Place de la Libération

Place de la Libération is a small neighbourhood square in Besançon, north of the river in the Chaprais district, away from the main tourist route through the old town. It is not a monument to be ticked off but an everyday place, where residents stop on their way to the bakery or the bus, and its interest lies in what it commemorates and in the character of the quarter around it. The square is quiet, with a few trees, a little greenery and a simple memorial, and it sits at a junction of local streets.

The memorial honours the resistance fighters who took part in the liberation of Besançon in September 1944. After the Allied landings in Normandy and Provence in the summer of 1944, German forces retreated from eastern France, and the city was freed on 7 September, with the help of members of the Resistance, who had been active for years in the surrounding region of the Franche-Comté. The memory of that period is part of the identity of the city, and a number of monuments, street names and places recall it. A museum devoted to the Resistance and the Deportation is housed in the Citadelle, and it gives a fuller picture of what happened in the region between 1940 and 1945.

The Chaprais district itself is a lively area. It developed in the nineteenth century as a residential and commercial neighbourhood, and its streets are lined with apartment buildings, small shops, bakeries and cafés. The neighbourhood has a relaxed character, with a local market and a mix of students and families. It is a good place to see how Besançon lives away from the tourist centre. The tourist trail lies in the loop of the Doubs, where the old town is protected by the river on three sides and by the rocky hill of the Citadelle on the fourth.

From the square, the historic centre can be reached on foot in a short time. The Citadelle de Besançon, designed by Vauban and listed by UNESCO as one of the Fortifications of Vauban, offers views over the loop of the Doubs, and it holds several museums, including one of regional life and a zoo. The Cathédrale Saint-Jean, the Roman theatre, the Porte Noire, a Roman triumphal arch, and the old streets of the Vieux Besançon are all within a short distance. The Musée du Temps, in the Palais Granvelle, and the Marché des Capucins also repay a visit.

The square suits those who like to explore residential neighbourhoods and pay respects at memorials. It is open at all times and free to visit, and a few minutes are enough. Combine it with a walk through the Chaprais and across the river to the old town to complete a half-day. Local buses serve the area, and parking is limited, so public transport or walking is the easiest way to reach it.