Charentenay: Church, Nature and Hiking Trails

Charentenay can be explored through two specific themes: the Church of Saint-Laurent in the village center and a ZNIEFF area with significant bat populations. The “de l’Ardille” trail begins in front of the village sports field; the “du bois Joly” hiking trail starts at the town hall in Migé. These different starting points and the stated tour details give you a clear framework if you want to plan your stay around architecture, nature or hiking.

The Church of Saint-Laurent in the Village Center

The Church of Saint-Laurent stands in the center of Charentenay. Its tall, fortified square tower has sturdy buttresses and is topped by small turrets. The square structure gives the tower a clear basic shape; the buttresses emphasize its solid appearance, while the turrets mark its uppermost section. The interplay of these elements makes the tower the church’s architectural focal point. Visitors interested in church architecture can make this specific building the centerpiece of their visit to the village.

Natural Environment and Bats

The ZNIEFF area “Ensemble de carrières à Merry-le-Sec, Thury, Aubigny, Molesmes, Charentenay, Courson-les-Carrières, Champoux” includes the municipality of Charentenay and covers 874.13 hectares. Its features include seven underground networks, characteristic woodlands of the limestone plateaus and patches of dry grassland. The area thus encompasses both underground structures and different types of vegetation.

The underground quarry complex plays an important functional role in Burgundy as a hibernation site for bats. The combined populations of all bat species exceed 5,500 individuals. In Charentenay, the area is regionally the largest site for the greater mouse-eared bat and is also important for the greater horseshoe bat. Its natural significance can therefore be seen both in its habitats and in its importance for these two species.

Under the Habitats Directive, the area is part of the Natura 2000 network, where it is named “CAVITES A CHAUVES SOURIS EN BOURGOGNE”. For travelers interested in nature, Charentenay offers several specific aspects side by side: underground networks, limestone plateau woodlands, dry grassland and bat hibernation.

Hiking Trails and Planning Your Time

The “de l’Ardille” hiking trail begins in front of Charentenay’s sports field. It is 6 km long, with a stated walking time of one and a half hours. The route passes through the Vau de Givry toward the pine forests and continues into the Bois de Couarde, a forest of oaks, birches and other tree species. The distance and stated walking time will help you fit this trail into your daily plans. As local conditions can change, check the current state of the trails before setting out.

The “du bois Joly” hiking trail starts at the town hall in Migé and is 13.3 km long; the walking time is about three hours. Along the way, it passes fields, cherry orchards and vineyards. In terms of time, the stated walking time is about twice as long as for the “de l’Ardille” trail. The starting points also differ: one is in front of Charentenay’s sports field, the other at the town hall in Migé.

If you are looking for a hotel for your stay in Charentenay, the village church, bat area and hiking trails can appeal to different interests in the destination. When planning, consider whether you are most interested in the architecture in the village center, the ecological features or a route with a specific distance and walking time.

Discover more destinations: Monéteau, Lindry, Merry-La-Vallée, Sens, Saint-Clément, Chemilly-Sur-Yonne, Vallery, Lucy-sur-Yonne.

For the broader travel overview: Yonne.