Besançon is a city in eastern France, near the border with Switzerland. The old city center lies in a horseshoe bend on the Doubs River. The sprawling Citadel of Besançon perches on a hill and is home to 3 museums, a zoo and 600m-long ramparts. At the foot of the hill, Besançon Cathedral has a unique 70-dial astronomical clock that indicates sunrise and sunset, eclipses, and tides in French ports.