La Boucle district

La Boucle, in Besançon

La Boucle is the historic heart of Besançon, enclosed in a meander of the Doubs and watched over by the citadel. The Besançon audio-guided tour stops here to evoke this exceptional site, which earned the town its listing and its reputation.

The historic heart in the meander of the Doubs

La Boucle designates the historic centre of Besançon, nestled in a vast almost-closed meander of the Doubs, the river that surrounds the old town on three sides. This remarkable natural site, completed to the south by the hill of the citadel that locks its access, offered at all times an ideal defensive position, exploited from antiquity by the Romans then fortified by Vauban. In the heart of the Boucle flourishes a magnificent urban ensemble, made of cobbled streets, squares, mansions and buildings of the blue-grey stone characteristic of the region. Listed as world heritage with the fortifications of Vauban, the Boucle is the historic jewel and the soul of Besançon.

What to see

Here you wander in the historic centre nestled in the meander of the Doubs, among the cobbled streets, the squares, the mansions and the blue-grey stone buildings, watched over by the citadel, listed as world heritage with the fortifications of Vauban. La Boucle is the jewel of Besançon. It is a must-see stop, to be explored on foot.

Practical information

La Boucle extends in the heart of Besançon, in the meander of the Doubs, reachable on foot and by public transport. It is a freely accessible public district; the monuments, museums and shops have their own hours. You discover it during a walk in the old town.

What is la Boucle in Besançon?

The historic centre of the town, nestled in a vast almost-closed meander of the Doubs and locked to the south by the citadel, an exceptional defensive natural site, listed as world heritage with the fortifications of Vauban.

Where is la Boucle?

In the heart of Besançon, in the meander of the Doubs, in France.