Franche-Comte

Visit Franche-Comte

Between France and Switzerland, between plains and mountains, Franche-Comté has some interesting towns and villages - and some impressive scenery with vineyards and lakes, forests and mountains, as scenic backdrop

Selected places to visit in Franche-Comte

A quiet town typical of the Jura, Arbois was once home to the laboratory of Louis Pasteur
Arbois

Stunning location for this pretty village dominated by a large abbey complex
Baume-les-Messieurs

An important regional town, Belfort is overlooked by the massive walls of its fortified citadel
Belfort

There is a great deal to discover in Besancon, including a cathedral and an impressive Museum of Fine Arts
Besancon

Stunning location for the jura village at Chateau-Chalon, a classified 'most beautiful village in France'
Chateau-Chalon

Dole is an interesting riverside town dominated by the magnificent Collegiale Church
Dole

A small village in an idyllic riverside location, Lods is beautifully lit in summer evenings
Lods

The bustling local town of Lons-le-Saunier is also home to the odlest dinosaur skeleton in France!
Lons-le-Saunier

There are numerous scenic highlightw, walks and picnic spots along the pretty valley of the Loue river
Loue River Valley

The popular Jura town of Luxeuil-les-Bains is best known for its impressive 13th century basilica
Luxeuil-les-Bains

Montbeliard is an intersting town dominated by a large castle on a clifftop above the town centre
Montbeliard

The view of the houses along the riverfront in Ornans is one of the highlights of a visit to the Jura
Ornans

The high altitude town of Pontarlier is on the edge of the Jura mountains close to Switzerland
Pontarlier

World famous chapel designed by Le Corbusier to replace an earlier church that had been destroyed
Ronchamp Chapel

Salins-les-Bains is a fascinating glimpse into this historically important salt industry
Salins-les-Bains

Built as a community for families working on salt production the Royal Saltworks is a fascinating 19th century industrial complex
Saltworks of Arc-et-Senans

As well as an interesting historic centre Vesoul has easy access to some popular Jura scenic attrcations
Vesoul

Visit Franche-Comté

Franche-Comte is found to the east of France - the region borders onto Switzerland, so as you head towards the east of the region you start to leave the rolling countryside and smaller peaks of the Jura mountains, cross the high plateaux, and enter the Alps 'proper'.

There are four French departments in Franche-Comté: Haute-Saone (north), Territoire-de-Belfort (north-east), Doubs (central), and Jura (south):

Jura (south Franche-Comté)

Dole is an attractive town in the Jura department of the Franche-Comte region, known especially for the impressive Dole Collegiale.

Explore also the cluster of towns that includes Arbois, Poligny, and Salins-les-Bains, and the town of Moirans-en-Montagne, best known for its toy museum.

Two 'most beautiful villages' can be seen in the southern part of the region near Lons-le-Saunier at Baume-les-Messieurs, and Chateau-Chalon.

General Franche-Comte information

Much of the countryside is an unspoiled mix of forests and open country, interspersed with lakes and rivers, and it is for 'the great outdoors' that most visitors come to the region - a couple of natural highlights include the Parc Regional du Haut-Jura and the valley of the Loue River (passes through the Doubs and Jura departments).

See more ideas at Franche-Comté tourist information, with more towns, national monuments, national parks, towns in bloom etc across the Franche-Comte region.

Page in French? See Franche-Comte (Francais)