Vesoul (French pronunciation: [vəzul] ⓘ və-ZOOL) is a commune in the predominantly rural Haute-Saône department, of which it is the prefecture, or capital, in the region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté located in eastern France.

Built on top of the hill of La Motte in the first millennium under the name of Castrum Vesulium,[citation needed] the city gradually evolved into a European commercial and economic center.

At the end of the Middle Ages, the city experienced a challenging period beset with plagues, epidemics, and localized conflict.

Castrum is a fortification, and "Vesulium" has the syllable ves which meant hill or mountain in a language that was spoken before the Celts.

Vesoul is located in the eastern part of France, about 100 kilometers away from the Germany and the Switzerland border and between the Jura and the Vosges's mountain ranges.

Vesoul station is on the SNCF Paris–Mulhouse railway line, and has connections with Paris, Belfort, Mulhouse and Chaumont.

The town is also mentioned facetiously in the satirical rap Fous ta cagoule by Michael Youn.

The city has 1,200 students divided between an IUT, an IUFM, an Institute of Nursing Training, a School of Management and Commerce and BTS.

A Council of Student Life (CVE), led by the Officer in charge of Higher Education, was established in 2011.

The abbé (abbot) Bardenet, superior of the Saint-Esprit hospital in Besançon, gave his book collection to the town.