First pick
Bois d'Allant
Wood or forest · 60 m outside the commune
47 ha
3 km eastfrom the center
Directionsto a point inside
16%of the land protected
Outdoors in Branges · protected areas, woods and footpaths
Almost every home in Branges is within 800 m of a park or wood
9 km of footpaths cross Branges (0.4 km per km²). Protected areas cover 16% of Branges’ land. Mapped woodland covers 14% of Branges. France has no Outdoors Grade yet: these are the figures, each beside the compared towns’ median.
Protected areas
16%
of the commune’s land
Compared town: 0.1%
Woodland
14%
of the land, mapped on OpenStreetMap
Compared town: 13%
Footpaths
8.7 km
0.4 km per km²
Compared town: 1.7 km per km²
Hiking routes
0.3 km
waymarked, GR and others
Compared town: 0.3 km per km²
Parks & woods
10
named, in or within 400 m of the commune
First: Bois d'Allant
Throughout this page, the Saône-et-Loire median and the France median are the median of compared communes (those with an overall grade), each figure its own median.
Against French towns
How Branges compares with French towns
Each figure against the 3,798 compared French towns (communes with an overall grade): the marked bar is the town’s, the line the median. Described, not graded.
Protected areas16%Share of the land in a national park, regional nature park, nature reserve or Natura 2000 site
76out of 100
Woodland14%Share of the land mapped as forest or woods on OpenStreetMap
51out of 100
Footpaths0.4 km per km²Km of mapped footpath and track open on foot, per km² of the commune
8out of 100
Hiking routes0 km per km²Km of waymarked hiking routes (GR and others), per km² of the commune
25out of 100
Percentiles among compared French towns; ties count half.
Towns its size
Branges has the 10th fewest footpaths per km² of 41 towns its size
The 40 compared French towns nearest in population (2,386 to 2,582 residents), by km of footpath per km². Hover for each one’s protected land and woods; click for its page.
From École-Valentin (3.9 km per km²) to Bouligny (0.1 km per km²).
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Paths (km/km²) | Woodland | Protected | Coast | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | École-Valentin Doubs | 3.9 | 16% | 0% | 405 km |
| 2 | Sainte-Foy-la-Grande Gironde | 3.7 | 0% | 8.7% | 66 km |
| 3 | Mers-les-Bains Somme | 3.5 | 10% | 100% | On it |
| 4 | Villejust Essonne | 2.4 | 4.4% | 0% | 160 km |
| 5 | Sainte-Feyre Creuse | 2.1 | 30% | 0% | 222 km |
| 6 | Camiers Pas-de-Calais | 2 | 30% | 32% | On it |
| 7 | Sain-Bel Rhône | 1.9 | 12% | 0% | 253 km |
| 8 | La Rivière-Saint-Sauveur Calvados | 1.8 | 14% | 29% | On it |
| 9 | Fareins Ain | 1.8 | 8.8% | 0.1% | 279 km |
| 10 | Entzheim Bas-Rhin | 1.7 | 1.5% | 0% | 449 km |
| 11 | Mornas Vaucluse | 1.5 | 35% | 5% | 84 km |
| 12 | Watten Nord | 1.4 | 24% | 100% | 18 km |
| 13 | Rantigny Oise | 1.4 | 18% | 0% | 109 km |
| 14 | Beautor Aisne | 1.3 | 3.6% | 40% | 133 km |
| 15 | Conques-sur-Orbiel Aude | 1.3 | 8.1% | 0% | 60 km |
| 16 | Barcelonnette Alpes-de-Haute-Provence | 1.3 | 46% | 100% | 91 km |
| 17 | Granges-Aumontzey Vosges | 1.1 | 70% | 90% | 436 km |
| 18 | Cattenom Moselle | 1.1 | 37% | 0% | 308 km |
| 19 | Prayssac Lot | 1 | 42% | 0% | 151 km |
| 20 | Chatte Isère | 0.7 | 24% | 0% | 190 km |
| 21 | Arelaune-en-Seine Seine-Maritime | 0.7 | 69% | 100% | 29 km |
| 22 | La Croix-en-Touraine Indre-et-Loire | 0.7 | 24% | 0% | 199 km |
| 23 | Criel-sur-Mer Seine-Maritime | 0.7 | 4.9% | 7% | On it |
| 24 | Lusignan Vienne | 0.7 | 17% | 0% | 97 km |
| 25 | Avelin Nord | 0.6 | 6.1% | 0% | 72 km |
| 26 | Civray Vienne | 0.5 | 19% | 0% | 101 km |
| 27 | Le Cailar Gard | 0.4 | 2% | 68% | 17 km |
| 28 | Vervins Aisne | 0.4 | 1.1% | 0% | 164 km |
| 29 | Port-Sainte-Foy-et-Ponchapt Dordogne | 0.4 | 13% | 2.1% | 65 km |
| 30 | Frans Ain | 0.4 | 4% | 0% | 275 km |
| 31 | Toucy Yonne | 0.4 | 24% | 0% | 288 km |
| 32 | Branges Saône-et-Loire | 0.4 | 14% | 16% | 354 km |
| 33 | Auxi-le-Château Pas-de-Calais | 0.3 | 25% | 1% | 31 km |
| 34 | Vivy Maine-et-Loire | 0.3 | 15% | 100% | 140 km |
| 35 | Nogent-sur-Vernisson Loiret | 0.2 | 46% | 0.3% | 249 km |
| 36 | Eymet Dordogne | 0.2 | 8.6% | 0.4% | 86 km |
| 37 | Athies-sous-Laon Aisne | 0.2 | 8.9% | 0% | 159 km |
| 38 | Val-de-Scie Seine-Maritime | 0.1 | 18% | 0% | 23 km |
| 39 | Noyen-sur-Sarthe Sarthe | 0.1 | 28% | 0% | 126 km |
| 40 | Chalamont Ain | 0.1 | 20% | 69% | 284 km |
| 41 | Bouligny Meuse | 0.1 | 8.4% | 0% | 293 km |
The map
Parks, woods, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park or wood. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is the commune’s boundary.
