Vesoul Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids

Vesoul

Town Hall

Coat of arms

Vesoul

Location in France

Vesoul

Location in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté

Country

France

Region

Bourgogne-Franche-Comté

Vesoul-Est and Vesoul-Ouest

Intercommunality

Vesoul

Area

9.07 km² (3.50 sq mi)

Population

(2012)

15,637

• Density

1,724.0/km² (4,465.2/sq mi)

Time zone

UTC+01:00 (CET)

• Summer (DST)

UTC+02:00 (CEST)

INSEE/Postal code

70550 /70000

Elevation

213–375 m (699–1,230 ft)
(avg. 220 m or 720 ft)

¹ French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Vesoul is a town in France. It is the main city, also called the prefecture, of the Haute-Saône department. This department is part of the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in eastern France.

Exploring Vesoul's Location
Vesoul's Past: A Look at History
Culture and Fun in Vesoul
- Famous Places and Things to See
- Vesoul's Library: A Treasure of Books
Vesoul's Twin Town
Vesoul's Population
Images for kids
See also

Exploring Vesoul's Location

The Haute-Saône is a countryside area in France. It has five main towns. Vesoul is the most important one, as it is the prefecture. The other towns are Gray, Héricourt, Lure, and Luxeuil-les-Bains. Two rivers, the Durgeon and the Colombine, flow through Vesoul.

Vesoul's Past: A Look at History

Vesoul was first mentioned in a document from the year 899. This old paper talked about a hill with a fortified watchtower. It called the place "Castrum Vesulium." A "Castrum" was a type of fortification or fort. The word "Vesulium" has "ves" in it, which meant "hill" or "mountain" in a very old language spoken before the Celtic people arrived.

Today, a castle stands where the city began. The first homes were built inside the castle walls. As more people came, they built houses outside the walls, on the sides of the hill. Growing wine was a popular activity back then.

In 1814, after a big war, a new small country was formed. Vesoul became its capital. This new area was called the Free County of the Vosges and Porrentruy.

Today, a major car factory, PSA Peugeot Citroën, has one of its main plants near Vesoul.

Culture and Fun in Vesoul

Famous Places and Things to See

Vieux Vesoul (which means "Old Vesoul"): Here you can see buildings from the 15th, 16th, and 18th centuries. There is also the Garret Museum.
The Vesoul's Motte: This is the site of the old fortified hill.
The Sabot de Frotey site.
Vesoul-Vaivre lake: A beautiful lake to visit.
Vesoul-Vaivre Vélo-rail: You can ride a special bike on old train tracks here.
Saint Georges church: This church was built in the 18th century.
Convent of the Ursulines: This old building is from the 17th century.

Vesoul's Library: A Treasure of Books

The first public library in Vesoul opened in 1771. A kind abbot named Bardenet gave his collection of 1772 books to the town. The library's collection grew much larger during the Revolution. During this time, the revolutionaries took books from monasteries in Vesoul and even from other parts of the region. About 20,000 books were added this way, including some very old 11th century manuscripts (handwritten books). The Mayor's office was in charge of looking after these books.

In 1981, the local government decided to build a new building for the library. This was to encourage more people to read. The library now has computers for public use. It also holds around 200 manuscripts and 150 incunables (very early printed books).

Vesoul's Twin Town

Vesoul is connected to one other town through a special friendship called "twinning."

Gerlingen, Germany, since 1964.

Vesoul's Population

Vesoul is home to many people. In 2012, about 15,637 people lived there. The town's population has changed over the years, growing and shrinking at different times.