Franche Comte / Doubs Region
Dole / Port Sur Saone Base Information
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Dole ancient capital of Comté, doorway to the Jura and birthplace of Pasteur, situated in the heart of a marvellous region gifted with one of the most beautiful navigation areas offering a very large choice of cruising: le canal du Rhône to the Rhin (in fact it's the Doubs) with Besançon and citadel of Vauban, Baume les Dames, the charm of Comtois villages and market towns, wild beauty of fauna and flora in the superb deeply embanked valleys. You can cruise upstream one way to Port sur Saône or the Burgundy canals beyond Saint-Jean-de-Losne.

Port Sur Saone Base
Nicols welcome you on board your self-drive canal boat leaving from our base at Port Sur Saône. A winding, wide and calm river, the Saône is dotted with typical waterside villages, each brimming with architectural treasures :
- Port sur Saône, village with Gallo-Roman origins,
- Gray and its fortified castle,
- Renaissance structures in Mantoche,
- Castles in Ray sur Saône and Scey sur Saône,
- Wash houses and fountains at Ray and Beaujeu Saint Vallier,
- Not forgetting unusual curios such as the St Albin tunnel, the turning bridge at Selles...

Dole Base
The town of Dole, famous for its art and history, was home to the first self-drive canal boat hire base that Nicols opened in France in 1991. It provides a remarkable setting to get on board your barge and fall under the spell of the Franche Comté region. The port of Dole is located at the foot of the old town where you can visit the Notre-Dame Collegiate (16th century Basilica), birthplace of Louis Pasteur and Hôtel Dieu (17th century)…

Travelling down the Doubs, your trip will take you along the river's winding bends, navigating through a superb steep-sided valley plush with fauna and flora: the Osselles caves (the oldest caves open to the public in France), Besançon and its Vauban citadel, Baume les Dames and many other villages and towns provide numerous must-see stops.

The attractions :
A crossroads of rivers for an exceptional choice of cruises, delicious cheeses and wines, wild beauty of a still intact nature.

Available Bases in France