On the road

Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region

Departments: Côte d'Or, Doubs, Jura, Nièvre, Haute-Saône, Saône-et-Loire, Yonne, Territoire de Belfort

Population: 2.8 million.

Prefecture: Dijon

Area: 47,784 km²

Specialities: Burgundy and Maconnais wines, Jura wines, cheeses (Comté, Mont d'Or, Morbier, Bleu de Gex, Cancoillotte), beef bourguignon, Bresse poultry, kir.

Sports clubs: FC Sochaux-Montbéliard, AJ Auxerre, FC Gueugnon (football), Elan Sportif Chalonnais, JDA Dijon (basketball), Jeanne d'Arc Dijon (handball).

Competitions: motor racing at the Dijon-Prenois circuit, Franck Pineau cyclosportive in Auxerre

Economy: automotive (Peugeot-Montbéliard), Alstom, General Electric (rail), steel, mining, parachemistry, pharmaceuticals, electronics, plastics, paper, mechanical and automotive industries, agriculture (cereals, beet, cattle farming, cheese). Forestry. Watchmaking. Tourism.

Festivals: Eurockéennes de Belfort, Beaune Hospices Charity Auction, Grandes Heures de Cluny, Rencontres Musicales in Vézelay, Ecrans de l'Aventure in Dijon, Dijon International and Gastronomic Fair, Fenêtres sur Courts in Dijon. Courbet Bicentennial. Besançon Early Music Festival.

Tourist attractions: Fontenay Abbey, Vézelay Basilica, Notre-Dame-du-Haut Chapel in Ronchamp, Burgundy vineyards, Besançon Citadel, Palace of the Dukes of Burgundy in Dijon, Royal Saltworks of Arc-et-Senans, Autun Cathedral, Guédelon Castle, Hospices de Beaune, Citadel and Lion of Belfort, Cluny Abbey, Ballon d'Alsace, Solutré Rock.

Websites and social media: www.bourgognefranchecomte.fr

Moissey (Pop. 570)

Moissey is worth a visit, particularly for its 16th-century castle, listed as a historic monument in 1985, but also for its listed wash house fountain. The castle still retains the appearance of a powerful quadrangular fortress surrounded by moats, which are spanned by the arches of a small stone bridge to the west towards the village.

Fountain-wash house

Construction: 18th century.

History: Built to plans by Dole architect Antoine-Louis Attiret in 1765, the fountain was restored in the 19th century and the bust of Senator Lefranc de Montmirey-la-Ville replaced the original cross. The last restoration in 1989 restored the fountain's "original" cross. The layout of the basins on either side of the fountain reflects the characteristics of the location and the curve of the street.

Listed as: historic monument in 1942

HAUTE-SAONE (70)

Population: 233,185

Prefecture: Vesoul

Sub-prefecture: Lure

Area: 5,360 km²

Region: Bourgogne-Franche-Comté

Specialities: Cancoillotte and Munster (cheeses), Charcenne and Champlitte wines, Montbozon biscuits, Luxeuil ham, Passavant la Rochère glassware and crystal, Fougerolles AOC kirsch.

Main sports clubs: Tri Val de Gray (triathlon), Cercle Sportif Vésulien Haute-Saône (CSVHS-handball), Handball Club Lure Villers (handball), Groupe Triathlon Vesoul Haute-Saône (GTVHS-triathlon), Club Haltérophile Luxovien (weightlifting), ASA Luronne (motor sports), Moto Club Haut-Saônois (MCHS-motorcycling)

Major competitions: Les 3 Ballons cycle race, National and European Youth Cycle Touring Week, Tour Alsace, French Road Cycling Championship Avenir, Slow Up Vallée de l’Ognon

Culture: Rolling Saône Festival in Gray, Musique et Mémoire travelling festival, Les Pluralies Festival in Luxeuil-les-Bains

Economy: long-standing industrial tradition in metallurgy, industry renowned for its expertise in agri-food, textiles, wood, metallurgy, luxury goods, equipment manufacturing and automotive.

