Jardin botanique de Besançon, Botanical garden in Besançon, France.
The Jardin botanique de Besançon is a botanical garden housing a large collection of plants from the Franche-Comté region, including wetlands, cliffs, and bog species. The plants are arranged in recreated habitats that mirror how nature is organized across this part of France.
Founded in 1580, this is one of France's oldest botanical gardens. It moved several times throughout its history before settling at its current location on Place du Maréchal Leclerc in 1957.
The garden shows visitors how plants from the Franche-Comté region live in different environments, from marshy areas to rocky slopes. Walking through these spaces helps people understand the natural world that surrounds the city.
The garden is located near the city center and is easy to reach on foot; the best time to visit is during dry weather when the paths are easiest to walk. There are shaded areas among the plant collections, but wearing comfortable shoes and allowing plenty of time to explore is recommended.
The garden focuses on protecting rare and endangered plant species that are native to the Franche-Comté region. This work helps preserve plants that are becoming increasingly scarce in the wild.
Location: Besançon
GPS coordinates: 47.24330,6.01450
Latest update: December 6, 2025 17:47
France has several dozen botanical gardens combining scientific research and plant conservation. The greenhouses of the National Museum of Natural History in Paris host over 4,500 species in climate-controlled zones, while the Lyon Botanical Garden cultivates around 15,000 plants divided between historic greenhouses and thematic sections. Universities such as Strasbourg maintain scientific collections over 2.5 hectares with greenhouses dating from 1881, and the Nantes Botanic Garden conserves 11,000 species, including 50 protected French varieties. These facilities document four centuries of botanical study and serve both education and research. Coastal gardens utilize temperate maritime conditions to display unusual plants. The Roscoff Exotic Garden gathers 3,500 species from the Southern Hemisphere on a rocky promontory, cultivating Australian and New Zealand plants adapted to Brittany’s climate. On the French Riviera, the Èze Garden showcases Mediterranean and succulent collections at 1,407 feet above sea level, while the Saint-Jean-de-Luz Coastal Botanical Garden focuses on Atlantic coastal species. The Grandes Bruyères Arboretum near Orléans encompasses 15,000 trees and shrubs from Europe, Asia, and North America across 34 acres, organizing plantings according to their geographic origins.
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