Baume-les-Dames / Besançon

This is one of the most beautiful stages along EuroVelo 6, the way between Baume-les-Dames and Deluz bristling with wooded hills. The Doubs River meanders along, with family homes and huts lining its banks, very popular with locals on sunny days. The natural peace is only broken by the whistle of trains approaching tunnels along their route. Drawing closer to Besançon, the cycle route is dotted with vestiges of once-flourishing industries that brought noisy life to the valley until the first half of the 20th century. One final bend, then the city of Besançon comes into view, beautifully located in a great meander in the river. The town is crowned by a citadel designed by Louis XIV’s great military engineer Vauban, and part of a UNESCO Vauban World Heritage Site.

The Route

Take care cycling around the town of Baume-les-Dames, where there is often a good deal of traffic. 
You ride out of Baume-les-Dames along the Doubs River, passing at the foot of former quarries. There’s a stretch of greenway with a short slope at the start, before you share a road with motorized traffic between Ougney-Douvot and Deluz. A greenway then leads all the way from Deluz to Besançon, except for a short interruption, 2km long, at Chalèze.

Link signposted towards Vesoul at the level of Roulans, with very steep slopes.

Arriving at Besançon, to reach the city centre, you can either use the underground tunnel leading under the great rock with the citadel perched on top, or then ride in via the Porte Rivotte (a splendid gateway). It’s possible to reach Besançon tourist office and train station directly by following the cycle lane that runs along beside the Doubs River.

Don't miss

• Baume-les-Dames: a pretty historic town with a remarkable heritage; the river port; cruises on the Doubs; rock-climbing trail 
• Deluz: the former industrial paper mill, with exhibition space; the small river port (halte fluviale).
• Vaire-Arcier: the Château de Vaire-le-Grand and its formal French grounds 
• Nacray: Musée des Maisons Comtoises 
• Montfaucon: the ruins of its fortress 
  Besançon: a welcoming, lively city; designated a Ville d’Art et d’Histoire for its cultural riches; the remarkable historic centre; the Vauban Citadel, unmissable, UNESCO-listed and perched on high; numerous museums; events put on year-round, Maison Victor Hugo.