Dole is an elegant little town in the Jura department of eastern France, where streets of 18th-century neoclassical stone buildings surround the imposing collegiate church of Notre-Dame.
Designated a Ville d’Art et d’Histoire (City of Art and History), Dole is known as the birthplace of Louis Pasteur and for the buildings that use the local pink, white and black stone. Located just a couple of hours from Paris, Dole makes an excellent short trip from the capital and is easy and compact to walk. If you visit nearby cities like Dijon and Beaune in Burgundy, Dole is a lovely addition to your vacation.
Fast facts
- Eastern france
- Jura is located in the Franche-Comté region, part of the new Grand Est region
- Population of just over 25,000
- Tourist office: 6 Place Jules-Grévy
Location
Dole is located in the valley of the river Doubs, an area of forests, vineyards, rivers and canals, and is halfway between Dijon and Besançon, the very attractive capital of the Jura.
How to get there
By train, there are regular TGV trains from Paris (2 hours 15 minutes), Lyon (3 hours) and Besançon (30 minutes).
Why is it worth a visit
Dole is one of those beautiful French cities that seem out of the ordinary and reward you with a sense of discovery when you visit. It is also one of those French cities that makes you feel like you are living the life of the locals, with many events, especially in the summer months.
From 1380 it was the capital of the powerful county of Burgundy. Unfortunately, the townspeople chose the wrong side in one of those never-ending conflicts that divided Europe between the English, Dutch, Spanish, French and the Holy Roman Empire and anyone else who wanted to participate. The retaliation was swift: Louis XIV took the city and France-Comté seized French control and quickly moved the capital to Besançon, leaving Dole to languish like a backwater.
The loss of the seventeenth century is our gain; Without strategic importance, the city kept its great buildings, old streets and quiet squares and today it is a charming city to visit.
What to see
Pick up a map and guide at the Tourist Office. A good starting point is the guided walking route ( Circuit du Chat Perch é) that follows with the map and with brass signs on the jack embedded in the pavement.
The guide takes you to all the main sites, but if you’re short on time, take the lower route near the river and these attractions.
- Start at the Prélot ( près de l’eau , or near the water). You are in the old port where the pleasure boats have replaced the old sailboats. Here you can see the charming Jardin des Chevannes , now a garden that grows medicinal plants. It got its name from the chanvre ( hemp) that was grown here and used to make the ropes and tarps vital to the shipbuilding industry. You’ll also see the only surviving bastion of the defenses built between 1540 and 1595 to protect the city.
- Between the port and the old city runs the Canal des tanneurs , once an extremely smelly canal used by tanneries that occupied the cellars of buildings that opened directly onto the water. It was in one of these tall, narrow houses that Louis Pasteur, the scientist who discovered the food preparation process of pasteurization, was born in 1822. The house is now a museum, with the exhibit of ground-level tanning and artifacts that Include your cot, personal items and cover your research and discoveries at the adjoining museum, La Maison Natale de Pasteur.
- From here walk to the Collegiate Church of Notre-Dame . Built between 1509 and 1590, its tall tower, used as a watchtower for fire and invaders, has become the symbol of Dole. It is a large church with paintings hanging in the nave and a magnificent German organ built in 1753, which is one of only 3 in the world. Its 3,500 pipes produce the sweetest sound, so try to do one of the many summer concerts. Open every day and free entry. In July and August, you can climb the bell tower for a great view. Contact the tourist office to reserve.
- Place Nationale. Right in front of the church, this was the heart of the old town from the 13th century onwards. At the other end is a beautiful covered market, built in 1883.
- From here, walk down the Grand Rue , typical of the streets of this ancient city with houses made of the local pale stone. You pass the impressive Charité General Hospital, built between 1700 and 1760, and the former Cistercian nunnery.
- The Hotel Dieu is another of the imposing buildings in the city. Originally a hospital for the poor, it is now a media center that you can visit to see the little chapel and, on a guided tour, the apothecary.
- On a long walk, visit the home of Marcel Aymé, whose novel Le Moulin de la Sourdine was inspired by the Grand Fontaine, just above the port. The charming square aux Fleurs looks out over the old houses and the Museum of Fine Arts, housed in the splendid Officers’ Pavilion, is also worth a visit.
Dole pays wandering the old streets, camera ready. There are many photogenic buildings from the 17th and 18th centuries, such as the private Froissard mansion at 7 rue Mont-Roland (you can enter the courtyard of this Renaissance house). Keep your eyes open for luscious carved details, heads, and balconies.
Where to stay
- Au Moulin des Ecorces (14 allee du Pont-Roman) – In a former mill, the modern hotel has good-sized rooms and, located across the river from the main town, it also has great views of Dole. The gourmet restaurant is the most formal and serves menus from 20 to 48 euros (60 euros with wine). The bistro is casual and bustling, but the main restaurant offers better cuisine.
- Outside the center in La Chaumière (346 Av. Du Mar-Juin). Three kilometers from downtown Dole, but very convenient to the airport, La Chaumière has comfortable, if small, rooms decorated in bright colors and good-sized bathrooms. The main attraction here is the restaurant, where owner-chef Joël Césari prepares a storm. This is the finest Michelin-star cuisine, using seasonal local ingredients and witty touches that elevate your food above the usual one-star restaurants.
Where to eat
Central Dole has a good variety of restaurants, from La Romanée, a charming restaurant at 11 rue des Vieilles Boucheries, offering traditional cuisine, to the gourmet Le Grain de Sel at 67 rue Pasteur.
