Franche-Comté is a land of water, forests of pine and spruce and unspoilt wide open spaces and is a favourite of those who enjoy nature, outdoor sports and activities.  The countryside is the result of a perfect harmony between man, nature and the soil. 

The region is renowned for its cheeses and a wide variety of good quality delicatessen products. Smoked on farms in a tuyé (a large smoking chimney) these delicatessen exhale an array of varied flavours including pine and juniper.  Franche-Comté and Jura also produces local wines, brandies and a traditional local apéritif: the anis from Pontarlier. 

Franche-Comté is the historical meeting point of numerous influences. Because of its location, it has aroused, on several occasions, the envy of neighbouring states. From the Roman empire to Louis XVI armies, from the Spanish to the Dukes of Würtemberg, each of them left their mark.

The very name Franche-Comté did not come into being until the end of the 14th century. It was not until 1678 that Louis XIV gained control of the Comté from the Hapsburgs, established the eastern frontier between France and Switzerland, and subsequently ratified his conquest by the Treaty of Nijmegen.

As a result of all this strife, Franche-Comté remains a frontier country, one well supplied with castles and fortified towns. Some are embellished with fortifications others little, half-forgotten places, bask quietly in the afterglow of peaceful days.

Besançon, the regional capital, dates back to Roman times. It is the largest in the region and one of the finest provincial cities in France. On an escarpment high above a tight loop in the river Doubs, which served as a moat, Besançon occupied a strategic site. There was a wall and an Alban citadel across the neck of land to complete the fortifications. Modern Besançon has spread out far beyond the old town up on the cliffs.