and flowers. The yard of H´tel de
Champaney at 37 rue Battant is
an elegant example. Without any
guide, you may miss a chance to
visit such a special building. It
has many interesting features.
Animal-shaped waterspouts
from the 16th century can still be
seen on the front wall. Not many
buildings in France keep these
waterspouts, the most noticeable
one is on Notre Dame de Paris
(Notre-Dame Cathedral). Explore
the dark lane near the music
instruments store, where you
will find the oldest and most
famous traditional double
staircase of the city!
Opposite the staircase is a
restaurant that shares its name
with the hotel. It looks quite
small but it would be a pity to
miss this lovely restaurant. The
restaurant’s menu is changed
seasonally with fresh local
products and wines carefully
selected by connoisseurs. As one
of the chicest and most formal
restaurants in the city, it is an
ideal place for important parties.
Turn right when leaving the
restaurant and you will find
another special site of Le
Champagney. A cobblestone
path will lead you to an outdoor
stone staircase and a wall of the
pedagogic college (IFMT). Don’t
be afraid, the college welcomes
all visitors coming there. Just a
few more steps onto Esplanade
de Griffon, where you can take in
the most beautiful view of snow-
Further information
ü Besançon is the capital city of
Doubs province, Franche-Comtä in
the East France. From Vietnam, you
can fly to Paris with Vietnam Airlines
then travel by TGV train to Besançon.
It takes 2 hours and 5 minutes to
travel from Paris Gare de Lyon to
Besançon-Franche-Comtä.
3 MUST-VISIT DESTINATIONS OF
THE CITY INCLUDE
ü Citadelle (the citadel built by
the military genius Vauban in the
17th century and was recognized
by UNESCO as a world cultural
heritage),
ü Musäe du temps - Museum of
Time (where products representing
the glorious period of local clock
industry are showcased)
ü The house at 140 Grande-rue
Street (where Victor Hugo was born).
You can find all information related
to ski stations in Franche-Comtä on
www.franche-comte.org (Däcouvrir >
Montages du Jura > Hiver et ski dans
le massif du Jura).
covered roofs.
But if you prefer going down
to climbing up, I can give you
another recommendation: Au
Vieux Comtois. It was not until
my third academic year that
I found this restaurant while
hanging out with my local
friend. Although it is located
on Grand-rue - the main and
most crowded street of the old
quarter, it’s difficult to notice the
restaurant between the Casino,
Supermarket and Style furniture
shop. The restaurant is so busy
that it is recommended to book
a table in advance, even for
lunch on weekdays. The cellar
is the most popular area and,
of course, you need go down to
get there. Whether it is stormy
or sunny outside, the restaurant
is always my paradise: with
aromatic Cancoillote cheese and
some slices of Franche-Comte
served with morel mushroom or
a piece of yellow famed Morteau
sausages. I also want to share
more about a massive media
campaign launched at metro stops
in the capital. Simple posters
with the image of a scrumptious
sausage and its slogan “Offerzvous 20cm de pure Bonheur”
(treat yourself with a 20cm of
pure joy) had an enormous
influence at that time.
HEARTS NEVER SLEEP
IN WINTER
Living in a cold place where it is
rarely sunny even in April, you
will naturally get familiar with the
cold. Hanging out with friends,
enjoying cheese hot pot, and
chatting with the restaurant’s
owner about the grapes used to
make the wine you are savoring
is a good plan for a cold day. It’s
cold like this year by year and
people never get bored with it.
The more severe it is, the more
locals love each other. Once my
boyfriend and I were picked up by
a strange woman when we missed
the last bus at night. At that time,
she was coming back to her house
near the station. It was very cold
and we lived far away in the city
center. She decided to help us just
because “I can’t bear looking at
the two of you waiting for the bus
on such cold night.”
As many winters Besançon
passed, I realize that no place
in the world can upset us if we
have our feet warmed by good
boots, our hands warmed by
lovers and our mind warmed by
locals’ generousily. And, the most
important thing is that we only
need an “open” heart to love and
experience winters in that city.
TRAVELLIVE
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