All around, nature is generous, with rivers, paths, forests and marshes making up the great diversity of the landscape. For a weekend or a longer stay, depending on your mood, you can stroll through the charming streets, visit one of France's finest Fine Arts museums, or discover the town from a panoramic vantage point along the wooded paths. After the medieval period, during which the archbishop established himself as a prince of the Holy Roman Empire, came the flourishing Renaissance, exemplified by the de Granvelle family, and then, at the end of the 17th century, the French conquest by the armies of Louis XIV.
On the orders of his sovereign, Vauban created an urban wall and transformed the citadel into a veritable architectural masterpiece. Since then, the town has grown steadily, first in the Doubs loop, then beyond it, on the slopes of the site's natural amphitheater.
From the Revolution onwards, the watchmaking industry strengthened the town's dynamism, with watchmakers, originally from Switzerland, establishing themselves in the heart of the town and becoming one of its main activities. By the Second Empire, nearly workshops were established in the city, sharing the watchmaking workload. The creation of a watchmaking school and an observatory at the end of the 19th century ensured the transmission of knowledge and the development of industrial activity.
As you stroll along, you'll admire the facades of some fine private mansions, mostly built in the 18th century; stroll through Battant, an old winegrowing district built on the slopes that once extended into vineyards; discover the Saint Jean district, nestled on the slopes of the citadel, around the eponymous cathedral.
Dating back to the early Middle Ages, this edifice conceals many treasures, including masterpieces of Italian Renaissance pictorial art, and the famous astronomical clock of exceptional complexity. In addition to the bridge, you can go gambling at the casino, in the heart of the former spa district, which was home to Colette, among others.
