Perched on an anticlinal, Besançon Citadel occupies a site of 11 hectares. A town of 10 000 inhabitants would easily fit inside. A Vauban masterpiece, this fortress cost Louis XIV so much to build that the Sun King would have enquired whether the walls were made of gold.

The Citadel has a dual heritage - first and foremost its initial vocation, which was that of a brilliantly constructed, defensive fortress that scarcely had the opportunity to prove itself in battle. It certainly often defended the authorities and local occupants but frequently against the populations. The memory of 99 resistant fusiliers is indelibly etched in this area. The Citadel went on to adopt the heritage and history, which it preserves and shows visitors to this day.

Classed as one of the major tourist attractions of Franche-Comté in terms of the number of visitors welcomed each year and named as "Tourist Site of the Year" by the Ministry of Tourism in 2003, the Citadel is the object of fierce, local Besançon pride.

Dominating the Comtois capital in all its splendour, it conceals within its walls an unknown path that invites you to sample both history and the present day. A unique and unexpected adventure awaits you in a fortress with historical monument status. Nowadays, the Citadel is thus a unique cultural and tourist attraction. Whilst the Museum reflects the living world in all its diversity (Zoo, noctarium, small farm, insectarium, aquarium, climatorium, etc.), it happily co-exists alongside the history of the region, retracing the path taken by mankind: the Vauban Area revealing all there is to know about Vauban and his military genius; a tour of the ramparts to gain an unparalleled view of the city of Besançon and its fortifications; the Comtois Museum, which retraces the region's history and popular art through a vast, rich collection; and the Museum of Resistance and Deportation, bearing poignant testimony to sadder times.

These various museums, which are housed in barracks and trenches, tell fascinating, remarkable and moving stories.

More information

Comité Régional du tourisme de Franche Comté
www.franche-comte.org


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