First pick
Forêt de Chailluz
Wood or forest
1,424 ha71.2 km of path
15 h 50 minto walk all 71.2 km of path
7 km north-eastfrom the center
Chemin du MaupertuisChemin de l'IntendantRoute Forestière du Fau du Carré+5 paths
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: Wikipedro · CC BY-SA 4.037%woodland
Outdoors in Besançon · protected areas, woods and footpaths
Besançon has more footpaths per km² than 9 in 10 French towns
342 km of footpaths cross Besançon (5.3 km per km²). Waymarked hiking routes add up to 83 km in Besançon. 37% of Besançon is mapped woodland. France has no Outdoors Grade yet: these are the figures, each beside the compared towns’ median.
Protected areas
0.6%
of the commune’s land
Nearest: Moyenne Vallée du Doubs, 2.2 km
Woodland
37%
of the land, mapped on OpenStreetMap
Compared town: 13%
Footpaths
342 km
5.3 km per km²
Compared town: 1.7 km per km²
Hiking routes
83 km
waymarked, GR and others
Compared town: 0.3 km per km²
Parks & woods
30
named, in or within 400 m of the commune
First: Forêt de Chailluz
Throughout this page, the Doubs median and the France median are the median of compared communes (those with an overall grade), each figure its own median.
What kind of place
What kind of outdoors place is Besançon?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and less good.
A place of footpaths5.3 km per km² of mapped footpath, against 1.7 km per km² for the median compared town.On waymarked routes83 km of GR and other hiking routes cross the commune.A wooded commune37% mapped woodland, more than in 83% of compared French towns, against 13% for the median compared town.Protected land nearbyMoyenne Vallée du Doubs (Natura 2000) is 2.2 km from the town center.
What sets Besançon apart: its footpaths, then its hiking routes.
Against French towns
How Besançon compares with French towns
Each figure against the 3,798 compared French towns (communes with an overall grade): the marked bar is the town’s, the line the median. Described, not graded.
Protected areas0.6%Share of the land in a national park, regional nature park, nature reserve or Natura 2000 site
54out of 100
Woodland37%Share of the land mapped as forest or woods on OpenStreetMap
83out of 100
Footpaths5.3 km per km²Km of mapped footpath and track open on foot, per km² of the commune
92out of 100
Hiking routes1.3 km per km²Km of waymarked hiking routes (GR and others), per km² of the commune
89out of 100
Percentiles among compared French towns; ties count half.
Towns its size
Besançon has the 20th most footpaths per km² of 41 towns its size
The 40 compared French towns nearest in population (88,326 to 159,022 residents), by km of footpath per km². Hover for each one’s protected land and woods; click for its page.
From Paris 12e (16.7 km per km²) to Nîmes (1.3 km per km²).
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Paths (km/km²) | Woodland | Protected | Coast | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paris 12e Paris | 16.7 | 30% | 0% | 153 km |
| 2 | Créteil Val-de-Marne | 13.8 | 2% | 0% | 161 km |
| 3 | Grenoble Isère | 11.6 | 4.6% | 0% | 204 km |
| 4 | Paris 14e Paris | 10.6 | 0.4% | 0% | 151 km |
| 5 | Nanterre Hauts-de-Seine | 9.2 | 0.9% | 0% | 141 km |
| 6 | Caen Calvados | 8.1 | 2.4% | 0% | 14 km |
| 7 | Tours Indre-et-Loire | 7.8 | 6.3% | 4.7% | 184 km |
| 8 | Saint-Denis Seine-Saint-Denis | 7 | 2.4% | 1.8% | 142 km |
| 9 | Nancy Meurthe-et-Moselle | 6.9 | 2.7% | 0% | 366 km |
| 10 | Metz Moselle | 6.8 | 8% | 0% | 329 km |
| 11 | Angers Maine-et-Loire | 6.3 | 5.6% | 17% | 118 km |
| 12 | Orléans Loiret | 6.3 | 5.4% | 4.3% | 206 km |
| 13 | Boulogne-Billancourt Hauts-de-Seine | 6 | 2% | 0% | 147 km |
| 14 | Brest Finistère | 5.9 | 6.7% | 0% | On it |
| 15 | Lyon 3e Rhône | 5.9 | 0.5% | 0% | 251 km |
| 16 | Aubervilliers Seine-Saint-Denis | 5.8 | 1.3% | 0% | 146 km |
| 17 | Mulhouse Haut-Rhin | 5.7 | 4.3% | 0% | 441 km |
| 18 | Le Mans Sarthe | 5.5 | 6.6% | 0% | 135 km |
| 19 | Paris 11e Paris | 5.4 | 0% | 0% | 150 km |
| 20 | Besançon Doubs | 5.3 | 37% | 0.6% | 402 km |
| 21 | Montreuil Seine-Saint-Denis | 5.2 | 1.8% | 4.7% | 153 km |
