The best walks and hikes around Brans

It was through the Saint-Hilaire gate that, in 1477, the French soldiers of Louis XI invaded the town. Using the Trojan Horse ruse, Marshal de Craon brought carts filled with barrels and wheat from the villages of Mutigney and Chassey. The inhabitants of Pesmes allowed the carts to enter, and as soon as they passed through the gate, the soldiers appeared.

With its imperial bell tower typical of the Franche-Comté region, the Church invites you to travel back in time through its construction where the 13th, 14th and 16th centuries intertwine and offers you a journey through varied artistic influences: Burgundian, Comtois and Champenoise.

In Hans-Peter Kerkeling's book "Ich bin dann mal weg" (I'm Off Then), in which he describes his thoughts and experiences on the Way of St. James through northern Spain, which he walked in June/July 2001, the popular entertainer draws his own personal conclusion before returning from Santiago de Compostela. I would like to offer this final thought, likely matured over weeks on the Camino Frances, to the viewer of this small sacred monument in the form of a wayside cross: "God is the one individual who opens himself infinitely to liberate all. (...) The Creator throws us into the air, only to surprisingly catch us again at the end. It's like the exuberant game that parents play with their children. And the message is: Have faith in the one who throws you, because he loves you and, quite unexpectedly, will also be the catcher. And when I look back, God constantly threw me into the air and caught me again along the way. We met every day." (Hape Kerkeling in “I’m off then. My journey on the Way of St. James”)

Even though this small sacred monument is not located on the famous Way of St. James through northern Spain, in view of the wayside cross standing here, some thoughts by Hape (Hans-Peter) Kerkeling might be helpful as inspiration. The entertainer, who is particularly famous in Germany, walked the Camino Frances in 2001 and kept a diary, which was published under the title "Ich bin dann mal weg" (I'm off then). In it, he describes his personal encounter with God along the way as follows: "Yesterday, something inside me struck a huge gong. And the sound will reverberate. Sooner or later, this path shakes everyone to their very foundations. I know the sound will slowly fade, but if I listen carefully, I'll be able to hear this reverberation for a very long time to come."

In the Serre massif, a natural area perfect for mountain biking, the Hermitage cave is a curiosity that invites you to take a break. If erosion has given the rock its particular shape, the human hand has also intervened in the shaping of the cave.

Very nice walk in the forest of the greenhouse. Sometimes the path runs along the stream, very pleasant when it is hot Recommended

Founded in 1660, this group of buildings were dedicated to the metallurgical industry. Weapons were produced there and the quality of the steel from the Forges de Pesmes was recognized. The castle of the master of the Forges was built in 1778 and the surroundings embellished. at the end of the 19th century, the complex became a cutting factory then a hydroelectric power station the following century. Today they have a cultural vocation.

Pesmes is a medieval town in Comtoise, which became French in 1678, and which is recognized as one of the most beautiful villages in France. Castles, historic gates, Saint-Hilaire church built in particular in the 18th century, old residences of winegrowers and notables on the banks of the Ognon. You will find it difficult not to appreciate the charm of this village, indeed.