Franche Comte, France Main Towns: Baume-les-Dames, Belfort, Besancon, Campagnole, Champlitte, Dole, Gray, Jussey, Les Rousses, Lons-le-Saunier, Lure, Luxueil les Bains, Maiche, Montbeliard, Morez, Morteau, Orgelet, Polingy, Pontarlier, Raucourt, Rioz, Roche, Valdahon, Vesoul.

Franche-Comté or the Jura region of France borders Switzerland and is located in the centre of Western Europe, south and east of the regions of Alsace and Burgundy and is close to Germany.

There is an abundance of wide open spaces, mountains, forests and fast flowing rivers. The valley of the Saone is criss-crossed from the beginning of spring by many small barges whose crews make random stops on rivers and locks to visit old fountains, museums, abbeys, churches and castles, zoos and amusement parks. Situated in the Eastern part of France this region comprises four departments, the Doubs, Jura, Haut-Saône and Territoire de Belfort.

Besançon, the capital has 123,000 inhabitants and is France’s first garden city. With its imposing fortress built by Vauban it is also the site of regular classical music and jazz festivals. Overall the region accounts for 2% of the total French population whereas the surface area amounts to 3% of the surface area of France. It is an unspoilt region of forests, lakes and mountains. There is a wealth of local produce to enjoy from cheeses including Comté, Emmental and Mont d’or; Luxeuil ham, Brési (dried smoked beef from this land of cattle), Morteau and Montbéliard sausage. The Jurassic wine has remained famous, while other franc-comtois vineyards, in Champlitte, Charcenne, Roche, Raucourt and in the valley of Loue, also attract visitors. The yellow wines, unique in France, the wines of straw, the "crémants" and the marc make up the types of wine from these vineyards that benefit from astonishing local climates. Arbois is the undisputed capital of Jura wines, whose history of cultivation is documented in the Museum of Wine.

As one might expect leisure activities include a variety of outdoor pursuits including cross country and downhill skiing, snowshoe trekking, dog sleigh riding and of course, with a total of 80 lakes, there is plenty for ramblers, fishermen and water skiers to enjoy. Amongst these Lake Saint Point which abounds with fish and extends to 400 hectares is probably the best known. The dramatic Jura mountains and the Vosges Mountains with the extraordinary still waters of the ‘Plateau des Milles Etangs’ etched out by glaciers are just two of the impressive natural wonders of this region.

The capital of the Jura region of France is Besancon, one of the most charming small cities in France, founded by the Romans in the first century  Dole, on the river Doubs, has a wonderful concentration of 16th and 17th century buildings, and was once the capital of Franche-Comte. The fortified town of Poligny is very pretty with its towers and church spires. Southwest of Besancon, the patrician town of Ornans has the River Loue running through it, with many bridges and houses jutting out over the water. The town of Gray has a remarkable town hall which dating from the 16th century and Luxeuil-les-Bains is a spa known for water-cures. Belfort is famous for its lion and festivals.

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