| 22 | Rouen Seine-Maritime | 5.1 | 6.2% | 0% | 53 km |
| 23 | Roubaix Nord | 5 | 0.8% | 0% | 61 km |
| 24 | Annecy Haute-Savoie | 4.6 | 29% | 0.2% | 260 km |
| 25 | Vitry-sur-Seine Val-de-Marne | 4.5 | 1.7% | 0% | 157 km |
| 26 | Poitiers Vienne | 4.5 | 8.8% | 0% | 118 km |
| 27 | Lyon 7e Rhône | 4.5 | 0.1% | 0% | 250 km |
| 28 | Colombes Hauts-de-Seine | 4.3 | 1.4% | 0% | 139 km |
| 29 | Tourcoing Nord | 3.9 | 1.1% | 0% | 57 km |
| 30 | Marseille 13e Bouches-du-Rhône | 3.8 | 3.3% | 32% | 5.5 km |
| 31 | Amiens Somme | 3.8 | 3% | 0.7% | 55 km |
| 32 | Asnières-sur-Seine Hauts-de-Seine | 3.7 | 0% | 0% | 141 km |
| 33 | Clermont-Ferrand Puy-de-Dôme | 3.7 | 4.6% | 0.7% | 258 km |
| 34 | Avignon Vaucluse | 3.3 | 2.9% | 27% | 54 km |
| 35 | Limoges Haute-Vienne | 3.3 | 15% | 0% | 163 km |
| 36 | Argenteuil Val-d'Oise | 3.2 | 5.5% | 0% | 136 km |
| 37 | Perpignan Pyrénées-Orientales | 2.2 | 0.2% | 0.3% | 12 km |
| 38 | Aix-en-Provence Bouches-du-Rhône | 2.1 | 18% | 9.1% | 21 km |
| 39 | Saint-Denis Réunion | 1.6 | 62% | 73% | On it |
| 40 | Saint-Paul Réunion | 1.4 | 20% | 64% | On it |
| 41 | Nîmes Gard | 1.3 | 29% | 4.6% | 37 km |
The map
Parks, woods, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park or wood. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is the commune’s boundary.
Green: parks, gardens and woods mapped on OpenStreetMap, named or not.© OpenStreetMap contributors · INPN / PatriNat · IGN
Places to walk
Parks and woods to walk in, in and around Besançon
Named parks, gardens and woods in the commune or within 400 m, the biggest and best-pathed first: Forêt de Chailluz leads, at 1,424 ha. Directions go to a point inside.
Bois Monsieur
Wood or forest
509 ha23.6 km of path
5 h 15 minto walk all 23.6 km of path
7.2 km south-westfrom the center
Directionsto a point inside
Forêt de la Menère
Wood or forest
516 ha12.8 km of path
2 h 50 minto walk all 12.8 km of path
5 km westfrom the center
Pourcours santé Franois
Directionsto a point inside
Bois de Franois
Wood or forest · 0 m outside the commune
191 ha3.3 km of path
45 minto walk all 3.3 km of path
6.4 km south-westfrom the center
Directionsto a point inside
Bois de la Chaille
Wood or forest
138 ha10.2 km of path
2 h 15 minto walk all 10.2 km of path
3.7 km westfrom the center
Directionsto a point inside
Bois de Peu
Wood or forest
143 ha6.9 km of path
1 h 30 minto walk all 6.9 km of path
3 km southfrom the center
Chemin du Fort de l'OuestChemin de MauriceChemin de la Grande Creuse
Directionsto a point inside
Bois de Rosemont
Wood or forest
54 ha6.9 km of path
1 h 35 minto walk all 6.9 km of path
2.5 km south-westfrom the center
Chemin des PêcheursPassage du CoyoteChemin des Vergers de Chaumuse
Directionsto a point inside
Promenade Micaud
Park or garden
3.6 ha2.1 km of path
30 minto walk all 2.1 km of path
1.5 km eastfrom the center
Directionsto a point inside
All 30 named parks, gardens and woods
Forêt de ChailluzWood or forest · 1,424 ha · 71.2 km of path
DirectionsBois MonsieurWood or forest · 509 ha · 23.6 km of path
DirectionsForêt de la MenèreWood or forest · 516 ha · 12.8 km of path
DirectionsBois de FranoisWood or forest · 191 ha · 3.3 km of path · just outside
DirectionsBois de la ChailleWood or forest · 138 ha · 10.2 km of path
DirectionsBois de PeuWood or forest · 143 ha · 6.9 km of path
DirectionsBois de RosemontWood or forest · 54 ha · 6.9 km of path
DirectionsPromenade MicaudPark or garden · 3.6 ha · 2.1 km of path
DirectionsParc de l'observatoirePark or garden · 5.5 ha · 0.9 km of path
DirectionsJardins des VaîtesPark or garden · 6.9 ha
DirectionsChamarsPark or garden · 3.5 ha · 1.1 km of path
DirectionsPromenade des GlacisPark or garden · 2.4 ha · 1.1 km of path
DirectionsParc de la RhodiacétaPark or garden · 4.3 ha
DirectionsLa maison Colette et BoutterinPark or garden · 4.1 ha
DirectionsEsplanade Joseph BartheletPark or garden · 2.1 ha · 0.4 km of path
DirectionsParc de la RodiaPark or garden · 1.5 ha · 0.5 km of path
DirectionsSquare ColuchePark or garden · 1.2 ha · 0.5 km of path
