IN the small museum at Saint-Brisson in the heart of Burgundy stands a man (well, a manikin) dressed head to toe in Second World War SAS garb, a rifle slung on his back, a knife strapped to his lower right leg.

Nearby stands a member of Le Resistance, likewise with a rifle on his back, and roll-up cig in his mouth. Over in the corner is a parachute tangled in a tree.

The walls are adorned with old photos of leaders of the Resistance, both men and women. Most died in 1943 or 1944. There are recordings of survivors' accounts; tales of hunger, fear and courage.

This picturesque, rural region of France, 150 miles south east of Paris, was clearly a hive of Resistance activity back then, with groups of fighters setting up hidden camps in the forests, plotting against the occupying Nazis.

Looking out into the distance, it's easy to imagine parachutes drifting in the blue sky, carrying supplies for the secret brigades, or SAS heroes dropping in to lend specialist aid.

Saint-Brisson is a small rural tourist centre based on the grounds of an old commune deep in the wine-rich Morvan Regional Nature Park - 3,000 square kilometres of beauty inhabited by only 74,000 people.

The land and buildings (built over 200 years ago by an Englishman as it happens) were bought by the state in 1975 to house the park's administration and create an exhibition and tourism space.

Francois Mitterrand, the former French President and himself a member of Le Resistance, was involved in opening its museum, creating a memorial to those who fought the good fight in this part of his country.

It's an educational centre and nature reserve, too.

Moreover, being in the vast eastern-central French countryside, it's a centre-point of a virtual heaven for hikers, cyclists, horseriders and other outdoorsy types - which is the reason we're there.

A few days' walking is what's on our agenda, put together by the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté Tourisme organisation, with Saint-Brisson effectively being our starting point, adding context and history to the scenery and landscape we are to enjoy.

There are more than 5,000km of trails in the Morvan Regional Park, all marked and mapped, all rather lovely. And all not that far away, flying with Jet2 from Leeds-Bradford Airport to Paris and then travelling two or three hours by car or train.

These aren't the sharp, spectacular, angular Alps on the south-eastern edge of France, but rather rolling hills, pretty little rivers, farmland and vineyards. It's a bit more mountainous further south than where we are, but we still get to walk through gorgeous gorges and enjoy craggy peaks.

There are no cities around here, no motorways. Hardly any traffic at all.

Saulieu, the little capital of the Morvan with its small winding streets, typical old French stone buildings and pretty basilica, is home to fewer than 3,000 people.

The rustic Hotel de la Poste, in years past, was a famous stopover from northern Europe to the Alps or Mediterranean, used by such as Napoleon, the King of Morocco and even Charlie Chaplin.

It's difficult to imagine the lifestyle here being broken by war, little buildings being used as hideouts.

It's also hard to see what work there is in the quiet little villages of Morvan other than farming or retiring. People these days could work in bliss from home, but then the internet signal is wonderfully unreliable. Instead, this is a place of good old-fashioned self-sufficiency. As if to underline the point, as we enter a quiet little hamlet on day one of our hike, an old lady walks past with a basket of freshly cut herbs. In the next, a chap tends to his vegetable patch. He smiles and waves bonjour.

Our 17km route has already taken us around the Lake of Saint-Agnan, where white cattle graze on the edges of the water.

It takes us along a little river shaded by countless trees and towards the hidden Pierre-qui-Vire monastry. The abbey was built in the 19th Century but looks much more modern - it even has its own mini petrol station in the walled grounds. The monks apparently sell cheese but there's no sign of a shop. Or a monk. There is, however, a snake, which causes a bit of a fright.

A couple of hours later we arrive at our destination, the village of Quarre les Tombes, which owes its names to the accumulation of more than 100 sarcophagi around its church.

It has a couple of bars and shops in the square; the first we've seen all day – taking a packed lunch and water was good advice.

There are a few English people having a glass of wine in the sun. One or two look like visitors, though it seems others - archetypal A Place In The Sun contestants - have set up home here, judging by their language skills and knowledge of the area. “No, I don't think any place near here will be showing Premier League football,” comes the disappointing response.

Still, the local wine makes up for that. The fancy cuisine at the Hotel Le Morvan is likewise delightful.

Day two's hike is a gentler 14km walk to Vezelay - the most famous town in this area and indeed one of the most important sacred sites of the Christian world.

We go for some distance along the pretty little River Cure which winds its way along the bottom of a gorge. There's a distinct aroma for much of it - wild herbs filling the air.

We go through Pierre-Perthuis, with its two bridges, one over the other, overlooking a most picturesque natural site.

From the higher bridge, you can make out Vezelay and its basilica in the distance, sat atop a hill surrounded by vineyards.

The town itself was home to 2,000 people back in the 13th Century but now has only 400 residents, few of whom live here all year round. It receives some 900,000 visitors annually, though.

There are little winding alleys and exhibitions by the famous and not-so-famous, and in amongst the history is a modern art museum.

The obvious piece de resistance, though, is Sainte-Marie-Madeleine, the Romanesque basilica and UNESCO World Heritage Site whose crypt houses what are believed to be relics of Mary Magdalene.

The basilica is also one of four starting points of the famous Camino de Santiago (Way of St James), the historic pilgrim routes to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in north-western Spain.

For us, conversely, it marks the end of our hiking and our look into French history, both touched and untouched.

Sad though that is, a glass or two of refreshing Chablis, that classic white tipple from around these parts, provides consolation.

FACT BOX:

Details of Morvan and surrounding region: visit the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté Tourisme websites www.bourgognefranchecomte.com and tourisme.parcdumorvan.org

Also see www.facebook.com/ParcnaturelregionalduMorvan or follow www.twitter.com/ParcduMorvan

Getting there: fly from Leeds-Bradford Airport to Paris then drive or take train/bus.

Leading leisure airline Jet2.com offers friendly low fares, great flight times, and a generous 22kg baggage allowance to Paris from Leeds Bradford Airport. Flights start from £24 one way including taxes. For more information, visit www.jet2.com or call 0800 408 5599.

Leeds-Bradford Airport welcomes more than 3.5m passengers a year and offers more than 75 direct destinations, with connections worldwide to hundreds more. The airport has recently invested in the terminal and has a range of services and retail options. For £21 per adult, the Yorkshire Premier Lounge provides a relaxing atmosphere with complimentary food and drink. There are numerous parking options within a few minutes’ walk or shuttle bus ride, including meet and greet with a two-minute walk to the terminal. LBA also has a free one-hour parking zone adjacent to the mid-stay car park a three/four-minute walk to the terminal – ideal for drop-off or pick-up.