Citadel of Besançon – Thoraise Tunnel loop from Dannemarie - Velesmes

Bike touring routes & trails

France

Bourgogne-Franche-Comté

Besançon

Dannemarie-Sur-Crète

Citadel of Besançon – Thoraise Tunnel loop from Dannemarie - Velesmes

Moderate

4.8

(71)

651

riders

Citadel of Besançon – Thoraise Tunnel loop from Dannemarie - Velesmes

03:03

49.6km

390m

Cycling

Moderate bike ride. Good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels. The starting point of the route is accessible with public transport.

Last updated: August 26, 2026

Tips

Includes a segment in which cycling is not permitted

After 18.2 km for 61 m

Waypoints

Start point

Train Station

Get Directions

15.3 km

The Doubs

Highlight • River

In addition to its interest for navigation, the lock of Velotte deserves to linger there a little for its ornithological potential.

Indeed, the lock is a landmark for gray herons …

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16.3 km

View of the Vauban Citadel

Highlight • Viewpoint

Here you get a good idea of the size of the citadel.

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16.8 km

Besançon Citadel River Tunnel

Highlight • Structure

The ship tunnel in Besançon is a special tunnel, specially designed for the transport of ships. The tunnel is located under the city and runs through the hill of the …

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16.9 km

Citadel Canal Tunnel

Highlight (Segment) • Bridge

The tunnel is part of the complex system of waterways that cross the city and is designed to allow ships to pass through the city without having to pass through …

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17.3 km

Citadel of Besançon

Highlight • Viewpoint

The Citadelle de Besançon is an impressive fortress located on Mont Saint-Étienne, high above the city of Besançon.
Construction of the Citadelle began in 1668 under the direction of the …

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18.2 km

Archaeological Site

25.2 km

The Doubs

Highlight • River

Beautiful scenery and nice bike path.

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33.3 km

Thoraise Tunnel

Highlight • Historical Site

The breakthrough of Thoraise is a canal that saves 4km of navigation on the Doubs. Provided you have a small boat.
On the upstream side, pay attention to the curtain …

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34.2 km

Thoraise Lock

Highlight • Monument

The locks are all small and nice to look at.
Then there is a tunnel for the ships, unfortunately not with a cycle path.

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49.6 km

End point

Train Station

Way Types & Surfaces

Way Types

24.2 km

15.5 km

8.39 km

1.28 km

289 m

< 100 m

Surfaces

40.1 km

8.27 km

1.21 km

< 100 m

Elevation

Nothing selected – click and drag below to see the stats for a specific part of the route.

Highest point (300 m)

Lowest point (220 m)

Weather

Tuesday 20 October

12°C

7°C

98 %

Additional weather tips

Max wind speed: 21.0 km/h

to get more detailed weather forecasts along your route

Comments

March 19, 2024,Besançon

Today we followed the Doubs by VR 6 to go for a walk in Besançon

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May 29, 2025,EV6 Besancon nach Dampierre

Our journey continues on the Euro Velo 6. After leaving Besançon behind, we continue along the Doubs. Today, there was a lot of traffic… especially some very annoying "Gümeler" (a kind of silly thing). I wonder if they were racing? In any case, we finally arrived in Dampierre. For dinner, a delicious pizza and beer… mmm.

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June 23, 2024,Besançon naar Ranchot (met trein heen)

By train from Ranchot to Besançon. There we cycled back with the bicycles (without support) to the campsite in Ranchot on the Velo 6. Beautiful tour that starts between the rocks and ends in the flatter part.

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