Besançon is an interesting city in the east of France with a population of around 150,000 people. Normally, Ivan and I prefer smaller French villages to cities, because they are generally friendlier, however, Besançon broke the mould. Here we met so many lovely locals and there was a lot to see and do. But first things first, getting to the city in Laura our canal boat was an absolute delight.
Arriving in Besançon via Laura
Just outside Besançon we had our first tunnel experience. The tunnel is called Tunnel of Thoraise and has a waterfall on each end that switched off once we approached. Ivan did a magnificent job of steering in the confined space.
The City
Besançon is a 2000 year old city that was first settled in 100 AD. The history of Besançon is incredible and as we came in on our canal boat it was impossible to miss the Citadel – a fortress built in the 1600’s to protect the city.
The Citadel of Besançon
For anyone who loves a bit of history, a visit to the Citadel is a must. It is 11 hectares of sheer military and engineering ingenuity that was completed in 1684. It was designed by genius engineer Vauban and never breached. You can see why – it was built to withstand cannonballs and utilises the natural contours of the land. The view from the Citadel is breath taking and it is definitely worth a visit.
Inside the Citadel are a number of museums and a zoo. The zoo had kangaroos who I am sure were happy to hear the familiar Australian nasal twang emanating from Ivan and I.
There were plenty of animals in the zoo and we got to see monkeys being fed. The food created lots of excited chatter and a bit of craziness, reminding me of Christmas lunch with my family.
There was an excellent museum in the Citadel which had a photographic exhibition of Besançon from the 1880’s. It was fascinating seeing people’s lives from that time. My favourite part was the awkward family photos (below).
Around Besançon
The Citadel is just one of the many things to see in Besançon and riding around the city on our bikes was a great experience. Besançon has many Roman ruins including a theatre, Corinthian columns and underground tunnels.
The architecture of Besancon is just stunning – everywhere you go in the city there’s incredible buildings to see.
Making Friends in Besançon
A lot of people have asked whether living on a canal boat is a lonely existence. The answer is a definite no! We’ve met lots of likeminded people who are traveling around doing similar things to us.
We were fortunate to spend almost a week in Besançon moored alongside Jennifer and Michael from the boat Iris. They are a lovely couple from Australia who live 6 months in Perth and 6 months in France on their boat. We’ve spent many a night with them sharing a bottle or two of wine discussing the finer points of canal boating life and solving the problems of the world.
Jennifer and Michael introduced us to their friends Marty and Gillian from the boat Freya, whose daughter Sarah was visiting from the UK. Marty and Gillian used to live in Darwin but now live 6 months of the year in Cairns and 6 months in France. It’s a great life, and it seems lots of Australians and Kiwis are doing this.
Here’s a photo of all 3 Aussie boats in the marina at Besançon
We desperately needed haircuts!
Ivan and I both needed a haircut so we randomly chose a place called Pop Hair. We’re so glad we did as the staff were lovely and we had a great experience. We got chatting with the customers in the shop and they loved the fact that we were Australians who had bought a boat and were visiting their beautiful city. Ivan and I enjoyed the experience so much that we returned with a box of chocolates to say thank you to the staff. They were very happy and the customers in the salon applauded. It was so much fun.
Besançon is definitely a city in France worth a visit. There are many restaurants and wonderful food experiences including the covered markets with no less than 3 different fromageries (cheese shops). You can get to Besançon via train or bus, but the best way is via a canal boat!
What “Christmas time at the zoo”????
Ah, now I know why we deported you to some little canal on the other side of the world
Hi Geoff! This is my brother Geoff impersonating Australia’s Prime Minister. Nice try Geoff, but Christmas time with the family is similar to monkeys feeding at the Besancon Zoo. When you come to visit we’ll go there and you’ll see what I mean. Of course, I’m the worst offender with my screeching and grabbing at the food 🙂