Crowning a rocky spur in a tight loop of the River Doubs, the Citadel of Besançon is a masterwork of the military engineer Vauban and part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The fortress overlooks a city that was the Roman Vesontio, capital of the Sequani and an important stop on the road to the Alps. Below the citadel the Porte Noire, a 2nd-century Roman triumphal arch, still marks the ancient route that pilgrims followed south through Franche-Comté.
Highlights
- Vauban's ramparts crowning the neck of the Doubs river loop
- The Roman Porte Noire triumphal arch on the climb to the citadel
- Legend of the brothers Ferreol and Ferjeux and their rediscovered grotto
- Peregrines, Alpine swifts and eagle owls on the citadel cliffs
- A textbook entrenched meander described by Caesar in his Gallic War
At a glance
| Period | 17th century (Vauban), on a Gallo-Roman site |
|---|---|
| Stage | 5 — Licques to Wisques |
Take care
- Steep climb to the citadel — carry water in summer
- Low parapets on some rampart walkways; keep children close
History
Vauban laid out the citadel from 1668, after Louis XIV's first seizure of Franche-Comte, and when the province was definitively annexed in 1674 work resumed, the main fortress standing complete by 1683. For nearly three centuries it served the French army as barracks, garrison and prison. The city of Besancon bought the citadel from the army in 1959 and converted it into museums, and in 2008 it was inscribed by UNESCO among the fortifications of Vauban.
Myth & legend
Legend says Besançon's patron saints, the brothers Ferréol and Ferjeux, preached from a cave below the city until they were martyred around 212 AD, and that their grotto was rediscovered in 370 when a Roman officer's dog chased a fox inside. Caesar himself described Vesontio's river-looped crag in his Gallic War.
Geology
Besançon's loop is a textbook entrenched meander: the Doubs kept its old winding course as the Jura rose, cutting down through an anticline of Jurassic limestone on the mountains' outer edge. The citadel crowns the rocky neck of that fold, where the river has sliced through the arched strata to leave limestone cliffs falling sheer on either side.
Wildlife & nature
Peregrine falcons have bred on the citadel cliffs for well over a decade, sharing the rock with Alpine swifts, crag martins, eagle owls and several bat species that use the crevices and casemates. Below, the Doubs loop carries grey herons, kingfishers and dippers past limestone slopes of box, beech and dry grassland.
The view
Vauban's ramparts crown the narrow neck of the Doubs meander, with the old town's rooftops, the cathedral and the wooded loop of the river spread out far below the walls.
Photography
Walk the rampart tops for the classic view down over the river loop; morning haze on the Doubs can be atmospheric, and the Roman Porte Noire on the climb makes a strong close-up subject.
When to visit
May, June and September are ideal for the climb; July and August are warm and popular with families; winters are cold and grey, and the exposed ramparts catch every wind.
Getting there
The route passes through Besancon on foot; the city is served by rail at Viotte station, and a seasonal shuttle bus climbs from the centre to the citadel gates for those avoiding the steep walk.
Where to stay
Hotels, chambres d'hotes and hostel-style beds cluster in the old town below; walkers usually overnight in the city centre before continuing towards the high Jura and Pontarlier.
Food & water
Carry water for the climb; cafes fill the old-town squares below the hill, and fountains in the city are ornamental rather than reliable refill points.
Safety
The climb up is steep — take water in summer — and some rampart walkways have low parapets, so keep children close. In an emergency dial 112.
Accessibility
The walk up is long and steep with stairs on the footpaths; inside the walls, courtyards mix cobbles, slopes and steps, so the shuttle bus is the gentler approach for limited mobility.
Visitor tips
Climb via the cathedral and the Roman Porte Noire so the ascent doubles as sightseeing; allow half a day for the ramparts and museums, and collect a stamp at the tourist office in town.
The guide, in full
The written guide to this site.
