City walls of Besançon, Military fortifications in Besançon, France.
The city walls of Besançon form a continuous fortification system with towers, bastions, and monumental gates that encircle the old town. The ensemble stretches for several kilometers and incorporates the natural curve of the Doubs River into its defensive layout.
Construction of the current walls began in 1668 under King Louis XIV with military engineer Vauban directing the work and completely transforming earlier medieval defenses. The project made Besançon one of the best-fortified cities in Europe.
The fortifications shape the old town's appearance and mark Besançon's role as a major military stronghold. Their gates and bastions once defined the boundary between urban and rural areas.
Visitors can walk along the fortifications and explore various towers that now house exhibitions and host cultural events. The best starting points are from the central old town area, where several access points lead to the pathways on top of the walls.
The fortification system cleverly uses a river bend of the Doubs so that only three sides needed to be protected by walls. The river itself serves as a natural fourth line of defense and makes the layout a masterwork of landscape engineering.
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