Green: parks, gardens and woods mapped on OpenStreetMap, named or not.© OpenStreetMap contributors · INPN / PatriNat · IGN
Places to walk
Parks and woods to walk in, in and around Branges
Named parks, gardens and woods in the commune or within 400 m, the biggest and best-pathed first: Bois d'Allant leads, at 47 ha. Directions go to a point inside.
Les Grandes Touppes
Wood or forest · 180 m outside the commune
12 ha
4.5 km westfrom the center
Directionsto a point inside
La Forêt
Wood or forest · 150 m outside the commune
9.5 ha
4.2 km south-westfrom the center
Directionsto a point inside
Bois de Chize
Wood or forest
3.5 ha0.3 km of path
3.1 km north-eastfrom the center
Directionsto a point inside
All 10 named parks, gardens and woods
Bois d'AllantWood or forest · 47 ha · just outside
DirectionsLes ClouseauxWood or forest · 20 ha
DirectionsLes Grandes TouppesWood or forest · 12 ha · just outside
DirectionsLa ForêtWood or forest · 9.5 ha · just outside
DirectionsLes CouttesWood or forest · 8.8 ha
DirectionsBois de la ChauxWood or forest · 7.1 ha
DirectionsBois de la BruyèreWood or forest · 6.7 ha
DirectionsBois de ChizeWood or forest · 3.5 ha · 0.3 km of path
DirectionsBois du BardetWood or forest · 4.8 ha
DirectionsSquare des AméricainsPark or garden · 0.5 ha · 0.1 km of path
DirectionsSource: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL): named parks, gardens and woods; sizes are the whole site.
Protected areas
16% of Branges lies in protected areas
The protected areas reaching the commune, and the nearest: national parks, regional nature parks, nature reserves and Natura 2000 sites.
Natura 2000 site
Basse vallée de la Seille
16% of the commune0.7 km from the center
Natura 2000 site
Dunes continentales, tourbière de la Truchère et prairies de la Basse Seille
16% of the commune0.7 km from the center
Share of the commune’s land
Any protected area16%
Natura 2000 site16%
Designations overlap (a regional park can hold a Natura 2000 site), so the rows don’t add up; the first counts each piece of land once.
16% of Branges’ land is protected, more than in 76% of compared French towns; the median compared town in Saône-et-Loire has 0%.
Source: INPN / PatriNat, protected areas July 2026, Natura 2000 December 2024; shares of IGN’s commune boundary.
Footpaths and woods
9 km of footpaths cross Branges
Paths, bridleways, steps and tracks open on foot, and waymarked hiking routes, mapped on OpenStreetMap inside the commune; woods are mapped forest and woodland, private woods included.
Footpaths
8.7 km
0.4 km per km²
Hiking routes
0.3 km
waymarked: 0 km per km²
Woodland
14%
about 3.5 km² of mapped woods
Km per km² of the commune · mapped on OpenStreetMap
BrangesSaône-et-Loire medianFrance median
Footpaths0.4
Hiking routes0
012 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
BrangesSaône-et-Loire medianFrance median
Woodland14%
0%50%100%
That is less than in 92% of compared French towns for footpaths per km², and for woodland more than in 51% of compared French towns. Hiking routes often follow paths and lanes already counted, so the two lengths overlap: don’t add them. Every home in Branges is within 800 m of a mapped park or wood, as in most French towns.