DirectionsParc des ChapraisPark or garden · 1.6 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsJardin botanique de BesançonPark or garden · 0.5 ha · 0.6 km of path
DirectionsParc ViottePark or garden · 1.1 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsEsplanade Jean-Luc LagarcePark or garden · 0.8 ha · 0.5 km of path
DirectionsSquare de l’AmitiéPark or garden · 0.6 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsSquare de la CharlottePark or garden · 0.3 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsParc MarmierPark or garden · 0.4 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsJardin René-DumontPark or garden · 0.5 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsSquare VelottePark or garden · 0.3 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsBois de ChaudanneWood or forest · 2.6 ha
DirectionsSquare CopinPark or garden · 0.5 ha · 0.1 km of path
DirectionsSquare Fontaine EcuPark or garden · 0.3 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsSquare Claude SalomonPark or garden · 0.3 ha · 0.2 km of path
DirectionsSource: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL): named parks, gardens and woods; sizes are the whole site.
Protected areas
Dame Blanche nature reserve is the nearest protected area, 7.5 km away
The protected areas reaching the commune, and the nearest: national parks, regional nature parks, nature reserves and Natura 2000 sites.
Nature reserve
Dame Blanche nature reserve
7.5 km from the town center
Natura 2000 site
Moyenne Vallée du Doubs
0.6% of the commune2.2 km from the center
Share of the commune’s land
Any protected area0.6%
Natura 2000 site0.6%
Designations overlap (a regional park can hold a Natura 2000 site), so the rows don’t add up; the first counts each piece of land once.
Source: INPN / PatriNat, protected areas July 2026, Natura 2000 December 2024; shares of IGN’s commune boundary.
Footpaths and woods
Footpaths and woods in Besançon
Paths, bridleways, steps and tracks open on foot, and waymarked hiking routes, mapped on OpenStreetMap inside the commune; woods are mapped forest and woodland, private woods included.
Footpaths
342 km
5.3 km per km²
Hiking routes
83 km
waymarked: 1.3 km per km²
Woodland
37%
about 23.8 km² of mapped woods
Km per km² of the commune · mapped on OpenStreetMap
BesançonDoubs medianFrance median
Footpaths5.3
Hiking routes1.3
03.57 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
BesançonDoubs medianFrance median
Woodland37%
0%50%100%
That is more than in 92% of compared French towns for footpaths per km², and for woodland more than in 83% of compared French towns. Hiking routes often follow paths and lanes already counted, so the two lengths overlap: don’t add them. Every home in Besançon is within 800 m of a mapped park or wood, as in most French towns.
30 named hiking routes within 2 km
GR (long-distance)Other named walk
GR 14518 km
GR 592.4 km
Besançon - Arc-et-Senans15 km
Dame Blanche et Vieux Tilleul15 km
Le Cul des Prés10 km
Grande Boucle de Fontain10 km
Le Vieux Tilleul9.7 km
Grande boucle de Fontain9.5 km
La Dame Blanche9.4 km
Les Hauts de Divicius9.3 km
Sentier du Coutelot7.5 km
Sentier des Rives et du Château7.4 km
+18 more
2 GR routes pass within 2 km of Besançon: GR 145 and GR 59.
Source: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), extracts of October 25, 2026 (Geofabrik).
When to get out
The best walking months in Besançon: April to September
Météo-France’s 1991–2020 normals at Besancon, 2 km away, and the daylight at the town’s latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 15 to 30 °C and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 8.9 | 10.2 | 11.8 | 13.5 | 15.1 | 15.9 | 15.6 | 14.2 | 12.5 | 10.8 | 9.2 | 8.5 |
| High (°C) | 6 | 8 | 12 | 16 | 20 | 24 | 26 | 26 | 21 | 16 | 10 | 6 |
| Rain (mm) | 90 | 81 | 85 | 87 | 108 | 98 | 89 | 96 | 101 | 112 | 107 | 105 |
February is the driest month (81 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 26 °C). 112 mm of rain falls in October, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 58 nights a year. The climate in Besançon →
Gardens
7 gardens to visit in Besançon
Named gardens in the commune.
