Culture and History
The Église Saint-Pierre-ès-Liens de Balaives was built in 1888 through donations from the Borderel couple, the owners of the Château de Sault opposite. A 1306 directory mentions it as a branch church of the Étrépigny parish; in 1871, it became a branch church. The building has an elongated floor plan and is in the Neo-Romanesque style.
Renting a holiday apartment in Balaives-et-Butz can be part of your travel planning.
The Église Saint-Loup de Butz has two apsidal chapels, which were built in 1633 between the choir and the nave. The nave and choir may date back to the Middle Ages. The western portal was remodelled in the 18th century, and the nave was renovated in the 19th century; repairs may have been carried out in 1869.
The history of the Ancienne usine Vynex includes its location on the site of a fulling mill with a waterwheel, built in the 18th century. In 1920, Charles-Aimé Baudet, with the support of his son René, bought the site in order to establish a small celluloid mould factory there. The company operating on the site adopted the name Vynex in the 1950s and diversified into wholesale trade, as well as hardware and DIY products.
The historic site of Abbaye d'Élan is located in the immediate vicinity of Balaives-et-Butz. The wider region around Balaives-et-Butz is home to the Palais des Princes château, Château fort castle, Mont Damion hill and the Monument aux morts de 1870.
Hiking
The SOURCES EN FORET D ELAN hiking route starts at the car park of the Balaives-et-Butz town hall. It climbs to the Cinq Cents viewpoint and follows the Ruisseau de Butz valley to its source in the hamlet of Butz.
Further local pages for comparison: Nouart, Machault, Girondelle, Les Mazures, Saint-Laurent, Buzancy, Bourg-Fidèle, Semuy.
