Great Heights and Great Flavours

Departing from Bern, you'll head west across the border to France today. While there are no checkpoints on the border, make sure you take your passport or national identity card as ID.

Your first stop is the Chasseral Nature Park. Its landscape, which makes up 1% of Switzerland's land, features meadows, vineyards, gorges, and valleys. This car park, near Hôtel Chasseral, is a good place to start a short walk to the summit.

This telecommunication tower marks the highest point of Chasseral Nature Park. While some may appreciate the technological accomplishment of the tower, the real attraction is the sweeping view. On a clear day, you're able to see as far as Mount Säntis on the eastern side of Switzerland, Mont Blanc in France, and the Black Forest in Germany.

Once you've finished soaking up the multinational vistas, make your way back to the car park to continue the drive across to France.

Just outside the town Pierrefontaine-les-Varans is a waterfall right next to the road. There's space to pull over so that you can admire the falls, and a path so that you can stretch your legs and follow the stream for a while.
If it’s been raining recently, the falls will be extra impressive. However, be careful and wear proper shoes, as it might be a little slippery.

On arrival at Besançon, the greenest city in France, park your car at Parc de Stationnement Rivotte, as street parking may be hard to find.

While the cuisine at Le Manège is stylistically and meticulously constructed on each plate, the atmosphere in this former armoury building is comfortable and friendly. The restaurant's staff strive to make you feel at home as you dine on artistic cuisine.
Highlights on the menu include risotto with butternut squash, pear, gorgonzola and hazelnuts, and, for dessert, a traditional Paris-Brest pastry.
See the menu and make a reservation on Le Manège website.
Opening Hours: Tuesday: 7:30 p.m. – 9:15 p.m. Wednesday – Saturday: 12:00 p.m. – 1:15 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. – 9:15 p.m. Sunday – Monday: Closed

This 300-year-old fortress is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was designed by Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban, the greatest engineer of his time.
Walk along the ramparts and the grounds of this 11-hectare citadel to admire the enduring architecture and views of the city below. Inside the citadel, there’s also the Comtois Museum, if you’d like to learn more about the history and culture of the local region.
The Besançon Citadel is open daily throughout the year, except during some of the winter months. Buy tickets and check seasonal opening hours on the official website.
If you’re travelling outside the Citadel's open hours, don't worry. Besançon has plenty of great attractions worth your attention. Like the Museum Of Time or the Museum of Fine Arts and Archaeology of Besançon for people in the art world. Indeed, a walk through the historic centre of Besançon is an equally fascinating immersion in the city.

After a cultural afternoon in Besançon, return to your car to travel the last leg of today's journey to Dijon.

Check into your hotel, which is located in the historical heart of Dijon, right near the Palais des Ducs and Musée des Beaux-Arts. This area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of its political and cultural influence on the region's wine production since the Middle Ages.
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Get a taste of France's version of gingerbread at Mulot et Petitjean. This family business has been making “pain d'épices”, or spiced bread, for over 220 years. Their historical shop at Place Bousset has a wide variety of pain d'épices to choose from, such as the classic version and others with dried fruit or sweet fillings.
Learn more about Mulot & Petitjean and pain d'épices.
Opening Hours: Monday: 2:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Tuesday – Friday: 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., 2:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Saturday: 9:00 am – 12:30 p.m., 2:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Sunday: Closed

Sip on a unique cocktail in a courtyard strung with fairy lights at Monsieur Moutarde. You're sure to discover a new tipple here, as the bar creates a new cocktail menu twice a year.
Expect creativity in a glass! One of their current concoctions is “Alegría Verano”, made of vanilla vodka, Aperol, red pepper purée, Espelette pepper syrup, and lemon juice.
Check out the latest menu on the Monsieur Moutarde website. Phone to make a reservation: +33380434887.
Opening Hours: Wednesday – Saturday: 5:00 p.m. – 2:00 a.m. Sunday: 11:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Monday – Tuesday: Closed

Le Pré aux Clercs is a Dijon institution, as it has been operating in its current location since 1866. Given its history, it's fitting that the restaurant celebrates traditional French cuisine.
On the menu, you'll find eggs poached in Pinot Noir as a starter, veal served with truffle sauce as a main, and crème brûlée for dessert.
Book your table online or call +33380380505.
Opening Hours: Monday – Sunday: 12:00 p.m. – 1:45 p.m., 7:00 p.m. – 9:45 p.m.

Head back to your hotel, which offers serviced apartments and studios of a variety of sizes, catering for groups of two to six people. Each apartment and studio is furnished in a luxurious, modern style. Some parts of the hotel are located in a renovated 15th-century half-timbered house.
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