Via Francigena France 05, Perrancey-les-Vieux-Moulins - Besançon

The Via Francigena France 05, Perrancey-les-Vieux-Moulins to Besançon, is an approximately 120-km point-to-point pilgrimage trail in eastern France, crossing the Haute-Marne plateau and Franche-Comté with around 2,000 m of cumulative elevation gain across roughly five days. Rated moderate, it links the fortified town of Langres to the citadel city of Besançon through quiet farmland, river valleys and forest.

About the Via Francigena France 05, Perrancey-les-Vieux-Moulins - Besançon

This section belongs to the Via Francigena, the historic pilgrimage corridor that runs more than 2,000 km from Canterbury in England to Rome. The route was first documented in the year 990 by Sigeric, Archbishop of Canterbury, who recorded his return journey from Rome in 79 stages. Those stage notes became the backbone of the modern itinerary, and in 1994 the Council of Europe formally recognised the Via Francigena as a "Cultural Route," placing it alongside the Camino de Santiago as one of the continent's great walking pilgrimages.

Segment 05 in France begins at Perrancey-les-Vieux-Moulins, a small commune in the Haute-Marne just south of Langres, and ends in Besançon, the capital of the Doubs department in Franche-Comté. In France the Via Francigena was officially adopted as the GR 145 long-distance path in 2018 by the Fédération française de la randonnée pédestre, so walkers follow the familiar red-and-white GR waymarks along with the pilgrim's stylised wanderer logo. The route is coordinated internationally by the Associazione Europea delle Vie Francigene (AEVF), founded in Fidenza in 2001, which relocated its French offices to Besançon in May 2025 — making the city at the end of this stage the administrative heart of the French Francigena.

Unlike alpine sections farther south, this part of the trail is a gentle, contemplative walk. You cross the limestone plateau of the Langres watershed — a continental divide where rivers split toward the Atlantic, the Mediterranean and the North Sea — before descending into the valleys of the Salon, the Ognon and finally the Doubs. Expect rolling farmland, beech and oak woodland, sleepy stone villages and very few other hikers, which makes solitude one of the defining qualities of these 120 kilometres.

Historically, the corridor mattered far beyond pilgrimage. The Langres plateau guarded a strategic gap between the Paris basin and the Rhine, and the route you walk threads past Roman roads, medieval abbeys and the Vauban fortifications that culminate at Besançon. Walking it today is as much a journey through 1,500 years of French frontier history as it is a physical crossing — every village church, washhouse and stone cross along the GR 145 marks a waypoint that pilgrims have used for centuries. Because the segment sees only a fraction of the foot traffic of the Camino de Santiago, the experience remains intimate and unhurried, the kind of route where you greet farmers by name and hear cowbells rather than crowds.

Route Overview & Stages

The segment is most commonly walked in five stages of 20–27 km each. Distances are approximate and depend on accommodation availability, since villages here are spread out. The table below outlines a typical itinerary from Perrancey-les-Vieux-Moulins to Besançon.

Total walking distance comes to roughly 120 km with about 2,000 m of cumulative ascent. None of the climbs are sustained or steep; the elevation accumulates through repeated short ups and downs as the trail rolls across plateaus and dips into river valleys. The surface alternates between farm tracks, forest paths and short stretches of quiet rural lane, all clearly waymarked with GR 145 red-and-white flashes. Navigation is straightforward, but because shops and cafés are rare between the larger villages, treat each stage's end town as your only reliable resupply and plan food and water accordingly.

Highlights & Points of Interest

• Langres ramparts — a near-complete 3.5-km circuit of medieval and Renaissance walls with seven towers and twelve gates, ranking among the best-preserved fortified towns in France and an ideal warm-up before the stage begins.
• Lake of Charmes (Lac de la Liez region) — one of the four large reservoir lakes ringing Langres, offering open water views and birdlife within the first hours of walking.
• Champlitte — a handsome stone town that once hosted the AEVF's French headquarters, with a Renaissance château now housing the Musée départemental Albert et Félicie Demard.
• Salon valley vineyards — the gentle slopes around Dampierre-sur-Salon mark the northern edge of Franche-Comté wine country, where small producers still work the land.
• Forest of Gy — a large managed broadleaf forest crossed on quiet tracks, prized for its autumn colour and its 18th-century château on the village edge.
• Ognon river — a slow, willow-lined tributary of the Saône whose water meadows host herons and kingfishers; the crossing near Cussey-sur-l'Ognon is a tranquil mid-route landmark.
• Citadel of Besançon — Vauban's 17th-century fortress perched above a loop of the Doubs, inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008 and the dramatic finale of the segment.
• Besançon old town — the historic centre cradled in the Doubs meander, with its Roman Porte Noire, the cathedral of Saint-Jean and one of the oldest astronomical clocks in France.

Best Time to Hike the Via Francigena France 05, Perrancey-les-Vieux-Moulins - Besançon

The walking season runs from April to October. Spring brings green plateaus, wildflowers and full rivers, with daytime temperatures of 12–18 °C, though April can still be wet and muddy on the forest tracks. Summer (June to August) is warm at 22–28 °C and the trail is at its driest, but the open plateau sections offer little shade and the river valleys can feel humid. Autumn delivers the spectacular colours of the Forest of Gy, with cool, stable air through September and into mid-October.

