Exploring Franche-Comté, France’s Well-Kept Secret

Read with great joy. I am so very nostalgic when reading about the French and France. There are two places in this world: France and then all the rest. The simple joys of slowly wandering about and chatting with the locals, dining in a regional prix fixe, visting the museums, the more obscure the better, seeing the wonderful world of stucco homes splashed with flowers in the windows.

This article reminded me of how much I have been missing. But I am going back this fall. Hopefully to visit this region, too. But, my experience has been that it is fun everywhere the French are.

Thanks for the good read.

If Noelle is now 84, she would only have been about 13 in 1944; right age for having a crush on a "dashing" 20 something soldier.

At this very moment I am sitting in the Hotel Du Nord in the Old City section of Besancon drinking the unusual Cotes Du Jura Rouge Trousseau wine with my two friends. We flew with our bicycles from Chicago to Paris on May 27 and eventually took the train to Orleans. We have been cycling beginning June 1 from Orleans on the Velo 6 bike trail system and have found Besancon to be just as wonderful as you have described. Since two of us are vegetarians we were even able to find a sweet little restaurant down the street called Le Bersot de l'Orient with fine couscous and tagine either with or without meat. The owners are Moroccan and Algerian and gracious Beautiful natural and man-made landmarks, unusual wines, and many food choices have made Besancon (and Dole) a memorable and compelling highlight of our trip.

No mention of Stendhal and "The Red and The Black?" Tsk Tsk. He hated Besançon and the Doubs and his hero (mine too), Julien, couldn't wait to escape.

Equally charming, and less traveled, is nearby Dole, capital of the region until Louis XIV transfered that honor (and the incumbent riches) to Besancon. Hotel Restaurant La Chaumiere (* Michelin) is the perfect place to spend the night, albeit not so frugal.

The art museum in Besancon is closed for renovations. It contains excellent regional paintings as well as history of the City. Great place to add to your visit.

Thank you so much for your article! You brought me back for a short moment to my hometown and my roots. I am now leaving in Canada and I am trying to advertise the franche comte with my Canadian fellow as much as I can. Glad Besançon is (finally) getting the little kick it diserves!

So proud of reading these beautiful lines about our so wonderful landscapes. Thank you for coming here and sharing with american people

We spent about a week in the Franche-Compte back in early 2002 and it's one of our favorite trips. We didn't notice a dearth of Americans but maybe we just weren't thinking about it! We did spend a whole day at the Citadel ...

My alma mater, Knox College, has had a study abroad program in Besançon since 1966 so I was able to spend seven spectacular months of my junior year in Besançon about a decade ago. The town's Centre de Linguistique Appliquée actually attracts thousands of international students annually so during my time there, in addition to meeting the locals, I was able to befriend students from all over the world. Thanks so much for this article- I am enjoying a stroll down memory lane this morning!

When I was a teenager in the 1960s, I spent every summer in the Jura (part of Franche-Comté) either in the little village of Pagney or in the town of Dôle, some of the best experiences of my life. The town of Dôle is worth a visit. It is the birthplace of Louis Pasteur (pasteurized milk) and there is a museum there, as well as other attractions. I remember swimming in the L'ognon river, and partying at a chateau in the town of Rozet-Fluans (in the Doubs départment). I loved Comté cheese before it was ever heard of in this country. Thank you for writing about this lovely part of France.

thank you for this article.
I traveled by car from Basle to Paris and enjoyed the Franche Compté.
At the Tourist Office in Vesoul the lady indicated a Hotel en route to me. It was THE tip! The Hotel is very modest, but the Restaurant is first class, a real tip!
"Le Balcon" is in Combeaufontaine, some 20 minutes West of Vesoul. Christelle and Jean-Philippe Gauthier welcome you warmly. Reservations can be made here: 0033 3 84 92 11 13.
The place is a village with one main road and one crossroad! But the owner told me that guests travel 150 km in order to eat at their place.
I know why! That dinner was one of the highlights of my trip.

We very much enjoyed living in Besancon in the mid-'80s for a year while my husband taught at the University of Franche-Comte. Another UNESCO World Heritage site is very close to Besanson, less than an hour to the southwest -- the Royal Saltworks of Arc-et-Senans, a futuristic compound designed by Claude-Nicolas Ledoux in the 18th century. This, like Besancon and all of the Jura, is a treasure to be discovered way off the beaten path.

I spent 32 days in the Jura/Franche-Compte during a home exchange in 1998. Our home base was a small town of approx. 15000 named St. Vit, FR. The summer was hot and muggy but we travelled from Salin-les-Bain (spa), to Loray, FR, for morilles mushrooms, to Pontarlier, FR, for a sausage and cheese festivals, to Lac de Neuchatel, Swz., for chocolate and boating, to the Route du Vin for white wines and the Vosges Mountains. Unforgettable trip. Highly recommended for new experiences.

As a franc-comtoise, i can't thank you enough for this article as I often regret the lack of publicity received by my region. As manw other readers already mentioned, you'll have to come back for a hiking trip in "le haut doubs"!

I enjoyed reading your article a lot and was especially interested in the way you describe your food experiences. I recall some british friends of mine calling the cancoillotte "glue cheese" and have been using this expression (which rather increases their fear, I'm afraid to say...) whenever I introduce new international friends to this specialty.

We may not be as "chic" as Paris but we know how to enjoy the simple pleasures of life - that's what we call a "bon vivant"! Thanks again!!!

Comte is the best! My French cousin was thrilled when I served it to him during his American visit. Reminded him of his father Maurice's cheese board which is served after every meal back home in the Loire Valley. Found Comte at Trader Joe's at a reasonable price.

