Airport Besancon La Veze (LFQM) IFR

Pretty area and nice approach. At La Vèze you can do customs with PPR (for flights from or to Switzerland; flights to and from the UK are not possible at all). ULs generally require PPR here. Lots of parachute operations (PC-6). The field is a textbook, almost perfect aerodrome: long, first-class asphalt runway, IFR approach, 24-hour operation thanks to PCL. All that even without AFIS on weekends. Avgas and Jet are self-service by credit card, works flawlessly. 100LL is a tad on the pricey side. Parking: if you’re staying longer, don’t park directly at the fence, but either on the grass edge between the fuel station and the hangar or on the grass edge in front of the aerodrome building. Landing fee €13. No one could say what parking actually costs, because the aerodrome administration isn’t there on weekends; it’s reportedly quite expensive, but they apparently waive it on weekends. Drinks are available at the flight school. The restaurant "Le Vézois" (closed on Mondays) is an 18-minute walk according to Google and makes a very good impression—but we didn’t try it. Only downside of the field: no public transport. Uber came after 15 minutes (from town) and costs just under €30 to the old town.

The appealing capital of Franche-Comté, Besançon, lies in the center of the region and is well worth a visit. It has just under 120,000 inhabitants and sits in a loop of the river Doubs. During the Roman Empire it played an important role under the name Vesontio. In particular, you can walk or cycle almost entirely along the Doubs around the old town. The latter is characterized by some splendid townhouses from the 16th and 17th centuries and, of course, numerous churches. There are also several preserved Roman-era structures, notably the Porte Noire and the adjacent Square Castan. The absolute highlight of the city is, of course, the Vauban-designed citadel towering above the city center. This huge structure, almost 150 meters above the city, is its landmark and the most visited site in all of Franche-Comté. The city is also very green; personally, I particularly liked Parc Micaud on the east bank of the Doubs and Square Granvelle in the middle of the old town. Food tip for those who like old-school restaurants as much as I do: "Poker d’As", near the very beautiful Square Saint-Amour. A very decent hotel is the Hotel Best Western Citadelle.

Next morning departed on an IFR flight plan, called Bâle Info (135.850) right after takeoff, and we were picked up immediately.