Located in north-east France, along the Swiss border, Franche-Comté is made up of four counties: le Doubs, le Jura, la Haute Saône and the Territoire of Belfort. The region is criss-crossed by the Doubs and Saône rivers, bordered by the Jura and Vosges mountains, and boasts vineyards and many lakes.


5 reasons to visit Franche-Comté :


- A rich cultural heritage featuring three UNESCO World Heritage sites:
Besançon and the Citadel of Vauban, The Royal Saltworks at Arc et Senans, from the visionary architect Claude Nicolas Ledoux, the underground galleries at the saltworks in Salins les Bains. And not forgetting the chapel of Ronchamp, with its daring Le Corbusier design, and Bartholdi’s sculpture of the Lion of Belfort.

- The local gastronomy characterised by its cheeses, the most famous of which is the Comté, cured meats such as the saucisse de Morteau and alcohols including Jura wines, with the special vin Jaune, and Absinthe. Two gastronomic routes can be followed in the region: the Comté route and the Jura wine route.

- The nature:
With its two massifs, the Vosges and the Jura, omnipresent streams and rivers, its many lakes, rich geology, flora and fauna, the region of Franche-Comté is undeniably a nature destination. It has all the natural assets to delight all fans of walking and hiking, extreme sports and white water rapids and those who simply want to relax and soak up the atmosphere.

- Accommodation:
Franche-Comté offers a wide range of good quality and individual accommodation; from rural gîtes and cosy guest houses, to tree houses, gypsy caravans, yurts and even the option to spend a night within a UNESCO world heritage site – there is certainly no lack of choice!

- Active holidays:
Franche-Comté, as a nature destination ‘par excellence’, features many itineraries on this theme including: the grande Traversée du Jura covers more than 300 kms and can be followed by mountain bike, on foot, on snow shoes or cross country skis; the eurovelo 6, the European bike route, 187 km of which are in the region.