Websites and social media: www.haute-saone.fr / www.facebook.com/departementhautesaone / www.destination70.com

Marnay (Pop. 1,530)

Located in a green valley where the Ognon river flows peacefully, Marnay is a Petite Cité Comtoise de Caractère (Small Town of Character in the Comté region) which preserves a rich and diverse heritage. The town is bordered by a lake covering more than 20 hectares, ideal for numerous sports, leisure and discovery activities. The history of Marnay is closely linked to that of its castle, built on a rocky outcrop overlooking the Ognon valley. Many monuments remain in the old town. These include the remains of the castle, which had 16 towers, Hôtel de Santans, the House of the Guards, Hôtel des Princes de Montbarrey, the Church of Saint-Symphorien and 16th-century residences. The village also has several narrow passages, some of which are covered, known as "trajes".

Hôtel Terrier de Santans (town hall)

Construction: 16th century.

Style: Renaissance.

History: the mansion was built in the 16th century by the Terrier de Santans family. It served as a gendarmerie barracks throughout the 20th century. It was bought by the municipality in 1977, which moved the town hall there in 1989.

Listed as: historic monument in 1915.

Marnay Castle

Construction: 13th to 17th century.

Style: Medieval.

History: castle built in the early 13th century to guard the Besançon-Langres road. The château underwent two periods of reconstruction: in 1520 and in the early 17th century. In the early 18th century, the building fell into slow decline and was leased out. This continued during the Revolution with the division between several owners and the construction of parasitic buildings, the loss of the garden and the transformation of the large stables.

Listed as: historic monument in 2002.

Boulot (Pop. 650)

Boulot Castle

Construction: 18th century.

Style: classical.

History: the outbuildings and boundary walls date from the late 17th century; the main building was rebuilt around 1763 according to plans by Claude-Damien Gardaire. The interior décor is from the same period. An additional floor and attic were added to the main building during the first half of the 19th century (1827-1829).

Listed as: historic monument in 1994.

Sorans-les-Breurey (Pop. 420)

Fortified house of Sorans-les-Breurey

Construction: 18th century.

Style: classical.

History: destroyed in 1477 by the troops of Louis XI, the fortified house was rebuilt in the 16th century by Étienne de Labrey. The building is now used as a farm.

Characteristics: the buildings form a quadrangle surrounded by a moat fed by the Buthiers stream, which flows at its feet and supplies the mill located at, which is also listed as a historic monument. The entrance to the courtyard is protected by a keep that once housed prisons. An old chapel (located upstairs) is notable for its remains of frescoes. The main dwelling, with its square mullioned windows and carved straight feet, has a turret with a spiral staircase.

Listed as: historic monument in 1977.

Cirey (Pop. 350)

The village was the site of an important Cistercian abbey, which became a private château and was listed as a historic monument in 1951.

Notre-Dame de Bellevaux Abbey

Founded: 12th century.

Order: Cistercian.

History: Bellevaux was founded in 1119. It was the first daughter house of Morimond Abbey and the first Cistercian abbey in Franche-Comté. It played a role in the expansion of Morimond: in 1124, it contributed to the founding of Lucelle Abbey in the diocese of Basel and then, in the diocese of Lausanne, to that of Montheron. Nearby, it founded the abbeys of Rosières (1132) and La Charité (1133), then the Abbey of Daphni in present-day Greece. At the end of the 12th century, the abbey obtained the relics of Pierre II of Tarentaise (1141-1174). It then became an important centre of pilgrimage and burial place for local dignitaries. The abbey declined between the 14th and 17th centuries but recovered in the 18th century and sumptuous buildings were erected under the last abbot, Louis-Albert de Lezay-Marnésia, Bishop of Évreux. Sold as national property in 1791, it regained its original purpose at the beginning of the 19th century before being used as a holiday camp. It has been privately owned since 1994.

Characteristics: visitors to the Bellevaux site must make an effort to imagine the former Cistercian abbey: all the characteristic buildings (church, cloister, convent quarters) have disappeared and the only one that remains conceals its original identity under the name of château (Château de Cirey).

Listed as: historic monument in 1946. Site classified in 1951.

Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region

Departments: Côte d'Or, Doubs, Jura, Nièvre, Haute-Saône, Saône-et-Loire, Yonne, Territoire de Belfort

Population: 2.8 million.

Prefecture: Dijon

Area: 47,784 km²

Specialities: Burgundy and Maconnais wines, Jura wines, cheeses (Comté, Mont d'Or, Morbier, Bleu de Gex, Cancoillotte), beef bourguignon, Bresse poultry, kir.

Sports clubs: FC Sochaux-Montbéliard, AJ Auxerre, FC Gueugnon (football), Elan Sportif Chalonnais, JDA Dijon (basketball), Jeanne d'Arc Dijon (handball).

