A lock gate closes, the water rises gently, and time seems to stretch out. In Ouges, on the Burgundy Canal, the port call feels like an interlude: a village on the plain 7 or 8 km south of Dijon, grain fields as far as the eye can see, three wash houses, a church built by the monks of Cîteaux and two locks that bear its name. Cruise barges stop here between Dijon and the Saône, and passengers discover a grain-growing countryside that maps of the vineyards often forget.

A village shaped by monks

The history of Ouges fits in a few lines that go back a long way: the estate, once called Olgea, belonged to a viscount of Dijon before being handed over to the monks of Cîteaux Abbey, lords of the place until the Revolution. From this long monastic tutelage remains the village church, whose choir, topped by an imposing bell tower, is said to have been built in the 13th century by the monks. The building stands in the centre of the village, surrounded by Burgundian farms with large carriage gateways.

A tour of the wash houses

Ouges preserves three wash houses, each in a different style, which make for a lovely walk through the village streets. The one on Rue de la Fontaine, built in 1850 and restored, is recognizable by its slate roof supported by two columns. On the central square, the 1843 stone wash house lines up five large classical arches. The third, all in wood and of rustic simplicity, hides in the hamlet of Petit-Ouges, near the waterway. These basins where washerwomen once beat laundry tell of everyday life of old better than any museum.

Locks 61 and 62, memory of the canal

The Burgundy Canal, 242 km long between the Yonne and the Saône, crosses the municipality via two locks known as Grand-Ouges and Petit-Ouges. The second holds a curiosity: in the vaulted cellar of the lock keeper's house, a small museum is devoted to the canal, its workers and the boating of yesteryear. Here you grasp what this water highway, carrying wood, stone and wine to Paris, represented in the 19th century. Today, pleasure boaters have replaced the bargemen, and lock keepers still operate the gates before the eyes of strollers. The lock keepers' houses, with their vegetable gardens and painted shutters, punctuate the route like so many little freshwater stations.

The towpath, on foot or by bike

From the mooring, the towpath runs straight between two rows of trees, frequented by cyclists, anglers and pairs of mallards. The Dijon plain unrolls its crops, punctuated by bell towers; in the distance, on clear days, the wine-growing slopes can be glimpsed. An hour's walk in either direction is enough to understand the charm of Burgundy's canals: a geometry of calm water laid over the countryside. You will meet more bikes than cars, and conversations start easily from one bank to the other.

The dukes' capital close at hand

Several cruise itineraries combine the stop at Ouges with a visit to nearby Dijon. The former capital of the Dukes of Burgundy deserves every minute: the Palace of the Dukes, the Baltard-style market halls, the owl on Rue de la Chouette to stroke with your left hand while making a wish, and mustard shops where you can put together your own jars. Depending on the program, the excursion is made by motorcoach or by bike along the towpath.

In the evening, when the frogs begin their concert and the line of poplars darkens, Ouges returns to its silence. You will have walked between three wash houses, a Cistercian church and two locks; few monuments, a great deal of gentleness. The Burgundy of the bargemen fits entirely into that one evening.