Besançon, France - Intercultural City
Photo: City of Besançon
Besançon is a city in eastern France, close to the Swiss border, with a population of around 120 000 as of 2024.
Proclaimed as ‘France's First Green City’, the capital of the Franche-Comté region is nestled in a landscape of greenery in the heart of a meander of the Doubs river, and bordered by 7 hills. It is renowned for its exceptional quality of life, with a well-preserved natural environment and numerous green spaces and biodiversity.
As a university town, Besançon welcomes nearly 30 000 students every year, including around 4 000 international trainees who come to learn at its Centre of Applied Linguistics. This openness to the academic world is an undeniable asset for research and innovation in the region.
Historically, the city is renowned for its watchmaking industry, which has earned it the nickname of ‘the capital of time’. This heritage has enabled it to develop into a major industrial centre, renowned for its innovative companies in the fields of microtechnology, micromechanics and biomedical engineering. Besançon's economic dynamism dates back to the 19th century, when the city was already attracting skilled workers from all over Europe, contributing to its industrial boom and cultural diversity. And that's without counting its social innovation, such as the minimum income created in the 1970s by its social action office.
It is this tradition of openness, solidarity and welcoming that continues to shape Besançon's identity.
Marked by a long history of immigration, Besançon is a living example of the sharing of cultures, which has become a real asset in terms of wealth, attractiveness, solidarity and creativity. People from a wide range of backgrounds live side by side, helping to forge a unique cultural identity steeped in multiple influences. In Besançon, around 13% of the population is of foreign nationality.* More than 120 nationalities are represented in the city. Algerian nationals make up the largest foreign community, followed by those from Morocco, Portugal, Turkey, Tunisia and Italy.*
This diversity is a reflection of urban change and testifies to the plural identity that characterises the city today. Above all, it contributes to Besançon's dynamism and cultural richness, shaping its cosmopolitan identity and openness to the world.
*According to INSEE figures, 2020
- What is the ICC Index?
- Besançon results (to be published)
