I’m traveling in October, and considering a couple nights in Dijon, with a day trip to Besancon. OR, just stay in Besancon (I’ve been to Dijon before). Is Besancon worth a couple days? Any recommendations on amenities, walking tours etc?
Posted by
Long Beach, Ca, usa
3374 posts
It's been over 25 years, but we had an overnight in Besancon, and only had time for one thing. We saw the Astronomical clock at the cathedral and it was well worth the "time". There is a Museum of Time also, and the tile roofs of Granville Palace rival that of the Hospice de Beaune. I could definitely spend a full day there and would probably spend the night. Haven't been, but the Fine Arts Museum and the Resistance Museum would be on my list.
Posted by
Surrey, UK
1017 posts
There is a Vauban citadel, which was occupied by the SS during the war, used as an HQ and also an internment camp, and is now a museum.
It's history is unhappy (cruel), but if you are interested in Vichy France, extremely interesting.
Oddly, there is also a small zoo in the grounds, with a great collection of monkeys.
Posted by
Paris
7947 posts
I'd say it's definitely worth a day. A "couple of days" might be a stretch, but it gives a chance for a half-day trip to Arc-et-Senans.
Posted by
Wyckoff, NJ, USA
8775 posts
We spent three nights in Besançon, with a rental car. It's a lovely place, with an excellent art museum that we somehow overlooked. We spent a lot of time at the Citadel, and in the resistance/occupation museum. I don't remember a physical prison aspect to the museum.
Our main car visit was the path of the painter Gustave Courbet, with his town of Ornans and the site of his many versions of La Source de la Loue. That is a longish walk from the rural parking area, but mostly shaded. I think our next stop was Geneva. Depending on your direction of travel, you might also consider the Le Corbusier chapel in Ronchamp, or the tiny but magnificent stone village of Pèrouges, where we spent one night in a neat "cave" room associated with the only hotel in town.