The single best month is September: as of 2026 you get long settled days, daytime highs around 20 °C, dry and firm trail surfaces after the summer, thinner pilgrim traffic and harvest activity in the Salon vineyards. Winter is not recommended — short daylight, frequent fog on the Langres watershed and closed seasonal accommodation make logistics difficult between November and March 2026.

Practical Information

Accommodation

Lodging on this segment is a mix of pilgrim-oriented and standard rural options. Many villages offer a gîte d'étape or chambre d'hôtes (bed-and-breakfast) for roughly €35–€60 per person including breakfast. Dedicated pilgrim accommodation and parish-run accueil beds, where available, run about €15–€25, sometimes on a donation basis. In Langres and Besançon you will also find hotels from around €60––90 per night. Formal campsites are limited but present near Champlitte and the lakes around Langres, typically €10–€18 for a small tent; wild camping is tolerated only discreetly and with the landowner's permission. Because villages can be 20–25 km apart with no services, book gîtes a day or two ahead, especially on weekends.

Getting There & Back

The natural gateway to the start is Langres, 4 km north of Perrancey-les-Vieux-Moulins. The Culmont-Chalindrey station, about 8 km from Langres, sits on the Paris–Belfort line; from Paris Gare de l'Est the journey takes roughly 2 hours 45 minutes via TER and Intercités services. From the station a short taxi or bus transfer reaches the trailhead. At the finish, Besançon is exceptionally well connected: Besançon Franche-Comté TGV station links to Paris in about 2 hours 15 minutes, and the central Besançon-Viotte station serves regional trains toward Dijon and Switzerland. The nearest major airports are Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg (about 130 km) and Lyon-Saint-Exupéry (about 240 km).

Permits & Fees

No permit or entry fee is required to walk this section of the Via Francigena — the GR 145 is a public footpath open year-round and free to use. Pilgrims who want their credential (pilgrim passport) stamped can buy one for a few euros from the AEVF or partner associations and collect stamps at gîtes, churches and tourist offices along the way; the credential unlocks access to some lower-cost pilgrim lodging. The only unavoidable costs are accommodation, food and transport.

Gear & Packing List

This is a low-altitude, well-graded walk, so the priority is comfort over technical equipment. A lightweight 35–50 litre pack carried over five days keeps the load manageable; the Abisko Hike 35 suits travellers staying in gîtes who carry little, while the Atmos AG 50 gives room for camping kit and food between sparse villages. Ultralight pilgrims who want to shave weight should look at the 2400 Windrider, and our roundup of the best ultralight backpacks of 2026 compares the leading options head to head.

Bring waterproof footwear and a reliable rain shell — the forest tracks of Gy and the Salon valley turn muddy after rain even in summer. Pack at least two litres of water capacity, since plateau stages can run long without a shop or fountain. A sun hat is worth its weight on the exposed farmland sections. Because daily distances of 22–27 km burn serious energy, plan your food carefully; our guide to how many calories you need hiking a full day helps you carry enough fuel between resupply points, which are scarce on this route.

Similar Trails You Might Like

If the quiet, cultural character of the Francigena appeals, France offers several other long-distance routes that pair walking with heritage and landscape. The Chemin de Stevenson - Liaison 1 follows the writer's famous Cévennes journey, while the Sulle strade dei valdesi: GRV Glorioso Rimpatrio dei Valdesi traces a 325-km historical pilgrimage of its own. For something more mountainous, step up to the iconic Tour du Mont Blanc - Itinéraire principal, the rugged GR 20 Principale across Corsica, or the regional GR 105.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the best time to hike the Via Francigena France 05?
September is the single best month. After the summer the forest and farmland tracks are dry and firm, days remain long, and temperatures sit around a comfortable 20 °C. You also share the path with fewer pilgrims and pass through the Salon vineyards during harvest. April to October all work, but spring can be muddy and winter is best avoided.

How difficult is this section?
It is rated moderate and suits any reasonably fit walker. There is no technical terrain, no exposure and no high-altitude climbing — the roughly 2,000 m of total ascent accumulates through gentle rolling hills rather than steep passes. The main challenges are the long daily distances of 22–27 km and the scarcity of services, so navigation and self-sufficiency matter more than mountain skills.

How far do you walk each day?
Most walkers split the ~120 km into five stages averaging 22–27 km per day. Distances are dictated by where gîtes and villages fall, since accommodation can be 20–25 km apart. Stronger walkers may compress the route into four longer days, while those wanting a relaxed pace can add a rest day in Langres or Besançon at either end.

What accommodation is available along the way?
Expect gîtes d'étape and chambres d'hôtes at roughly €35–€60 per person with breakfast, plus a handful of cheaper pilgrim or parish beds at €15–€25. Langres and Besançon add hotels from €60––90. Campsites exist near Champlitte and the Langres lakes for €10–€18. Because options are sparse, reserve a day or two ahead, particularly at weekends.

Do I need a permit or pay any fees?
No permit is required and the GR 145 footpath is free to walk year-round. The only optional cost is a pilgrim credential (passport), which costs a few euros from the AEVF and lets you collect stamps and access some discounted pilgrim lodging. Otherwise you only pay for accommodation, food and transport to and from the trailheads.

For route authority and credentials see the official European Association of the Via Francigene Ways, and for French waymarking and GR 145 mapping consult the Fédération française de la randonnée pédestre. If you enjoy this kind of cross-border heritage walking, our Theth to Valbona trail guide offers another scenic single-stage classic to add to your list.