Besançon (Things to do - Places to Visit) - BESANÇON Top Tourist Placesbr City in Francebr Besançon is a city in eastern France, near the border with Switzerland. The old city center lies in a horseshoe bend on the Doubs River.br br The sprawling Citadel of Besançon perches on a hill and is home to 3 museums, a zoo, and 600m-long ramparts. At the foot of the hill, Besançon Cathedral has a unique 70-­dial astronomical clock that indicates sunrise and sunset, eclipses, and tides in French ports.