When you think of France, which places pop into your mind first?
Chic and sleek Paris - a dream destination merely each of us dreams to visit at least once in their lives? Foodies would also add Lyon to the bucket list - the gastronomy capital of France with amazing local delights to munch. Add magnificent ski resorts and jaw dropping views of the Mont Blanc and voila - travelers from all over the world flock the Rhône-Alpes.
A posh beach destination? The French Rivera of course! You have already heard of Colmar in Alsace - arguably the most charming and fairy-tale like place in the whole world? And postcard-perfect lavender fields of Provence. Thought at least once of heading to the severe Normandy coast with stunning Mont Saint Michelle. Or discover new favorite drink during your detour through Bordeaux or Burgundy wine routes.
Chateaux of the Loire valley were crossed off your bucket list a while ago and you have proudly escaped to La Rochelle and Île de Ré with the rest of Parisians during summer.
So, what exactly am I missing?
That province of France hardly anyone talks about - Franche-Comte.
The east most province stretched all along the Swiss border that typically stays of the travelers trails for some reason unknown. I have lived and traveledf around the area for nearly two years, and this place has some incredible gems to offer you.
Allow me to explain.
Julius Caesar was the first to mention the city in 58 BC while en route around ancient France, joining new lands to his empire. Since, then a lot of things obviously changed in Besançon, yet there are still numerous remains of ancient Roman presences with columns peeking here and there around the city center.
Besançon today is still mostly narrow cobblestone lanes, sloppy emerald hills and a mix of grey and pink stone houses with orange tiled roofs and chimneys everywhere.
Not to miss attractions?
Besançon Citadel - a 17th century UNESCO sight overlooking the city from nearby Mt. Etien. Needless to say the views from the top are mind-blowing and you get a 360 perspective of the cozy city center down below, twined by sparkling river Doubs.
Check out amazing Fra Bartolommeo paintings at Saint Jean Cathedral and step inside the clock tower with the most amazing astronomical clocks I've ever seen in my life: 122 indications estimating whatever it is possible to estimate and 21 animated figures performing different biblical scenes each hour. A timeless work of art.
In fact, the city used to be one of the biggest clock making centers in France and today they set up a whole museum dedicated to time (free entrance on Sundays!) with more amazing clocks of all shapes and sizes - from tiniest, fragile watches to enormous atomic clock made of 975 details and 18 kg of gold.
Love outdoors? Great, there are 16 forts hidden in the hills around the city. Can you find them all? Hint: You need to go past an alpaca farm to reach one!
Have you ever heard of Republic of Saugeais? Well, that's a proud, long-lived and self-proclaimed micronation, nested in the Doubs department of Franche-Comte with the capital city - Montbenoît.
Image credit: geoterranaute via Flickr Creative Commons
They have their own head of state, flag, postal stamps and even the national anthem. They also happen to make great sausages you can't miss trying!
Don't forget to claim your special "laissez passer" from the customs officer (not necessarily, but absolutely exciting) allowing you to travel freely on the whole territory and to be welcomed courteously. This includes a fun little ceremony organized by the local tourist center.
The Jura wine region produces some mighty fine white wines like Savagnin and Chardonnay in Arbois - the wine capital of the region. If you happen to come to here on the first Sunday of September, you'll be swirled away at the annual wine festival when delicious fresh food is sold on the streets and barrels of best wine rolled outside from the cellars. The whole city goes on feast during the parade when a huge installation of the best grapes is taken through the city streets up to the main cathedral to thank Saint Just - wine makers' patron - for yet another great year.
At any time a bottle of good sparkling or white wine can be purchased from 5-7 euro and upwards.
If you are not a beginner wine taster and want something really exquisite, you ought to try vin jaune - the liquid gold as they call it. It's a high-spirited dry wine made of late grapes with a complex aftertaste of nuts, spices, cinnamon, and dried fruits.
The wine pairs perfect with local Comté cheese, Mont d'Or or Morbier, along with a plate of creamy morille mushrooms served with croutons - another incredibly delicious comtois food specialty.
There are just too many seriously amazing hiking trails around Franche-Comte, yet one of my all time favorites is definitely Route de Absinthe. Starting point, another spirit capital - Pontarlier, the place where absinthe was produced long before the Dutch took over the initiative.
The whole route goes up to whooping 45 kilometers over the border to Switzerland and back, yet there's no need to rush or attempt everything at once. Remember, you have a lot of tasting sessions ahead.
Basically, the route consists of numerous tracks, all marked and mapped, through mind-blowing emerald plateaus, snowy peaks on the background and fairy-tale like Fort Joux dramatically overlooking the town from a cliff.
Think stops at former green fairy smuggling points and hideaways, museums and restaurants serving authentic drinks and dishes with herbs. And if you happen to visit during summer, you can't miss visiting the Absinthe festival, held on July 18-19th this year.
Ornans lies low over the Loue River, so it appears that all the colorful houses simply float on the water. A number of bridges crisscross the city, offering incredible views of the skyline and the gleaming river.
If you are into art, you should visit the recently renovated Gustave Courbet museum with some of his early works on display and personal items from the days when he used to live in the city.
Certainly, Franche-Comte isn't Switzerland, yet the mountains here are rather epic too. Jura National Park has some 50 different hiking, biking, skiing, sledging and climbing routes for newbies and adventurous types. Mind-boggling views and loads of instagram-worthy spots guaranteed.
Dig deeper and visit Grotte d'Osselle - a prehistoric cave with stunning natural formations of all shapes and colors! Luckily, no more bears here. A few hundred used to live here a mere thousand years ago.
Escape to Lac de Chalain for the weekends to dip into indigo blue water, hike the area all over in search for even more jaw-dropping views or just lay down on the beach and relax till your freshly caught trout is cooking in the nearby home-run bistro.
Do you have a firm belief the French are rude? Franche-Comte might make you state the opposite after a few dozen bonjour-s dropped by friendly passers-by, constant "merci" and "bonne journée" you'll hear from pretty much everyone you encounter. There are no jostling crowds here and the lifestyle is absolutely relaxed, which makes it easy to hop onto the local vibe.
Rarely if ever you will hear a word of English here. Yet, even if your French is far from perfect, the locals would do their best to help you and show how cool their region is!
You can read more stories of life and travel at Elena's blog or check out the latest pictures at @elenastravelgram.