My beautiful village. Built on an ancient Gallo-Roman city, Port-sur-Saône is full of gems.

Port-sur-Saône, with its 3,000 inhabitants and located on the banks of the Saône, just 12 km from Vesoul, is accessible from the RN19. Thanks to its easy access since the creation of the bypass , the village benefits from a great attractiveness with a stable demographic for around ten years. If you want to take the time to discover its secrets, it is under our feet that you must take a look.

"It's a town located on a sensitive site," confides Jean Pepe, mayor since 2020. Port-sur-Saône was built on an ancient Roman city. Archaeological excavations , regularly conducted by the National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research (INRAP), have uncovered a Gallo-Roman villa in Magny, one of the largest ancient rural settlements recorded in Franche-Comté. Ruins attest that a Roman road crossed the village. A priceless heritage treasure, but one that very often delays the municipality's projects. "It's a constraint for development. On the other hand, there's nothing blocking it," says the mayor. "Recently, they found houses from the ^3rd and ^4th centuries, as well as a skeleton under the parking lot near the veterinarian."

Since January, the town hall has been undertaking renovation work on the city center, starting with the first phase, which concerns the eastern entrance. Before starting the work, time was needed to search for remains. In February 2025, excavations conducted by the National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research (INRAP) in the eastern part of the city led to the discovery of a wall from a Roman villa, evidence of social and economic activity at that time. "The creation of the Saône Canal also played a role in the change in the city's morphology," emphasizes the mayor.

Port-sur-Saône was renowned as a commercial hub, with a large part of its economy relying on its many mills, which were powered by the Saône. "The Petit brothers' mill was the second most productive in France in the ^20th century," says Jean Pepe, who adds that the mill was bought by the town hall to be used as social housing.

Its location on the banks of a Saône canal once made it a prime location for river trade. The Querret Bridge, named after Jean Querret, the renowned bridge engineer in Franche-Comté in the ^18th century, who rebuilt it after its collapse in 1734, is undoubtedly one of the oldest structures in the village. Recognizable by its 14 arches, it ensured the continuity of the major trade routes that crossed the region, and local lords took advantage of it to enrich themselves thanks to tolls. "It was a real crossroads with many merchant ships," confirms Jean Pepe. Today, Port-sur-Saône is best known for its marina, which welcomes many boats during the high season. The nearby Voie Bleue, also known as the V50, is a major tourist attraction.

It's also a town that shines through culture. First and foremost, the Saônexpo hall, inaugurated in 2004, hosts an eclectic program each year with theater, circus, dance, and comedy shows. The highlight of the summer, for the past thirty-five years, has been the Spectacles du Monde festival, which takes place this year from August 5 to 10. For a week, the town of Port-sur-Saône vibrates to the rhythm of folk groups. The opening and closing ceremonies always attract crowds, who come to watch the parade in the town center.