Franche
Bourgogne-Franche-Comté is a region in France created by the 2014 territorial reform of French regions, from a merger of Burgundy and Franche-Comté.
The new region came into existence on 1 January 2016, after the regional elections of December 2015, electing 100 members to the Regional Council of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté.
Getting to Franche
The A5 and A6 autoroutes both connect the region to Paris. The A6 heads south to Lyon, a hub of highways coming from southern Europe. The A40 brings traffic from Geneva. For more detail on the region's autoroute system, see below. The TGV runs from Paris (Gare de Lyon) to Dijon (1h 35 min), Besançon (2h) and Belfort (2h 15 min).
Worth seeing
Two historic salt production sites in the region are inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List; the Royal Saltworks at Arc-et-Senans and the saltworks of Salins-les-Bains. Notre Dame du Haut in Ronchamp, a chapel designed by the architect Le Corbusier. It's one of 17 buildings worldwide by Corbusier to be listed as a World Heritage site. Villages - Many villages of the region have old medieval centres.
Things to do
L'Echappée jurassienne. The main walking route of the Jura connects the plains of Dole to the heights of Les Rousses, a ski resort. Its 260 km of trails allow you to discover its forests, Grande Saline and Saline Royale classified as World Heritage by UNESCO, as well as vineyards, refreshing lakes and waterfalls, and spectacular landscapes shaped by a particular geology.
Where to eat
Bourgogne-Franche-Comté is home to many dishes that have become synonymous with French cooking all over the world; the best among them use the local wine as a key ingredient.
Getting around Franche the local way
- Get inIt’s also accessible by road and ferry (seasonally).
From Wikivoyage: Castellammare di Stabia, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us. Last edited 2026-06.
Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Wikimedia Commons (see Commons), Wikimedia Commons.