The Falaises et érablières de la Côte oxfordienne protected area covers 58.48 hectares and extends across Andelot-Blancheville and Chantraines. It is predominantly wooded; maple stands on boulder fields and locally well-developed rock vegetation shape its landscape. The contrast between the extensive woodland and the locally developed rocky areas makes the landscape more varied than a uniform forest setting.
Nature Reserve and Hiking Trails
A hiking trail crosses the protected area in Chantraines and Blancheville; the area is also used by walkers. Both the landscape features and its use for walks are therefore part of the area's natural character.
Routes with Different Time Estimates
The Les sites néolithiques - PR N°86 loop is 15 kilometers long and starts and ends in Chantraines. It leads to Briaucourt and returns to Chantraines via a former railway line. The route is rated difficult for hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding. It takes five hours on foot, two and a half hours by mountain bike and three and a half hours on horseback. The mountain-bike time is one hour shorter than the riding time; the walking time of five hours is considerably longer. Check the route information before setting out.
Briaucourt appears in two different route descriptions: on the 15-kilometer PR N°86 loop, which returns to Chantraines via a former railway line, and as the destination on the 13-kilometer round trip by Cyclo-rail.
Cyclo-rail and Nature Themes
The Cyclo-rail des 3 Vallées offers an 11-kilometer round trip from Chantraines to Andelot and a 13-kilometer round trip from Chantraines to Briaucourt. Both distances include the outward and return journeys; the route to Briaucourt is therefore two kilometers longer. The Cyclo-rail des Trois Vallées is an activity near Andelot-Blancheville. Visitors cycle along a former railway line through preserved landscapes; the starting point is in Chantraines. Specific operating details may change, so check them before your visit.
An arboretum has been established along the Chantraines–Andelot route. There is also a heritage orchard at Chantraines station, dedicated to pome fruit. The arboretum along the route and the orchard focused on pome fruit at the station thus represent two different botanical themes.
A Church with Several Building Phases
The Eglise Notre-Dame-en-sa-Nativité de Chantraines also tells a story of construction in several stages. The choir dates from the 12th century, though it was later given a new vault. The nave and the slate-roofed bell tower built against the north side of the nave were constructed in the 18th century. The choir therefore combines an earlier origin with a later alteration, while the nave and tower belong to a separate building phase. Anyone interested in architectural history can use these chronological differences as a concrete way to understand the church, rather than reducing it to a single century.
Discover more destinations: Villiers-Sur-Suize, Vignes-La-Côté, Haute-Amance, Andelot-Blancheville, Neuilly-l'Évêque, Dancevoir, Champigny-sous-Varennes, Bourmont
For the overview of the wider region: Haute-Marne.