The River Doubs very nearly makes an island of Besancon. It loops right around the old town in a great horseshoe and leaves only one narrow neck of rock uncut, and on that neck sits the citadel. Julius Caesar noticed the arrangement two thousand years ago and wrote it down in his account of the Gallic War, describing how the river almost encircles the town and how a high hill closes the gap. He hurried to seize the place, because a crag like this inside a loop like that is a gift to any commander. Before the fortress there was a city. This was Vesontio, capital of the Sequani and then a prosperous Gallo-Roman town on the road to the Alpine passes, and its bones are still here. On the climb up from the cathedral you pass beneath the Porte Noire, a triumphal arch of the second century, its carvings worn soft by weather but its archway still spanning the ancient street. Travellers have walked through it towards Italy for longer than anyone can properly reckon. There is a legend at the foot of the hill as well. The brothers Ferreol and Ferjeux, the city's patrons, are said to have preached from a cave below the town until they were martyred around the year two hundred and twelve, and their grotto was forgotten for a century and a half until, in three hundred and seventy, a Roman officer's dog chased a fox into a hole in the rock and led its master to the hidden chamber. The fortress above is the work of Sebastien Le Prestre de Vauban, the greatest military engineer of his age. He laid out the citadel from sixteen sixty-eight, after Louis the Fourteenth's first seizure of Franche-Comte; when the province was annexed for good in sixteen seventy-four the work resumed in earnest, and by sixteen eighty-three the main fortress stood complete, successive fronts of bastions and ditches sealing the neck of the meander. For nearly three centuries it served the French army as barracks, garrison and prison, until the city bought it in nineteen fifty-nine and gave it over to museums. In two thousand and eight UNESCO inscribed it among the great works of Vauban. Walk the rampart tops and the geology lays itself out below you. This is a textbook entrenched meander: the Doubs was already winding across a plain when the Jura began to rise, and it simply kept sawing downwards, cutting through an arch of folded Jurassic limestone at the outer edge of the mountains. The result is a rocky spur with cliffs falling sheer on both sides, the river far below on either hand, and the old town's roofs packed into the loop. Those cliffs are busy. Peregrine falcons have bred here for well over a decade, sharing the rock with Alpine swifts, crag martins and eagle owls, while bats roost in the crevices and casemates. Along the water below, grey herons stalk the shallows and kingfishers and dippers flash past slopes of box and beech. The climb is steep, so carry water in summer, take it slowly, and keep children close where the rampart parapets are low. Going up by way of the cathedral and the Porte Noire turns the ascent into sightseeing, which is the walker's trick here. Collect a stamp in the town before you leave. Then look south-east from the walls, towards the long ridges of the Jura standing squarely in your way. That is tomorrow. Enjoy the view tonight.
Common questions
How old is Citadel of Besançon?
Citadel of Besançon dates from the 17th century (Vauban), on a Gallo-Roman site period.
How do I get to Citadel of Besançon?
The route passes through Besancon on foot; the city is served by rail at Viotte station, and a seasonal shuttle bus climbs from the centre to the citadel gates for those avoiding the steep walk.
Is Citadel of Besançon accessible?
The walk up is long and steep with stairs on the footpaths; inside the walls, courtyards mix cobbles, slopes and steps, so the shuttle bus is the gentler approach for limited mobility.
When is the best time to visit Citadel of Besançon?
May, June and September are ideal for the climb; July and August are warm and popular with families; winters are cold and grey, and the exposed ramparts catch every wind.
Is there food and water at Citadel of Besançon?
Carry water for the climb; cafes fill the old-town squares below the hill, and fountains in the city are ornamental rather than reliable refill points.
Where can I stay near Citadel of Besançon?
Hotels, chambres d'hotes and hostel-style beds cluster in the old town below; walkers usually overnight in the city centre before continuing towards the high Jura and Pontarlier.
What should I know before visiting Citadel of Besançon?
Climb via the cathedral and the Roman Porte Noire so the ascent doubles as sightseeing; allow half a day for the ramparts and museums, and collect a stamp at the tourist office in town.
Is Citadel of Besançon safe to visit?
The climb up is steep — take water in summer — and some rampart walkways have low parapets, so keep children close. In an emergency dial 112.
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