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Besançon
Besançon, prefecture of the Doubs, occupies a meander of the river, in the middle of seven hills, 75 km east of Dijon and 46 km from the Swiss border. Its former name was Vesontio, capital of the Sequani people. A free imperial city within the Holy Roman Empire, it was attached to France in 1678 after the Treaty of Nijmegen, and Louis XIV made it the capital of Franche-Comté.
Vauban's citadel has been inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage since 2008. In the cathedral of Saint-Jean there is an astronomical clock adorned with the statue of Truth. The town is built largely of Chailluz stone, ochre veined with blue-grey, and has 194 historic monuments.
Besançon is a former watchmaking centre, now a hub for microtechnologies and biomedicine. It welcomes about 30,000 students and has 118,000 inhabitants. An international classical music festival is held there.
