Tour de Rivotte, Military tower in Besançon, France
Tour de Rivotte is a military tower within Besançon's fortification system, built on a rocky foundation and surrounded by a protective moat. It served as part of the defensive perimeter designed to guard the city from the east.
The tower was built between 1687 and 1690 under Vauban's direction to strengthen the city's eastern defense. Its construction reflected new military engineering ideas that shaped fortifications across France during this period.
The tower displays construction methods from the 1600s that shaped how fortifications looked and functioned. Its form shows how military engineers of that era designed defensive structures to control the surrounding landscape.
You can reach the tower by bus lines 11 and 26 that stop near Avenue Arthur Gaulard. The location close to the Doubs River makes it fairly easy to reach on foot from central areas.
Inside the tower runs a well system that served multiple purposes, including moving goods and managing rainwater. These hidden internal structures reveal how carefully military builders thought about practical needs within their fortifications.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