I wonder if the area is less popular with many tourists due to its location near Switzerland/Germany? Many popular places in France are inland (Paris, Burgundy, etc.) or near the sea (Provence, Brittany, Bordeaux, Normandy). Seems like once one travels east, they just cross the Rhine and move on.

A while back, I was led to a video of surfing or kayaking on the River Doubs, which led to a Google Maps expedition to figure out where it (and similar) videos were from, which led to Street View, including Besançon. I'd been aware that a lot of prime Europe is off the tourist paths, but the city and river, including its villages, impressed.

sounds great Seth. I live in Paris, so this would be a fun trip close to home. what city do you go to on TGV from Paris?

Dear Seth,

thanks a lot for your article about the town were I born. Next time, you should also visit "le haut-doubs" the wild part of Franche-Comté. There are here a lot of wild animals such the lynx and the landscapes composed of mountain and deep forest are so amazing. The are is also called "la petite sibérie" and it also looks like Canada with impressive colours in Autumn. The perfect season to come could be during the winter when the country is fully snow-covered but temparature could come close to - 20°C what was all the winter the case befor the golbal warming. But you are crazy about hiking come in spring or in summer. You will find perfectly silence area without any noise except the birds, the wind and the waterfall. It also closed to switzerland and the winter coming you can say hello to Swiss just by crossing the frozen river ! Please do not hesitate to ask for tips if you want. Best Regads and happy to see that a new-yorker spoke about our little country.

Here you can find pics : https://500px.com/Mickael_Gaume

Alice, Flowers and One thousand of Flowers snaped in Haut-Doubs, Popies, snaped in Franche-Comté as well as Artic Winter and Serenity plus la Force Tranquille, the horses from Franche-Comté.

Best Regards.

Fine article with one forgiveable mistake, Morbier is no blue cheese, the blue line in the middle is ashes spread that protects the first layer of cheese in the making, more here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morbier_cheese. Anyway it's a very good cheese, soft and subtle.

Your article is very illustrative, I loved Franche- Comté region, its villages , the hills, the rivers.
We enjoyed a long walk by le Doubs in Besancon .
The little town of Ornans, so lovely also a visit to the small church from the XIII century.
Besancon goal is the conservation of the surroundings, and it employs environment-friendly policies and practices.
You´ll enjoy the landscape everywhere...

I loved your article! It's not often one can read an article about my native Franche-Comté (I'm a "Bisontin") in a foreign newspaper.
I think you made a tiny mistake though, when speaking about Morbier (a personal favourite!).
Even though it is believed by many to be a blue cheese, it's actually not : The blue line in the middle of it used to be made of ashes (!) for practical reasons, and is now made with dye, for decorative and traditional purpose only.
Also, it can be described as creamy in taste, but not in texture. It's a "fromage à pâte dure".

Anyhow, great article! Hope you've enjoyed your stay, and thank you for your enthusiasm.

Thanks Seth, to put my home region on the NYT map! I would also recommend hiking in the highlands, near the swiss border, whether in summer or in winter. Another history spot is Belfort, north of France-Comté, with yet another citadel by Vauban. The city of 3 sieges has been rewarded by a giant sculpture of a lion, by Bartholdi (the father of Miss Liberty). If you love wine and cheese, this is one place to look for.

Thanks for this beautiful article. I live in Paris actually, Franche-Comte are my roots. My parents rent a comfortable farm in St Bresson village (North of the Region).
Enjoy your trip !

Fifty years ago I went to France with the Experiment in International Living. Besançon was the where I ended up, staying with one of the richest families in town. Not what I had expected! But the town was beautiful, I started to dream in French and I have never forgotten it.

Born and raised in Franche Comté, I have to add that this area of France has some of the most beautiful lakes and forests, especially in Jura.
Enjoy the Comté cheese, the yellow wine and all the small villages such as Chateau Chalon (let google image convince you)

Aas a native from Besançon, your article was really interesting... I was curious to know what foreigners travelers actually think about my country ... thanks for the positive appreciation :-)
I admit it's flattered to see that this quite unknown area ( even for French people sometimes !) can be that attractive :-)

Wonderful piece. I've seen a lot of France, but not this part. Next time! Thanks for such an evocative and mouth-watering article.

From Besancon, it is enjoyable to cycle along the bike path that parallels the Doubs river and travels through Avanne. You can travel for many miles and pass through some pleasant medieval French villages and tour the scenic countryside.

I used to type manuscripts for the literary critic, Leslie Fiedler, at SUNY Buffalo back in the 60s. He once returned from a sabbatical in Besançon with stars in his eyes and many stories similar to yours, about the history and the Citadel and the Resistance heros, but this was a wonderful travelogue just the same. Thank you!

I enjoyed your article, Seth! I commute to work in Besançon during the year. It's a wonderful, quiet city, and I look forward to my visits every time.

If you ever go back, you must visit Dole, the old capital of the Franche Comté. It is utterly charming, and boasts great restaurants and an art museum. It also has an airport, where the budget airline Ryanair operate flies to Morocco and Portugal (eastern France boasts a large Portuguese community, well into its second and third generations—in itself, the community would make fascinating research!), and for one summer, in 2013, Ryanair offered a great service to London. Sadly it disappeared as quickly as it came, and a potential portal into this beautiful region was snapped shut as fast it had opened.

Come back and write more!

What, no picture of the kangaroo or the baboons? The reading public demands cute!

We just spent two weeks in Franche Comte. Our friends in England all said 'Where?' so you are not alone. We also visited Vauban's home, to the west in Burgundy, which everyone has heard of. Bought the wife a watch in Besancon, the old heart of watch making in Framce - until they move over the mountain to Switzerland...

Great article. We visited Paris last year and never left the city. We want to get out into the countryside and this article will be very helpful