Gray en Haute-Saône
When you arrive by the River Saône, the character town of Gray looks just like a picture postcard.
In a strategic location, on the borders of Burgundy and Franche-Comté, between the 2 regional capitals of Besançon and Dijon, the town of Gray is one of the main economic and urban centres of Haute-Saône.
Benefitting from its strategic situation on the Saône, the port of Gray quickly became the second port of Eastern France after Strasbourg in the Middle Ages.
Today the fine bourgeois houses along its quays illustrate the important port activity that developed in the town over centuries.
The town has many fine heritage buildings which can be seen on walking around the centre (guided tours are available by prior reservation). These include the Château-Musée Baron Martin, Basilica of Notre-Dame, Hôtel de Ville (town hall) with its glazed roof, the Italian-style theatre, Pharmacy of Hôtel-Dieu and Tour Saint-Pierre Fourier.
Gray has lots of steep narrow streets interspersed with steps leading from the upper town to the lower town and the peaceful banks of the Saône.
The town is a natural stopover for cyclo-tourists on the Echappée Bleue cycle route which runs for 140km along the Petite Saône.
Discover Haute-Saône with Gîtes de France Haute-Saône : Hill Notre-Dame du Haut - Chapelle de Ronchamp, L’Ognon and its character villages, Vesoul, River Saône.
