I have a week off from French class and I'm in Besançon for a couple of days. It's about 150 miles north of Lyon in the Franche-Comté region. We are staying in a small hotel that is literally right next to the grounds of the Citadel. Here I will directly quote the hotel brochure: "After conquering the Spanish Franche-Comté, King Louis XIV called upon France's most renowned military architect, Vauban, to modernize the city's fortifications." So Vauban designed this 27 acre Citadel and it is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
I thought I'd have to hike a pretty good way up to get to it, but actually it was only about a 10 minute walk up from the hotel. I entered from a pedestrian path and not the main entrance for cars. The views were amazing from the high walls and you can see how the Doubs river snakes around the town. The inner courtyards and buildings on the grounds are beautiful as well. 
Statue of Vauban
2 comments:
I would say it is a very substantial barrier. It all looks very pretty.
Yes, it's quite severe and imposing.
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