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, dominated by the hilltop Citadel of Besançon. This sprawling 17th-century fortress is home to museums and a zoo. At the foot of the hill, Besançon Cathedral has a unique 70-dial astronomical clock that indicates sunrise and sunset, tides in French ports and eclipses.
