Enchanting Besançon

Few foreigners have heard of Besançon, the capital of the Franche-Comté region of eastern France and the birthplace of Victor Hugo. Yet it is one of the most beautiful historic cities in the country, says Lizzy Davies in the Guardian.

Lying in an oxbow of the River Doubs, its old town is "an enchanting collection of winding roads, splendid squares and centuries of superb architecture", surrounded by seven forested

hills and crowned by a massive 17th-century citadel (pictured).

The city's low profile only enhances its charms: the coffee is cheap in its splendid Belle Époque cafés and bars, you’ll rarely hear English spoken in the streets, and the Musée des Beaux Arts, which houses one of the finest collections outside Paris, is usually "empty".

Tickets on Eurostar (0870 518 6186, eurostar.com) to Besançon via Paris start from £79 return if booked in advance.