Benoisey is a quiet Burgundian village on the side of a beautiful valley leading down to the Burgundy Canal. There are many walks and bike rides.

The Burgundy canal flows through the valley as well as the River Brenne. It is a rural landscape with farmland and grazing Charolais cows.

Every French village has a cemetery. Local names in the village can be recognised as the population has been mainly static

Benoisey is in 3 main parts. This walk starts at one end of the village and you can look back to see it nestling in the hillside

Courcelles is th enext village. It has some wonderful buildings. Benoisey shares its church as there is only a bell tower but no church in Benoisey.

This remarkable building looks as if it belongs in a child's fairy tale! Maiden in distress calling from the turret!

As you travel towards the canal this is one of the beautiful but derelict old buildings that you see in most villages.

The canal has many locks. In the summer there are young lads who work them for the barges and boats.

Look out for wild life along the canal. You can sometimes see ragondins (coypus) or muskrats. In spring the bull frogs make a huge noise!

This is an ecluse or lock-keepers cottage.

As you travel along the canal back towards Benoisey, you can see the village on the hill

A few years ago the canal had rows of poplar trees on both sides all the way along this part. They nearly all got a disease and had to be chopped down. They are a great source for mistletoe at Christmas!

A typical bovine character!

Every season produces a wide variety of wild flowers. Cowslips are common but this was a sort of primrose.

Enjoy the walk back to the village by admiring the views!

The village of stone houses and tiled roofs

This is the Mairie and the village bell tower. It is rung at 12 midday on Saturdays

This stone cottage dates from 1840