Baume-les-Dames

Welcome to Baume-les-Dames: for a peaceful stroll, a stopover or a stay! In the heart of the Doubs and Cusancin valleys, the peace and quiet of the town will appeal to travellers in search of rest, right in the middle of a Heritage City, with its villages in the Comtois style and a generous nature.
The town takes its name from the caves that surround it, as illustrated by the Celtic root of the name baume (balma). Then, les Dames reminds us of the abbey of noble canonesses, founded by Saint Germain, bishop of Besançon in 400 AD. This abbey became the symbol of the city’s prosperity over the centuries.
Today, in the Pays Baumois, the tourist palette is well stocked: there is something for everyone! Discovering the cultural heritage, hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking and cycling are all leisure activities in which you can flourish. Nature in the area is a gift for fishing and climbing enthusiasts. In short, to each his own rhythm in this country animated by festive events throughout the year which give it its convivial dimension, without forgetting the pleasure of spending a good moment at one of the good restaurants in the area!
In a picturesque setting, dotted with hills and sprinkled with old stones, you can walk along the towpaths, hike at your own pace or simply contemplate the work of time through the astonishing Fente de Babre or the robust Roche de Châtard, the surprising Fauteuil de Gargantua and the famous Saut de Gamache.
Here you will pass through villages where the houses are delicately nestled around small churches and fountains.
In Baume-les-Dames, you will enter the historic heart of the village to capture the special spirit that reigns there: a slightly feminine note left by the lady canonesses before leaving the abbey.
But also, a loving and tender atmosphere has crept into the streets and alleys so that the visitor can let himself go and discover a rich past, which blends very well with the modern and dynamic little town that is Baume-les-Dames today.
Thanks to the support of Gaétan Nozet, the Schad’s sculpture is located on the banks of the Doubs river, where Jouffroy d’Abbans carried out his first navigation tests. And it’s there, a few blocks from the Gondé basin, that he created the first pyroscaphe. An abbess of the abbey of Baume-les-Dames, also manager of the Moulins de Cour, supported him. His boat - The Palmipède, a 13-metre boat propelled by articulated oars driven by a fire pump - was built with the help of a Baume boilermaker. It was the first steamboat to sail successfully, in 1778. A place of life and sharing, the site hosts various popular events such as the agricultural show or the funfair on the first weekend in July. A central point at the crossroads of the greenway, the leisure area and the town centre, at the water’s edge, along the Nantes-Budapest Eurovéloroute, it is a must for travellers and Baumois alike!

Municipality of Baume-les-Dames
www.baumelesdames.org