Charette-Varennes: Château, chapel and Doubs landscape

Charette-Varennes brings together two distinct settings: Charette lies on a small rise above the Doubs, while Varennes is situated between the D73 and a bend in the river. The Doubs thus shapes both Charette’s elevated position and the landscape around Varennes. Those interested in history and architecture will find several traces from different periods in the commune, along with signposted hiking trails and a landscape of rivers and ponds.

Château ensemble and traces of the past

The Domaine de Varennes at 2 rue de Bourgogne is an ensemble of a château and chapel. The Château de Varennes was partly built in 1810 and extended and completed in the 1840s. The Domaine’s chapel was built between 1913 and 1923 as a small Neo-Romanesque brick building. The ensemble therefore brings together different phases of construction. The Domaine is partially listed as a historic monument; the chapel is fully protected. This protection was established by a decree dated 8 June 2021.

Another trace of the past is the former Château de Charette. It may date from the 14th or early 15th century. The buildings have disappeared, but the motte and water-filled moats remain. The site can therefore be understood through the traces still visible in the landscape, although no buildings of the château remain.

The church and the Monument de la Vierge also tell the story of the area. The church dates from the mid-18th century and has an adjoining chapel on Route de Pierre. The Monument de la Vierge in Rue de la Chapelle commemorates a chapel that was once built on the banks of the Doubs, destroyed by the river, and later rebuilt as an extension of the church. These two building histories show different relationships between religious buildings and the river.

The Doubs, ponds and natural environment

Charette-Varennes is part of the ZNIEFF “Basse vallée du Doubs et réseau d'étangs au sud” and is one of the five communes included in the Natura 2000 site “Les prairies inondables de la Basse vallée du Doubs jusqu’à l’amont de Navilly”. The landscape along the Doubs includes alluvial forests, gravel banks, oxbow lakes, artificial waters formed by gravel extraction, marshes, and dry and wet floodplain meadows. South of Charette, outlying settlements lie among ponds and forests; the Guyotte flows through this area.

The riverside woodland in the Natura 2000 sites of the lower Doubs valley provides a habitat for the Eurasian beaver and also enables the black kite to settle there. The ponds in this landscape provide nesting sites for western marsh harriers, purple herons and cattle egrets. These details describe the diverse habitats of the lower Doubs valley and add to the picture of the commune’s waterways and wetlands.

Hiking, fishing and regional cuisine

Signposted hiking trails follow land consolidation paths and cross fields. Route-specific details may change locally; check the relevant information for your trip. Fishing is possible at various locations along the Charetelle, the Guyotte and the Doubs. Be sure to check fishing regulations and conditions separately. There is also a facility on the banks of the Doubs for launching fishing boats; local access conditions may change as well.

A parachute drop took place at the World War II parachute-drop site on 25 June 1944. The site is freely accessible year-round; check current conditions before your visit. For a culinary addition, the Doubs Rivage restaurant serves regional cuisine. Its dishes include fried fish, frog legs, game, zander, Bresse poultry, Charolais beef and snails. The menu may change.

Discover more destinations: Saint-Germain-Du-Bois, Saint-Aubin-Sur-Loire, Artaix, Sagy, Charnay-Lès-Mâcon, Trambly, Romenay, Hurigny.

For the broader travel overview: Saône-Et-Loire.