from www.whereonearth.comThe Franche-Compte a superb holiday destination with scenic mountains, forests, plateaux, clear lakes and tumbling waterfalls. Holiday property is scarce because tourists from abroad have yet to discover the Franche-Compte.
Franche Comté – A personal note (from a web)
We first came to the area in the late 1980`s and on finding out how beautiful it was we decided to buy a property, in a part of France that was also close to Switzerland, and within half a day`s drive of Italy and Germany. The area has been called France`s best kept secret, and we are pleased that this is still the case, and it is quite unusual to see another British person or tourist of any nationality. The local population are extremely friendly, and the local motto is to effect that wherever you are in Franche Comté, you are at home.
It has now become my mother`s permanent home and she has become part of the community through training the joint choir formed from the local group of parishes. She is a retired singer and lessons may still be arranged, or you are welcome to join the weekly choir practice! The villages are beautiful, with houses built of the local stone and mostly with an agricultural past, when parts of them were used for storing hay and other parts for the animals themselves in winter. Some are still used in this way. The churches are distinctive with many having cupolas decorated beautifully with coloured tiles, each with an individual pattern. Locally the churches in Pesmes, Bar-les-Pesmes and Bresilley are notable for this. There is also an active Cistercian monastery at Acey with a truly astonishing acoustic in the church – a ten second resonance – and an air of immense peace and tranquillity.
We find that it is not necessary to go sightseeing to be content. Pottering around the Pesmes area is a delight in itself, but there is much to see a little further afield for the first time visitor.
The towns and cities have much to offer and we like them all in their distinct ways. Pesmes, the smallest, is an absolute gem with its ancient buildings perched above the river Ognon, where we join the population in swimming in summer. The Hotel de France offers an excellent meal, and there are bars and a full range of shops. Gray, situated on the Saone, has an air of gently faded elegance, some fine restaurants and a large church. Also some remarkably cheap supermarkets! Dole is larger than Gray with a fine cathedral containing a magnificent and historic organ. There are small but sophisticated shops and a vibrant market three days a week. Besancon, the capital of the area, is larger again, about the size of Norwich, and strikingly situated in the foothills of the Jura mountains with the ancient centre wrapped in a meander of the River Doubs. There are several fine churches and many shops and restaurants, and the Citadelle, a huge medieval fortress high above the city now a series of exhibitions including a small zoo, some interactive scientific displays, and a memorial exhibition to the Resistance, overpoweringly moving in its impact. Finally, the magnificence of Dijon, though in Burgundy, is still less than an hour away.
The area is rich in local wines and cheeses. The nearest vineyard is at Charcenne, and we like their wine very much. Champlitte is also very good. A little further afield, around the lovely old town of Arbois, there are extensive vineyards producing the yellow Jura wine, and to the east, the great Burgundy vineyards around Beaune are also within an hours drive. Many local cheeses are superb, including the distinctive Morbier, and are very varied in character. A good place to begin your appreciation is the cheese board ( the third course ) at the Hotel de France, but fromageries are widespread throughout the district.
We cycle a lot around the lanes, woods and villages. There is little traffic – on an hour`s ride one evening last summer we only saw two vehicles. Keen mountain bikers who prefer a more challenging route would do better to head for the Jura but the local area is fine for us. There is no better way to see the local flora and fauna. There is excellent walking too, although those who like a real physical challenge would again find more testing terrain in the Jura.
We hope that this will give you some idea of how truly distinctive and rewarding a visit to this part of France can be.
The hidden heart of France
Franche-Comté, a region of forests, lakes and mountains, is the ninth to be featured in our expanding portfolio of holidays to some of France's most beautiful, yet least known corners. A delight for Francophiles - scenic beauty combined with historic interest and distinctive local cuisine and wine - this area is almost unknown in the UK yet richly rewards the discerning visitor. The Guardian
Discover Franche-Comté
A beautiful but perhaps little known part of France. Far away from the main highways, picturesque roads will entice you through the heart of a countryside of wild, fascinating, ever changing scenery.
More than half of the region is covered with forests and innumerable rivers and waterfalls. Eighty tranquil lakes offer undisturbed peace to calm the mind pressurized by the hustle and bustle of city life. Situated along the German and Swiss borders, between Alsace and Burgundy, Franche-Comté is accessible by international highways, making travel easy and comfortable. From BesanÁon, capital of Franche-Comté, to Montbéliard, Belfort and Luxeuil-les-Bains, you will come across many pretty towns of historic interest with attractive shopping centers.
francekeys.com
Our most active markets? Of course, Brittany and Normandy remain a firm favourite for British buyers and despite increasing prices this remains a good market for us particularly at the cheaper end of the market. Our cheapest area Franche-Comte and Champagne-Ardennes has been extremely busy. We expect this area to be buoyant in 2005 as it still offers incredible value.
firstforfrance
If you had not heard of Franche-Comté before seeing the map you are not alone. It ranks bottom of the list of regions whose whereabouts British people can accurately identify. This is a paradox you can exploit to your holiday advantage:
because Franche-Comté has some of the most grandiose scenery in France: it is often referred to as 'little Canada' because of its unspoilt pine forests (43% of the territory), its panoramic viewpoints, its mountains and its whitewater rivers. Its landscapes, in particular the River Loue, inspired the artist Gustave Courbet, who was born and lived in Ornans, between Besançon and Pontarlier.
livingfrance
