After the Royal Saltworks of Arc-et-Senans were inscribed on the World Heritage list in 1982, the Fortifications of Vauban joined the prestigious and much sought-after list on July 7, 2008.

A brief History

1674 : Besançon, then under Spanish rule, was besieged by Louis XIV and by the engineer Vauban himself, the specialist of poliorcetics. You are unaware of what poliorcetics is? It has to do with cities under siege, which is, one must say, quite uncommon here in our day. Back at that time, the city surrendered and the king decided to turn it into one of the bastions of the East. Vauban had already made up the plans. Besançon was ideally located: protected by a loop formed by a meander of the Doubs River, closed in by a hill. Julius Caesar had already been attracted to it for just this strategic position. Vauban found that the citadel was very beautiful, but there were only the bare bones. And so began the work of fortification that was completed in 1693.

Fine Work

Vauban planned different elements of defence for the city to turn it into one of the best fortified places in Europe, one of the safest. First, the Citadel. It was made up of the Front Saint Etienne, the Front Royal, the Front de Secours, the watch-paths and the central buildings. Then, urban enclosure using the Loop of the river, 6 bastion towers and canon towers where canons could be fired from two different levels, Vauban's innovation for Besançon. Finally, the Battant ramparts and Fort Griffon. The Citadel and Fort Griffon together could thus ensure the protection of the city.

Vauban the Genius

What Vauban did so ingeniously was exploit Besançon's strong points to the utmost. Today, the fortifications extend over 195 hectares. Vauban also drew up the plans for numerous other fortresses in France and it is said that he is responsible for protecting some 300 cities, not to mention ports and other forts. The footnotes of history tell us that Vauban refused to take on the Fort Boyard project because, according to him, the fort could not be built. Napoleon took it on and did it.

From Restoration to Recognition

In 1958, Besançon decided to purchase and restore the historic site. The masonry destroyed by bombing in 1944 was restored, along with facings, watchtowers and stone-tile roofing. The watch-paths and the roofs of the chapel, the buildings of the Front de Secours and the Front Royal and the Cadets' building were made watertight. The Citadel has become the most-visited site in Franche-Comté (approximately 300,000 visitors a year). In 2003, the mayor of Besançon, Jean-Louis Fousseret, inspired the creation of an association to federate 13 communities of which 12 were fortified by Vauban*. What was his idea? To be inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The association The Network of Major Vauban Sites was formed and the application they made was accepted and the places on the list declared World Heritage Sites on July 7, 2008.

On foot, by bike, by train, by boat… or even by plane: a visit is a must.

If you haven’t done it already, come and discover or revisit these incomparably rich historic sites. You have the choice of how to go about it: if you are a hiker, follow the signed footpaths Vauban, tours et detours. For the sportier visitor, don’t forget to use the Besançon VéloCité bicycles – you get the first thirty minutes free. If you want to admire the countryside, take a ride on one of the riverboats. And for a fantastic view from above, take off in a plane and let the pilot be your guide.

* Besançon, Briançon, Mont-Dauphin, Villefranche-de-Conflent, Mont-Louis, Blaye/Cussac-fort-Médoc, Saint-Martin-de-Ré, Camaret-sur-Mer, Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue, Arras, Longwy, Neuf-Brisach

For further information about the Vauban sites inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list: www.sites-vauban.org