Bourgogne-Franche-Comté
Citadelle of Besançon
In 1684, Vauban, Louis XIV’s minister, decided to build a formidable defensive wall in a meander of the Doubs, the jewel in the crown of military architecture at the time: the Besançon citadel. Three centuries on, the monument is now one of eleven sites in the Vauban network listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. There are many ways to visit it, from the most entertaining to the most scholarly. If you’re a fan of the Golden Number, this is for you...
Château de la Verrerie, Le Creusot
Emblematic of the industrial development of the early 19th century, the Queen’s Crystal Works is famous for its diamond-point cutting process. However, the Manufacture royale et impériale proved unprofitable and closed its doors in 1832. Transformed into the luxurious property of the ironmasters before being handed over to the State, the listed building now houses the Musée de l’homme et de l’industrie.
The kilns at the château entrance, public domain
Chalon dans la rue
Since 1987, for 5 days in mid-July, Chalon-sur-Saône has become a huge open-air stage. Welcome to France’s biggest street theater festival->https://www.chalondanslarue.com/], where renowned companies rub shoulders with up-and-coming young talents. All art forms are represented, from pantomime to sidewalk vaudeville, from the intimate to the blockbuster. The shows are often funny and farcical, sometimes more serious, but always virtuoso. An unforgettable moment, with friends or family, bring your own cushion and a good dose of patience...
During the festival, ©Goudjat, Flickr
The siege of Alesia and the museum
Recounted by Caesar in his Commentary on the Gallic War, the defeat of the Gallic armies at the hands of the Roman legions remains one of the founding moments of the French historical novel. Since then, the battle has been instrumentalized, fantasized and disputed, and has been the subject of much controversy - a textbook case. Far from the polemics, the MuséoParc d’Alise, endorsed by scientific research, allows visitors to relive the siege and the fighting. Vercingetorix, the magnificent loser.
A reconstruction of the battle, ©Radatto/Flickr
