Benon is located in the Parc Naturel Régional du Marais poitevin. Extensive forests and natural habitats shape the land cover; the Forêt de Benon brings this landscape character particularly to life. For travelers who want to include nature in their explorations, the forest is a particular highlight. The Église Saint-Pierre and the Tour des Six Sots add two named buildings to this picture. Forest trails and buildings therefore stand alongside each other as distinct themes to consider when planning a visit.

Forest Landscape and Protection

The Forêt de Benon covers 3,300 hectares and is predominantly a deciduous forest. Downy oaks are the main species, alongside ash and maple trees. The area figure gives a sense of the forest’s size, while the tree species define the character of the deciduous woodland. The part of the Forêt de Benon that belongs to the département is protected as a wildlife and hunting reserve and designated as an “Espace Naturel Sensible.” These protection designations apply to this part of the forest. The expansive forest landscape and a specifically designated protected area thus stand alongside each other.

Hiking Trails in the Forêt de Benon

Two named trails pass through the Forêt de Benon and differ in length. The “Balade forestière à Benon” is a 4.5-kilometer shaded walking trail. The Promenade des Pins also passes through the forest and is almost two kilometers long. This makes the Promenade des Pins the shorter route; the Balade forestière is more than twice as long and is additionally described as shaded. The comparison gives a sense of the different route lengths and highlights another feature of the longer trail.

Landscaped Areas in the Forest

In the 1990s, a 130-hectare promenade area and an arboretum were created in the Forêt de Benon. An arboretum is a collection of trees, and is therefore a different kind of landscaped feature from an extensive promenade area. The 130 hectares refer to the promenade area; the Forêt de Benon itself covers 3,300 hectares. This means that a landscaped area and the entire forest are compared at different scales. The date refers to the creation of the promenade area and the arboretum.

Église Saint-Pierre and Its Furnishings

The Église Saint-Pierre has an altarpiece and a carved wooden tabernacle. An altarpiece is a structure behind or above an altar; a tabernacle is a liturgical shrine. The terms refer to two distinct elements of the church’s furnishings: the structure at the altar and the separate shrine. The tabernacle’s wood and carved decoration add specific details about its design. Visitors interested in sacred furnishings can thus distinguish between the two objects.

Visiting the Tour des Six Sots

The visiting arrangements for the Tour des Six Sots are clearly limited: admission is free, but it can only be viewed from the outside. Plan to see it from outside and check the latest access information before your visit.

Discover more destinations: Croix-Chapeau, Bourcefranc-Le-Chapus, Aulnay, Port-D'envaux, Saint-Georges-D'oléron, Saint-Sauvant, Les Portes-En-Ré, Montendre

For the regional travel overview: Charente-Maritime.