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Parking in Tarragnoz, at the foot of the Notre-Dame Tower, at the entrance to the road tunnel under the citadel. Marked on the ground with a metal triangle.
(S/E) You are at the foot of the Notre-Dame Tower, built by Charles V on the old medieval walls. Head back towards the town centre and, just before the gendarmerie, climb the stairs (closed by a gate from 8 p.m. to 9 a.m.). After the second gate, at Rue du Chapitre, turn right. You will arrive at a small park with a cave on the left and casemates on the right, offering a view of the lower Doubs valley. Climb the steep stairs along the ramparts. At Rue des Fusillés, at the hairpin bend, turn right towards the citadel esplanade.
(1) You can enter the first courtyard freely, but you will need to purchase a ticket to climb the ramparts. Continue past the entrance and turn left for a round trip to the end of the Vaudemont esplanade for a view over the rooftops of the old town. Then descend to the right via the concrete path on the left to the viewpoint on the other side of the circular route, with Fort Beauregard on the left and Fort Bregille on the right. Head towards the street for a round trip to the Monument des Fusillés.
(2) Go down the stairs (towards Rivotte) which lead you to the foot of the old city gate.
(3) Go through it and continue along Faubourg Rivotte for a short distance, then turn left (just after the restaurant Le Manège, the former tollgate) into the pedestrian tunnel that leads to the riverbank. Then turn left until you reach the footbridge. Go down the gravel path on the right towards the Doubs. You will pass under the Frac and then in front of the Moulin Saint-Paul. Follow the path along the Doubs.
(4) Continue along the old towpath, which has been transformed into a promenade for the people of Besançon, which goes around the circular area. At the tip of the island, you will find the statue of the Minotaur and the Tour de la Pelote on the other bank. Walk along the ramparts and bastions.
(5) You will pass the old university campus with its Germanic appearance, then the linguistics centre, before soon arriving at the Parc de la Gare d'Eau.
(6) You can refresh yourself at the open-air café in the old cargo port, then continue to the end of the ramparts where you turn left to return to the car park (S/E).
Visorando member
Moderate 
