Chapelle des Buis

Besançon

On the hill facing the citadel of Besançon, a hamlet lost in thick forest has kept the city's prayerful memory for centuries. A hermitage is attested there from the 13th century; historians suppose, without direct evidence, that a small Roman temple dedicated to Mercury already occupied the site. The chapel of Notre-Dame des Buis, badly damaged in 1815, was rebuilt in 1859 through the efforts of the parish priest of Morre, then enlarged in 1865; Franciscan friars still live there and animate what the diocese calls a spiritual high place, strewn with countless statues beneath the trees. People come here as pilgrims or as walkers: the path winds beneath the trees, and the view plunges down onto the roofs of Besançon, Vauban's citadel and the loops of the river. At dusk, when the city lights up below, one understands why the people of Besançon have been climbing to Les Buis for seven centuries.

Getting there : From Besançon by the route de la Chapelle-des-Buis or from Morre by the route des Buis; Ginko bus lines 11 and 23, then on foot; waymarked 7 km walking loop (2 hrs) starting from the hamlet. Free access to the chapel and esplanade.

Opening times and access details are given as a guide only: check before you set out.

Ambient sound