Competitions: motor racing at the Dijon-Prenois circuit, Franck Pineau cyclosportive in Auxerre

Economy: automotive (Peugeot-Montbéliard), Alstom, General Electric (rail), steel, mining, parachemistry, pharmaceuticals, electronics, plastics, paper, mechanical and automotive industries, agriculture (cereals, beet, cattle farming, cheese). Forestry. Watchmaking. Tourism.

Festivals: Eurockéennes de Belfort, Beaune Hospices Charity Auction, Grandes Heures de Cluny, Rencontres Musicales in Vézelay, Ecrans de l'Aventure in Dijon, Dijon International and Gastronomic Fair, Fenêtres sur Courts in Dijon. Courbet Bicentennial. Besançon Early Music Festival.

Tourist attractions: Fontenay Abbey, Vézelay Basilica, Notre-Dame-du-Haut Chapel in Ronchamp, Burgundy vineyards, Besançon Citadel, Palace of the Dukes of Burgundy in Dijon, Royal Saltworks of Arc-et-Senans, Autun Cathedral, Guédelon Castle, Hospices de Beaune, Citadel and Lion of Belfort, Cluny Abbey, Ballon d'Alsace, Solutré Rock.

Websites and social media: www.bourgognefranchecomte.fr

Montagney-Servigney (Pop. 120)

Montagney Forge

History: The forge's blast furnace has been in operation since 1500. In 1748, the forge specialised in the manufacture of cannonballs, with an annual production of around 14,000. The forge was also an iron production plant. Around 1810, it was bought by Monsieur de Grammont, who restarted production and built the dam on the Ognon. In 1840, the forge was at its peak and employed 84 workers. It was permanently shut down in 1850 and converted into a mill. In 1922, the former forge became an electrical factory. In 1991, a micro hydroelectric power station continued production.

Characteristics: the remaining buildings are the dam on the Ognon, a canal, the blast furnace, part of the coal hall, an old open hall, stables, a two-storey workers' accommodation building, a director's accommodation building and the foreman's house. The blast furnace, which is particularly well preserved, bears some similarities to the illustrations in Diderot and d'Alembert's encyclopaedia.

Listed as: historic monument in 2004.

Cubrial (Pop. 150)

In Cubry (2 km)

Bournel Castle

Construction: 18th and 19th centuries.

Style: classical.

History: the estate has been owned by the Moustier family for over five centuries. In 1732, Marquis Philippe-Xavier de Moustier married Louise de Bournel, who gave her name to the estate. Around 1735, she decided to build a new château in Cubry, but after several buildings had been constructed, now known as the "Old Château ", the project was abandoned. Around 1860, Marquis Léonel de Moustier, Napoleon III's Minister of Foreign Affairs, had a neo-Gothic château built on the estate by architect Clément Parent. His son completed the decoration, had a chapel built inspired by that of the Château d'Amboise, designed the French gardens and planted the English-style park. He also had the "Old Castle" transformed between 1890 and 1910 to give it its current appearance.

Current use: the "old château" is now a hotel flanked by an 18-hole golf course.

Listed as: historic monument in 1989. Site listed in 1995. Remarkable garden.

Lure (Pop: 8,500)

The darling of local cycling is, of course, Thibaut Pinot, who was born in Lure. The town of fictional cartoon hero Sapeur Camember, in the heart of a region devoted to cross-country skiing, hosted the Tour de France for men for the first time for a historic stage, as it was the starting point for the time trial to La Planche des Belles Filles, which gave Tadej Pogacar the overall victory at the expense of Primoz Roglic in 2020. Lure already hosted the women's Tour de France in 2022, for a stage to the Super-Planche des Belles Filles, where Annemiek van Vleuten won unopposed, thus completing her victory in the first edition of the event.

Ballons des Vosges Regional Nature Park

The southern Vosges mountains offer iconic landscapes that make them attractive and give them their status as a regional nature park. Together with the valleys of Alsace, Lorraine and Franche-Comté, this setting led to the creation of the Ballons des Vosges Regional Nature Park in 1989. The Plateau des Mille Étangs, located in Franche-Comté, is its second great natural treasure. The massif is home to rare natural environments, such as high-altitude pastures, peat bogs, beech and fir forests, hilly oak and beech forests, limestone grasslands, rivers, lakes and ponds. These highly diverse environments are home to iconic flora and fauna: Tengmalm's owl, lynx, peregrine falcon, superb pink, cranberry, sundew and arnica, among others. The high, rounded peaks, known as "balloons", act as a barrier to oceanic disturbances. These conditions favour the development of the forest massif, which covers two-thirds of the park's territory.