A named hiking route within 2 km
Other named walk
Circuit B3.2 km
Source: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), extracts of October 25, 2026 (Geofabrik).
When to get out
The best walking months in Branges: April and June to September
Météo-France’s 1991–2020 normals at Montpont, 8.8 km away, and the daylight at the town’s latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 15 to 30 °C and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 8.9 | 10.2 | 11.8 | 13.5 | 15.0 | 15.8 | 15.5 | 14.2 | 12.5 | 10.8 | 9.3 | 8.6 |
| High (°C) | 6 | 8 | 13 | 17 | 21 | 25 | 27 | 27 | 23 | 17 | 10 | 7 |
| Rain (mm) | 80 | 67 | 66 | 80 | 100 | 82 | 81 | 83 | 83 | 108 | 110 | 88 |
March is the driest month (66 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 27 °C). 110 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 65 nights a year. The climate in Branges →
Neighbors
Next to Branges
The nearest towns of 2,500 or more, colored by the share of their land in protected areas.
Louhans-ChâteaurenaudOuroux-sur-SaôneTournusSennecey-le-GrandSaint-MarcelMontmorotBranges
Under 1%1–10 %10–25 %25–50 %50 %+
| Town | Protected | Woodland | Paths (km/km²) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Branges | 16% | 14% | 0.4 |
| Louhans-Châteaurenaud 6,446 · 4.8 km | 1.1% | 19% | 0.9 |
| Ouroux-sur-Saône 3,214 · 19 km | 20% | 20% | 0.5 |
| Tournus 5,701 · 23 km | 6.5% | 9.6% | 0.4 |
| Sennecey-le-Grand 2,895 · 23 km | 0% | 33% | 0.3 |
| Saint-Marcel 6,211 · 25 km | 0% | 6% | 2 |
| Montmorot 3,261 · 27 km | 0% | 17% | 1.3 |
Sennecey-le-Grand is more wooded.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Protected areas. National-park cores, national parks’ outer areas, regional nature parks, nature reserves and Natura 2000 sites, from INPN. A national park’s core is strictly protected; its outer area and a regional park are charters between communes, not bans. Designations overlap, so the total counts each piece of land once.
- Woodland. Forest and woods as OpenStreetMap maps them, private woods included: woods nobody has mapped are missing, and a mapped wood isn’t necessarily open to walkers.
- Footpaths and hiking routes. Footpaths, bridleways, steps and tracks open on foot, then waymarked hiking routes (GR and others) measured apart. A route often follows a path or lane already counted: the two overlap. Paths nobody has mapped are missing.
- Green space nearby. The share of residents (INSEE’s 200 m grid) within 800 m, as the crow flies, of a mapped park, garden or wood edge. It measures nearness, not a way in. Guadeloupe and French Guiana have no grid: their pages say whether the town center is within 800 m.
- The coast. The straight-line distance from the town center to OpenStreetMap’s coastline, which follows the tide line into estuaries. A commune is on the coast when the coastline crosses its boundary.
- No grade yet. U.S. and UK towns have an Outdoors Grade; French towns don’t yet. Each figure is set beside the median of compared communes (those with an overall grade) in the département and in France, each figure its own median.
Questions about the outdoors in Branges
Is Branges in a national or regional nature park?
No, but 16% of its land is in a nature reserve or a Natura 2000 site.
Are there good walks in Branges?
OpenStreetMap maps 9 km of footpaths and tracks open on foot in the commune, 0.4 km per km² (the median compared town: 1.7 km per km²).
How much of Branges is woodland?
14% of the commune is mapped woodland, private woods included; the median compared French town has 13%.
Is Branges near the sea?
No: the coast is 354 km from the town center, as the crow flies.
When is the best time for walking in Branges?
April and June to September: long days, mild highs and little rain, from Météo-France’s 1991–2020 normals at the nearest suitable station.
Why is there no Outdoors Grade for French towns?
TownRatings grades the outdoors in the U.S. and the UK; the French figures are new and not graded yet. This page sets each one beside the median compared French town instead.
Sources: INPN / PatriNat (protected areas 2026, Natura 2000 2024) · © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL (paths, hiking routes, woods, coast, gardens) · INSEE, Filosofi 2021 200 m grid (residents) · IGN Admin Express (boundaries) · Météo-France normals 1991–2020 · Medians and percentiles: TownRatings, over compared French towns, updated November 8, 2026. Under the Licence Ouverte / Open Licence 2.0 (Etalab).
Contains public sector information under the Licence Ouverte / Open Licence 2.0 (Etalab): INSEE, DGFiP, the Interior Ministry’s statistics service (SSMSI), the Ministry of Education (DEPP), the Health Ministry’s statistics service (DREES) and the Housing Ministry (Carte des loyers). Commune boundaries: IGN Admin Express.