Living in Besançon

Besançon in the classification of university towns where life is good.

2018-2019 list of top university towns

Regarding accommodation, Besançon makes the most of its status as a “medium-sized” town (with respect to the large university cities), and is therefore not too expensive concerning housing. The median rental for studios stands at €373 with a ratio of 48 studio flats for 10,000 inhabitants There aren’t many university towns that can make such a claim. Read the article

Apparently it rains in Besançon. Just a bit. But the quality of life and the conviviality make up for the occasional raindrop !

Here’s a little overview of all of this green and welcoming town’s assets.

Past, present and future

Besançon is marked by different eras, which constitute its architectural wealth. The most emblematic monuments are its fortifications and the Citadel, built by Vauban, both UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Some lovely contemporary constructions have recently sprung up: the Cité de Arts, a lovely example of restoration of the port wasteland; and the Rodia, a concert hall that’s very popular with students thanks to its eclectic programming: Selah Sue, Benjamin Biolay, and Brigitte play there alongside local groups and alternative collectives.

Besançon, an attractive town

 

An outstanding public transport network

Besançon has an excellent bus service (Ginko), backed up by two tram lines. The town places the accent on public transport systems, and environmentally friendly ways of getting around: you can easily go from the town centre to the Bouloie campus by bike.

Hire an Autolib’ car from time to time, and make the most of a bucolic outing into the surrounding countryside: Ornans and the Loue Valley, Haut-Doubs, nearby Switzerland, Jura, the Métabief ski slopes… A host of natural riches offer themselves up to you !

Train :

Besançon is two and half hours away from Paris by High-Speed Train and two hours from Strasbourg and Lyon.

Airports :

Dole Jura 45 min. away, Mulhouse and Geneva both two hours away.

Sport and culture

Besançon regularly comes top of the national surveys regarding the quality of life it offers its inhabitants. Sports lovers will find exceptional amenities here for running, roller-skating, swimming, team sports, gliding and paragliding.

Every year hundreds of shows, concerts and exhibitions are organised in the town’s main venues, as well as in the bars and pop-up spots. The 23,000 students regularly get together to provide a great atmosphere !

To find out more:http://www.besancon.fr/index.php?p=1684

 

The Temis Centre - Microtechnology and science cluster

SUPMICROTECH-ENSMM is situated at the crossroads between two major centres: the Bouloie campus and the TEMIS business park. A place that is favourable for research and excellence, where innovative startups flourish. Great brands have also chosen this site, such as Breitling, Vix Technology and Crystal Device.

A region favourable for engineering

Franche-Comté stands out in the industrial areas so dear to engineers: cars, microtechnologies, biomedical, mechanical construction, transformation of metals and agribusiness, with a specific dairy sector for the production of AOC Comté, Morbier and Mont d’or cheeses in particular. The region is famed for its precision engineering know-how stemming from the clock-making industry, backed up by a particularly tightly knit network of subcontractor companies offering outstanding quality.  With the grouping together of the regions initiated by the state, SUPMICROTECH-ENSMM has been part of the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region since 2016.

Find out more : 

Getting to SUPMICROTECH-ENSMM

20 minutes on foot and 10 minutes by bus from the town centre

To come to SUPMICROTECH-ENSMM

Ginko Bus on the L3, 7, 62 and 63 lines - U-Sports bus stop.

5 minutes from SUPMICROTECH-ENSMM

Two hotels : 

 

  • ETHIC Etapes
  • All Suites 

Restaurants : 

 

  • ETHIC Etapes 
  • L’Escapade and l’Escapade sur le pouce sandwich bar
  • Maestro
  • Restaurant Chez Elle

Sports and leisure : 

 

  • UPFR Sport
  • Franche-Comté Handball League
  • Mallarmé swimming pool