A historic village on the Ognon river, picturesque Pesmes is approached via an avenue of 100-year-old plane trees, its 17th-century castle reflected in the calm waters. Coveted in the middle ages for its strategic position between Gray on the River Saône and regional capital Dole, it was by turns Frankish, Germanic, Burgundian and Spanish, before becoming French in the reign of Louis XIV (1643–1715).
The village bears witness to this rich past: winemakers’ houses line the stone streets, and the 13th-century church of Saint-Hilaire has an impressive bell tower with a multicoloured tiled roof. There’s also a ruined castle and two medieval gateways. The 17th-century forge, operational until 1993, is now a museum.
