Vesoul, Administrative division in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, France
Vesoul is a town in Haute-Saône in eastern France, positioned between the Jura and Vosges foothills. The settlement consists of a historic core at the base of La Motte hill and newer districts spreading along the Durgeon and Colombine rivers.
The settlement first appears in records in 899 under the name Castrum Vesulium, when a fortified tower stood on the hill. During the Middle Ages the town grew into a trading hub on the route between Burgundy and Alsace, before later becoming the chief town of the department.
The town takes its name from a Latin term referring to a Roman settlement on the hill, where visitors today can still climb to the viewing tower on La Motte. Every year the Asian cinema festival draws film enthusiasts from across Europe to screenings and events held in local theaters and cultural spaces.
The town sits on the Paris–Mulhouse railway line with regular connections in both directions and offers access to the surrounding natural areas of the Jura and Vosges. Visitors arriving by car will find it at the junction of several regional roads, roughly halfway between Besançon and Épinal.
The town lies less than 100 kilometers (60 miles) from the borders with both Germany and Switzerland, making it a natural starting point for trips across three countries. Four small waterways run through the municipal area and all flow into the Saône, which runs about 20 kilometers (12 miles) to the west.
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