Arbois

Arbois in eastern France is the capital of the Jura wines, and the town itself offers a beautiful architectural heritage. It was a fortified town during the 13th-century, although most of the ramparts no longer exist. Three round towers and the square Gloriette tower still remain. Along with what is now Chateau Pecauld, the Jura vine and wine museum. Its houses sitting along the serene Cuisance river make for a charming atmosphere. The Saint-Just church from the 12th and 13th centuries is built with a 200 ft. bell tower (accessible in July and August), providing panoramic views of the sprawling vineyards and the city.

Arbois is Jura wine region’s most prolific appellation for red, white and rose wines. Jura’s famous Vin Jaune and vind de paille (yellow wine and straw wine) are made here, but the town has gained its reputation for red wines. Make sure to explore the Vineyards and Wine museum situated in a part of the Pecauld castle. The museum introduces visitors to the history and traditions related to wine-growing, as well as presenting the region’s grape varieties and wine-making methods.

Belfort

The capital of the Territory of Belfort, the smallest department of France created in 1922, boasts beautiful natural landscapes ideal for outdoor activities such as hiking, cycling, water sports, and golf. The history of Belfort has been shaped by its resistance to Prussia and annexation by Germany, starting in 1870. From its past as a strategic and defensive city, Belfort has many historic relics such as the citadel and its ramparts, designed by Vauban in the 17th century. At the end of the citadel, the famous Lion of Belfort, carved from pink sandstone by Auguste Bartholdi (1875 - 1879), is a monument measuring 72 ft in length and 36 ft in height. It has a lookalike statue on Place Denfert-Rochereau in Paris and seems to be guarding the city.

Highlights in Belfort include the La Miotte Tower in the Belfort Heights, once part of a medieval castle and boasting a fabulous view of the city and the Vosges; the Cathedral of St. Christopher, a striking monument built from pink sandstone in the 18th century; the beautiful Place de la Grande Fontaine; and the Museum of Fine Arts, based in an old fortified tower. The city also hosts a major festival, Les Eurockeennes, in early July at the site by Lake Malsaucy, 3.5 miles outside the city.

Besancon

Situated on a loop in the River Doubs known as the Boucle (Oxbow), Besançon is a beautiful city that was once a prime location for Europe’s great empires. The location was naturally positioned as an easy city to defend because of the River Doubs creating a natural moat being the only way in by land was over the monumental promontory. The older buildings in the city are as unique as they are beautiful because of their “Chailluz” stone, which is streaked with hues of blue, grey and beige.

Explore the Citadelle de Besançon, a 17th-century military sky-scraping citadel situated high on Mount Saint-Etienne. Vauban designed the citadel taking every last detail into account, like building the parapets from brick instead of limestone because its fragments were less deadly after a blast. Today it is listed as a UNESCO site, and the walk up from the rest of the city can be quite strenuous, but the views of the Doubs River and the rolling landscape make it worthwhile once atop the walls.

Montbéliard

Montbéliard, the City of Princes, is a lovely city filled with art and history. The city, like the city of Doubs, does not resemble the other French towns because it wasn’t actually French until the Revolution. Before that it had been in with the Duchy of Wurttemberg, and that German influence still remains. When the population grew at the start of the 1600s Montbéliard was updated by a swabian master architect, and many of the houses, churches and engineering from this project still exist.

If you love automobiles, you will be delighted to see that Sochaux next door is the home of Peugeot. There’s an excellent museum taking you back to the brand’s very beginnings, while its factory, the largest, most high-tech car plant in France, is open for tours.

The city is also known for its fabulous natural landscape which makes it easy to move from the urbanized to the gentle countryside. The greenery is beautiful in the heart of the town with many parks.

Pontarlier

Pontarlier, located in the east of Franche-Comte, sits high in the heart of the Jura Mountains close to the border of Switzerland. The history of the town revolves around its position on the important trade route between Besancon and Switzerland. It is the capital city of the Haut-Doubs and the gateway to a very large protected nature area, with forests, lakes and the green pastures all around.

Pontarlier became famous throughout the world thanks to the production of absinthe at the beginning of the last century. Today the city has renewed this tradition since two distilleries produce absinthe again.

Salins-les-Bains

Salins-les-Bains is a charming spa town that benefits from a beautiful natural environment. The town is dominated by the 18th-century former salt factory, home to underground galleries and a hydraulic pumping system, still in service today, which enables salt water to be extracted. Visiting this former salt factory will give you all kinds of fresh perspectives and insights about not just this region, but France as a whole in the 1700s and 1800s. You’ll also learn about the importance of salt to Franche-Comté in this time, how it was extracted from local brine and how the unpopular salt tax was one of the many things that brought about the French Revolution. In the town center, the thermal baths offer medical cures and a wellbeing space.

Dole

Dole was the seat of the Burgundian parliament and a regional center for learning in the 1400s. Today, it is a city of art and history, and beautiful to explore with harmonious buildings that line its canals, its old houses and its collegiate church. The historic center of Dole is well-preserved and listed as a conservation area. Take a stroll along the Tanneurs canal and enjoy the charming atmosphere with several notable buildings such as the 16th-century Notre-Dame collegiate church, the Hotel-Dieu, College de l’Arc secondary school transformed into a sixth-form college, the former Carmelites convent, the Jesuits chapel, the Palais de Justice, and several mansions such as the Froissard mansions and the Champagney mansion. This district is where Louis Pasteur was born, the inventor of the rabies vaccine. Today, Pasteur’s birth house is a museum, which describes the life and scientific work of the famous scholar. The Fine art museum situated in the former Officers pavilion has displays of the region's archaeology, sculptures from Burgundy and Franche-Comté, and paintings.

Vesoul

The town of Vesoul is the capital of the Haute-Saone department of Franche-Comte, that sits at the bottom of a hill called the Motte, which also dominates the skyline of the region. The hill is where the castle once stood, and which the town was built around. Explore the historic old town with many unique buildings and monuments to discover, including the Church of Saint-George and the Palace of Justice. Take a stroll through the surrounding streets with many historic houses dating back to the 15th- and 18th-centuries. Some highlights are the Hotel Baressols, the Hotel Thomassin, and the Hotel de Magnoncourt.