Childrens laughter filled the air as the
gilded carousel circled round and round. Families sunned on benches
in the pedestrian-only Place de 8 Septembre square, waiters
balanced trays of espresso and pastries at the outdoor cafes and
two elderly accordion players provided an enthusiastic musical
backdrop. The carousel, built in 1865, is dedicated to French
writer Victor Hugo, whose modest birthplace lies two cobblestoned
streets away, at 140 Grande Rue.
Two blocks
farther, along the banks of the Doubs River, aromas from the
creperie stand in Micaud Park drew a crowd all day long. The
galattes, or crepes, were large, and the dozens of fillings --
including chocolate, cheese, sausage and salmon -- inspired
appreciative comments from those in line.
From the ramparts
of La Citadelle, a fortress designed in 1674 by French architect
Sebastien le Prestre Vauban for King Louis XIV, the town of
Besancon, 350 feet below, appeared toy-like and protected, nestled
in a comforting bend of the Doubs.
The town, in the
heart of the Franche-Comte region on Frances eastern border, is
closer to Geneva than Paris.
It is a spot most
U.S. travelers rarely visit, much less know about, unless theyre
passing through en route to Switzerland.
Bordered by the
better-known Burgundy, Champagne, Alsace-Lorraine regions and the
Rhone Alps, Franche-Comte rates scant mention in most guidebooks to
France.
Undiscovered gem
A pity, because
Besancon, a center of art, history and watchmaking, is a Gallic gem well worth visiting.
One hundred
percent French in language, spirit and hospitality, the town was
voted one of the greenest communities in France, thanks to its
natural setting, farms and focus on land preservation.
You wont find
many Americans here; Germans, Swiss and Belgians make up the bulk
of the tourist trade. The town tourist office, in a low-rise,
circular, glass structure on the banks of the Doubs, did not even
have numbers on U.S. visitors.
You are rare
here, but you are very welcome, said a tour guide, handing me a
stack of brochures, most of them in French and German.
My husband and I
were in Besancon this April to visit our daughter, who was teaching
English in a local high school.
Besancon is
surrounded by seven hills; we encountered the lower end of one of
them while walking from the train station through a neighborhood
that smacked of unimaginative 1970s architecture.
Fortunately, that
was a brief blip, and we proceeded to the historical centre ville,
or downtown, distinguished by cobblestoned streets, interior
courtyards, murmuring fountains, statues and faded yellow and grey
stone building facades unique to Besancon.
For a small city
with fewer than 150,000 residents, Besancon is surprisingly rich in
museums, restaurants, hotels and cultural activities -- it even has
an opera house.
The towns parks,
dense forests, hills honeycombed with caves and 70 miles of marked
trails offer more than visitors could possibly see and do in a
week. Sports options include cross-country skiing, rock climbing,
golf, swimming, river rafting, fishing, kayaking and mountain
biking. Some suggestions follow.
Quoi
faire?
" La
Citadelle de Vauban: The citadel is a 20-minute, uphill
walk from the center of town, a $5 cab ride to the entrance or a
45-minute ride on a tourist trolley that departs several times a
day from Place de 8 Septembre from April through September.
Throughout the centuries, the citadel has served as a military
fortress, a prison and barracks.
Inside the walls
lie three museums. The Franche-Comte Museum has exhibits of the
people, landscapes, crafts and traditions of the region. The
Resistance and Deportation Museum documents a poignant chapter in
the regions history. The Museum of Natural History includes an
insectarium (avoid it if looking at bugs in the dark gives you the
creeps) and a zoo (dont miss it, especially the endangered
species).
" La
Porte Noire: Called the Black Gate after its very dark
patina, the structure is a Roman triumphal arch built in 175 to
honor Emperor Marcos Aurelius. Its massive columns are ornately
decorated with sculptures of battle scenes. Although partially
restored, the arch has been badly eroded by the weather.
"
LHorloge Astronomique: The
towns Astronomical Clock in St. Johns Cathedral was built in 1858
and has more than 30,000 parts and 73 dials indicating seasons, the
time in 16 different places in the world, tides, daylight, times
for sunrise and sunset, planetary movements and
eclipses.
" Le
Doubs:
Hop on an excursion boat during the summer
months for a two-hour ride up the Doubs, stopping to rent a bicycle
to pedal along the riverbank.
Stop at an
open-air market to buy a baguette, hunk of Franche-Comte cheese and
bottle of vin de paille for a riverside picnic.
"
Dijon: One day, we took a train to Dijon, the ancient
capital of Burgundy just an hour west of Besancon. Its a city known
for mustard, regional wines, owls and architecture.
The Owl Trail,
which winds through Dijons medieval core, is marked by bronze owl
plaques set into the sidewalks.
At Notre Dame
church, which houses the worlds oldest known wooden carving of the
Madonna, we stopped to rub a small stone statue of an owl set into
a crevice on an outside wall.
Superstition
holds that the owl must be touched with the left hand while the
wish is being made.
We toured Dijons
Musee des Beaux Arts, with its collections of 14th century
sculptures and European paintings.
A late lunch at
Les Moulins Bleus brasserie at Place des Ducs offered 30 varieties
of crepes, regional wines by the glass or bottle and penache, a
beer and lemonade combination that tasted better than it
sounded.
"
Ornans: Another excursion, this by public bus, brought us
to the village of Ornans, 45 minutes southeast of
Besancon.
Ornans is known
as the Venice of the Franche-Comte region because of its canals,
which branch out from the Loue River in the town center, and its
riverside homes with rowboats tied under their pilings.
Trout is the
specialty in Ornans restaurants. The fish is local and fresh, and
we ordered it at the Brasserie de lHotel de France on the main
square.
The artist
Gustave Courbet is Ornans claim to fame. He was born in Ornans in
1819, and his house is now the Musee de Courbet. The museum houses
many of his paintings, which center on the Loue and its
environs.
For more on
Besancon, visit www.besancon-tourisme.com or e-mail [email protected]. Or call the French
Government Tourist Office at (212) 838-7800 or visit http://us.franceguide.com.
To contact reporter Gay Nagle Myers, send e-mail to [email protected].