French Regions
Franche-Comte
| Area: | 16,072 km2 |
| Population: | About 1,116,000 |
| Climate: | Continental |
| Capital city: | Besançon |
| Departments: | 25 - Doubs (Besançon), 39 - Jura (Lons-le-Saunier), 70 - Haute-Saône (Vesoul), 90 - Territoire de Belfort (Belfort) |
Discover Franche-Comté, a beautiful but perhaps little known part of France. Far away from the main highways, picturesque roads will entice you through the heart of a countryside of wild, fascinating, ever changing scenery.
More than half of the region is covered with forests and innumerable rivers and waterfalls. Eighty tranquil lakes offer undisturbed peace to calm the mind pressurized by the hustle and bustle of city life. Situated along the German and Swiss borders, between Alsace and Burgundy, Franche-Comté is accessible by international highways, making travel easy and comfortable. From BesanÁon, capital of Franche-Comté, to Montbéliard, Belfort and Luxeuil-les-Bains, you will come across many pretty towns of historic interest with attractive shopping centers.
Do not forget to try the Comté cheese, hand made in "fruiteries", with some Jura wines, the "vin jaune", and the wines from Château-Chalon and Arbois. Besançon stages a famous music festival every September lasting for two weeks. And various exhibitions take place in the exceptional site of the Royal Saltworks at Arc-et-Sénans.