Biome FabrikaIn Besançon
DirectionsEsplanade Jean CharbonnierIn Besançon
DirectionsJardin botanique de BesançonIn Besançon
DirectionsJardins de la Gare d'eauIn Besançon
DirectionsParc des GlacisIn Besançon
DirectionsPromenade de l'HelvétieIn Besançon
DirectionsSquare Saint-AmourIn Besançon
DirectionsSource: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) and Wikidata.
Neighbors
Next to Besançon
The nearest towns of 2,500 or more, colored by the share of their land in protected areas.
École-ValentinMiserey-SalinesThiseLes AuxonsSaôneSaint-VitBesançon
Under 1%1–10 %10–25 %25–50 %50 %+
| Town | Protected | Woodland | Paths (km/km²) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Besançon | 0.6% | 37% | 5.3 |
| École-Valentin 2,579 · 3.8 km | 0% | 16% | 3.9 |
| Miserey-Salines 2,661 · 5.6 km | 0% | 37% | 2.7 |
| Thise 2,994 · 6.2 km | 0% | 49% | 2.7 |
| Les Auxons 2,533 · 7.6 km | 0% | 43% | 1.1 |
| Saône 3,195 · 8.1 km | 28% | 43% | 1.1 |
| Saint-Vit 5,133 · 17 km | 0% | 30% | 1.2 |
Saône has at least twice as much protected land.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Protected areas. National-park cores, national parks’ outer areas, regional nature parks, nature reserves and Natura 2000 sites, from INPN. A national park’s core is strictly protected; its outer area and a regional park are charters between communes, not bans. Designations overlap, so the total counts each piece of land once.
- Woodland. Forest and woods as OpenStreetMap maps them, private woods included: woods nobody has mapped are missing, and a mapped wood isn’t necessarily open to walkers.
- Footpaths and hiking routes. Footpaths, bridleways, steps and tracks open on foot, then waymarked hiking routes (GR and others) measured apart. A route often follows a path or lane already counted: the two overlap. Paths nobody has mapped are missing.
- Green space nearby. The share of residents (INSEE’s 200 m grid) within 800 m, as the crow flies, of a mapped park, garden or wood edge. It measures nearness, not a way in. Guadeloupe and French Guiana have no grid: their pages say whether the town center is within 800 m.
- The coast. The straight-line distance from the town center to OpenStreetMap’s coastline, which follows the tide line into estuaries. A commune is on the coast when the coastline crosses its boundary.
- No grade yet. U.S. and UK towns have an Outdoors Grade; French towns don’t yet. Each figure is set beside the median of compared communes (those with an overall grade) in the département and in France, each figure its own median.
Questions about the outdoors in Besançon
Is Besançon in a national or regional nature park?
No. The nearest protected area is Moyenne Vallée du Doubs, 2.2 km from the town center.
Are there good walks in Besançon?
OpenStreetMap maps 342 km of footpaths and tracks open on foot in the commune, 5.3 km per km² (the median compared town: 1.7 km per km²); 83 km of waymarked hiking routes cross it.
How much of Besançon is woodland?
37% of the commune is mapped woodland, private woods included; the median compared French town has 13%.
Is Besançon near the sea?
No: the coast is 402 km from the town center, as the crow flies.
When is the best time for walking in Besançon?
April to September: long days, mild highs and little rain, from Météo-France’s 1991–2020 normals at the nearest suitable station.
Why is there no Outdoors Grade for French towns?
TownRatings grades the outdoors in the U.S. and the UK; the French figures are new and not graded yet. This page sets each one beside the median compared French town instead.
Sources: INPN / PatriNat (protected areas 2026, Natura 2000 2024) · © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL (paths, hiking routes, woods, coast, gardens) · INSEE, Filosofi 2021 200 m grid (residents) · IGN Admin Express (boundaries) · Météo-France normals 1991–2020 · Medians and percentiles: TownRatings, over compared French towns, updated November 4, 2026. Under the Licence Ouverte / Open Licence 2.0 (Etalab).
Contains public sector information under the Licence Ouverte / Open Licence 2.0 (Etalab): INSEE, DGFiP, the Interior Ministry’s statistics service (SSMSI), the Ministry of Education (DEPP), the Health Ministry’s statistics service (DREES) and the Housing Ministry (Carte des loyers). Commune boundaries: IGN Admin Express.