon in Burgundy-Franche-Comté.
Note that all distances below are 'direct' and real driving distances will be greater!
... or see ALL recommended places to visit in Doubs
Map of places to visit near Besancon
Markets in and near Besancon
Market days in Besancon: weekly market: Wednesday & Tuesday & Thursday all day & Sunday & Saturday & Friday;
- Besancon: market Wednesday & Tuesday & Thursday all day & Sunday & Saturday & Friday (0km)
- Levier: market Wednesday (32km)
- Gray: market Tuesday & Friday (40km)
- Arbois: market Friday (42km)
- Dole: market Tuesday & Thursday & Saturday (43km)
- Vesoul: market Thursday & Saturday (44km)
- Pontarlier: market Thursday (45km)
More information about Besancon, Franche-Comte
Tourist attractions near Besancon, France
What to do at Besancon? Some places with official tourist classifications and other places of interest to visit nearby that should provide inspiration if you are visiting Besancon.
Heritage sites
Most beautiful villages in France
(see also beautiful French villages)
- Lods (27km)
Recommended detour towns (fr: plus beau détour)
- Pontarlier (45km)
Remarkable gardens
- Parc de l'Etang (36km)
- Jardin à la Faulx (43km)
- Jardin du château du Talmay (46km)
Protected historical centre (fr: secteur sauvegardé)
(see also historical French towns)
- Dole (43km)
Sites of natural beauty
- Gouffre de Poudrey (21km)
- Défilé d'Entre-Roches (43km)
- Gorges de Remonot (44km)
- Forêt de la Joux (44km)
Towns of Art and history
- Salins-les-Bains (35km)
- Arbois (42km)
Villages in bloom 4* (fr: ville fleurie)
- Moffans-et-Vacheresse (58km)
Geography and distances
Geographical Information
Commune: Besancon
Canton: Besançon
Arrondissement: Besançon
Department: Doubs
Region: Franche-Comte
New region: Burgundy-Franche-Comté
Postcode: 25000
Distance to Besancon
from Besancon (prefecture): 1 km
from Paris: 327 km
from Calais: 512 km
from Nice: 405 km
from Bordeaux: 575 km
from Strasbourg: 197 km
Getting here
Besancon is in the eastern-center of France. Most visitors drive via Paris (from the north and west) or via Lyon (from the south), or fly into Geneva to the south For driving distances to Besancon from anywhere in France see driving distances and route planner.
We have 16 other places listed as being close (less than kilometres from ): Arguel, Avanne-Aveney, Beure, Chaleze, Chalezeule, Ecole-Valentin, Fontain, La Veze, Larnod, Miserey-Salines, Montfaucon, Morre, Pirey, Pugey, Rancenay and Thise.
This page in French: Visiter Besancon