Statue of Sapeur Camember

Beyond the statue itself, sculpted by Mrs Faure-Couty and unveiled in 1979, it is the character that attracts attention. François-Baptiste Ephraim Camember, better known as Sapeur Camember, was the brainchild of Georges Colomb, born in Lure. In the 1890s, under the pseudonym Christophe, he created a number of colourful heroes, including Sapeur Camember, a naive young country boy born on 29 February 1844 in the imaginary village of Gleux-lès-Lure, who can only celebrate his birthday every four years and is therefore called up for military service at the age of 5! Nearby, along the wall of the cultural centre, there is a mural honouring the author, whose other famous character was the scientist Cosinus.

Mélisey (Pop. 1,680)

This is the hometown of Thibaut Pinot, whose father, Régis Pinot, has been mayor of the commune since 2008. An imposing church perched on a rocky outcrop dominates the village of Melisey. The eastern part is said to have been built by the Knights Templar. The medieval part of the church was listed as a Historic Monument in 1986. The Romanesque tower and choir are the remains of very ancient architecture (11th and 12th centuries). Rock tombs (Merovingian sarcophagi) carved into the rock have been uncovered beneath the Romanesque chapel. The two sandstone sarcophagi are trapezoidal in shape. They feature a basin with a recess to accommodate the head, called a cephalic niche. The niche appeared during the Merovingian period and helps to better date the history of Christianisation in the Southern Vosges and to locate the activity of rural communities founded by the monks of Saint Colomban. It seems that a place of worship already existed in the 7th-8th centuries. The new church was built between 1857 and 1861, with architect Lucien Grandmougin constructing a neo-Gothic church against the Romanesque remains. The square, massive bell tower has double twin windows on each side.

Thibaut Pinot

A professional from 2010 to 2023, he spent his entire career with the Groupama-FDJ team. He made his mark in the 2010 Tour de Romandie, where he won the best climber's jersey, and confirmed his talent in the 2012 Tour de France, where he won a stage solo in Porrentruy and finished tenth overall while being the youngest rider in the race. He confirmed his talent in the 2014 Tour, where he finished third and won the best young rider white jersey. French time trial champion in 2016 and winner of the Tour of Lombardy in 2018, he is also one of the riders who has won stages in all three Grand Tours. He also finished 4th in the Giro (2017) and best climber in 2023, as well as 6th in the Vuelta (2018). Immensely popular, he bid farewell to the 2023 Tour de France with a spectacular breakaway in the form of a lap of honour in front of his jubilant fans at the summit of Petit Ballon. He retired after one last appearance in the Tour of Lombardy, his favourite race. Largely dominated by Vincenzo Nibali in 2014, it was in 2019 that Thibaut Pinot came closest to triumph in the Tour: winner at the Tourmalet, he dropped all the favourites, including future winner Egan Bernal, the next day above Foix, but injured his knee a few days later and was forced to abandon the race. In addition to Porrentruy in 2012 and Tourmalet in 2019, this fervent defender of animal rights also won at Alpe d'Huez in 2015.

VOSGES (88)

Population: 357,248

Prefecture: Épinal

Sub-prefectures: Neufchâteau, Saint-Dié-des-Vosges

Area: 5,874 km²

Specialities: Munster Gérômé cheese, tofailles (a type of pastry), smoked meats, blueberry tart, Vosges sweets, fruit and flower liqueurs, Vosges honey, andouille du Val d'Ajol sausage, Plombières ice cream, Vosges salad.

Sports clubs: EHC (Epinal Hockey Club), SAS Football, Epinal Handball, SAS Volley, Les Louves de Saint-Dié (volleyball), ASR Table Tennis Etival-Raon, ASGE Basketball, GESN Canoeing and Kayaking.

Competitions: Granfondo Vosges, Open 88 Grand Est, Michelin Enduro des Hautes Vosges, XTerra France in Xonrupt-Longemer, Gérardmer Triathlon, Infernal Trail des Vosges in Saint Nabord, Trail de la Vallée des Lacs, Aquathlon de Vittel, XCO and Downhill Mountain Bike World Cups in La Bresse, 2021 French Cycling Championships in Épinal. Athletes: Julien Absalon, Rémy Absalon, Nacer Bouhanni, Steve Chainel, Clément Noël, Romain Febvre, Fabien Claude, Emilien Claude, Florent Claude, Paula Botet, Sarah Vieuille, Pauline Ferrand-Prévot.

Tourist sites: "Visages de Jehanne" interpretation centre in Domrémy-la-Pucelle, Jeanne d'Arc House and Bois Chenu basilica, Gallo-Roman archaeological site of Grand, Théâtre du Peuple in Bussang, Epinal Imagery, Les Hautes Mynes in Le Thillot, abbeys of Saint-Dié-des-Vosges, Le Tétras 1139 at Col de la Schlucht and its interpretation centre, René Pottier Stele in Saint Maurice sur Moselle. Four spa resorts: Bains-les-Bains, Contrexéville, Plombières-les-Bains and Vittel. Skiing in Gérardmer and La Bresse.

Festivals: International Geography Festival in Saint-Dié, Les Imaginales (festival of imaginary worlds) in Epinal, Fantastic'art Festival (fantasy film) and daffodil festival in Gérardmer, Festival of the Abbeys of Senones, Moyenmoutier and Etival, Saint-Dié (now a cathedral) and Autrey Abbey, and the Festival of Joan of Arc in Domrémy.

Economy: industrial gems in the wood and paper industry such as Henryot & Cie and the famous paper manufacturer Clairefontaine in Etival. Numerous artisans, including the luthier artisans of Mirecourt. More recent companies such as IN'BÔ, a leader in the manufacture of wooden glasses, skateboards and bamboo bicycles using local and bio-based resources. The textile industry is also renowned in the Vosges (Garnier-Thiébaut, Le Jaquard Français, etc.). The Vosges department has developed the Je Vois la Vie en Vosges brand.

Websites and social media:

www.vosges.fr

www.tourisme.vosges.fr

https://jevoislavieenvosges.comhttps://foret.vosges.frhttps://bike.vosges.fr

Saint-Maurice-sur-Moselle (Pop. 1,370)

Saint-Maurice-sur-Moselle is the birthplace of Jacques Georges, former president of the French Football Federation (1968 to 1972) and UEFA (1983 to 1990), as well as the writer Pierre Pelot, popular author of more than 200 novels.

Territoire de Belfort (90)

Population: 140,255

Prefecture: Belfort

Area: 609 km²

Specialities: AOP Munster (cheese), cancoillotte (cheese), blueberries, toutché (potato cake), Belflore (cake), crottes du Lion (chocolates), facettes du Territoire (chocolates), pattes du Lion (bread), La Rebelle (beer), épaule du Ballon (lamb)

Sport: hiking, horse riding, mountain biking, cycle touring, paragliding, tree climbing, golf, downhill skiing, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, snowboarding, water sports at the Malsaucy water sports centre (dinghy sailing, canoeing, windsurfing, kayaking, rowing and stand-up paddleboarding), fishing.

Competitions: Belfort Triathlon, Lion Half Marathon, Belfort Cycling Tour, Lion Enduro, BelforTrail-GiroTrail

Festivals: Les Eurockéennes, International University Music Festival, Les Flâneries d'été, Entrevues International Film Festival, storytelling and theatre companies, Solstice de la Marionnette, Impetus Festival.

Economy: Cutting-edge industrial hub with Alstom, General Electric and PSA nearby, competitiveness clusters focused on mobility and microtechnology, Techn'Hom and La Jonxion business parks, business tourism

Websites and social media: www.territoiredebelfort.fr / www.belfort-tourisme.com / www.facebook.com/cd90.fr / www.facebook.com/belfort.tourisme.officiel / twitter.com/Departement_90

Giromagny (Pop. 3,000)

Fort of Giromagny

Construction: 1875 to 1879.

History: the fort was designed to house 650 men and originally contained around fifty artillery pieces. It was modernised in 1888 and again during the First World War. The fort was equipped with the first two Mougin turrets. On 18 June 1940, the garrison fired a few shots at the German troops before surrendering. In 1941, the Germans sent workers from the Compulsory Labour Service to recover the most important metal parts remaining in the fort, including the two turrets, which ended up in the foundries of the Third Reich. The fort remained abandoned until 1988, when the municipality of Giromagny purchased the fort and its surrounding land, entrusting its restoration and maintenance to the Association du Fort Dorsner (AFD).

Listed as: Historic Monument since 1995.