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The village of Chassepierre is a little paradise on the banks of the Semois, very close to the French and Luxembourg borders, just 120 km from Metz.Our route takes place over 3 or 4 days: one and a half days to reach Chassepierre, half a day or one and a half days there to enjoy the surroundings, and one day for the return journey, part of which is by train. It is also possible, as the author of this route did, to attend the performances at the street arts festival, which takes place in the afternoons and evenings on the Saturday and Sunday following 15 August. The first long stage (over 90 km) takes us beyond the Chiers and the Ton via a very direct route through France. The following morning, it’s just a 30-km cycle, plus an optional visit to Orval Abbey. The return journey to Metz follows the Semois upstream before heading into Luxembourg to catch the train.

For this first stage, the route seems very direct but stays well away from the main roads. It follows country lanes, tracks reserved for farm machinery, forest paths and cycle paths!

For this second stage, if the cockerel wakes us up early enough after a night’s camping on the farm, we’ll have no trouble packing up the tent and cycling the 30 km to Chassepierre,We’ll even be able to visit Orval Abbey halfway there. We’ll be cycling through the forest for most of the way.

For most of the route, this third stage follows roads suitable for cycling, smooth paths and cycle lanes. The Semois meanders so much that it is impossible to ‘follow’ it along its entire length, but this route crosses it numerous times and heads all the way up to its source in Arlon!The ride takes you through the Gaume and the Arlon region, away from the main roads with heavy motor traffic.

To reach the village of Chassepierre, a little paradise on the banks of the Semois, here is a three-day itinerary. By using the train for part of the journey, both there and back, you can enjoy paths free from motor traffic and even visit several remarkable places in Belgium and France.

This second stage can be covered in a morning, leaving you free to enjoy an afternoon swimming in the Semois and/or a walk around its meander. If you’ve come to attend the street arts festival, you’ll have time to pitch your tent and grab a bite to eat before the first show on Saturday afternoon.

For a return trip to Metz in a single day, this route takes you to Longuyon station. Provided you set off early enough, you’ll be able to visit Orval Abbey, then the citadel of Montmédy, stop for lunch by the Étang de Charency-Vezin and reach Longuyon by mid-afternoon.

The second part of the stage from Conflans-Jarny station is a route along small country roads back to Metz. The grounds of Moncel Castle near Jarny are an ideal spot for a break. From the Montvaux Valley, which we pass through, it is easy to reach the southern part of the Metz conurbation.

From the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, this route heads to Arlon, the capital of the Belgian province of Luxembourg, before passing through the villages of northern Gaume. Away from the main roads, it follows cycle paths, country lanes and tracks reserved for farm machinery, as well as a few rideable footpaths. There are several suggested stops to choose from, so you’ll need to pick a few to complete the stage in a single day!

This walk takes us up above the meanders of the Sûre into the heart of the Éislek, following part of the Escapardenne Lee Trail, a hiking trail linking Ettelbruck to Kautenbach. Once we’ve reached Luxembourg’s largest fortified castle, we can walk around the next bend and head uphill to reach a remarkable viewpoint before descending towards Michelau station. If you’re short on time or energy, you can reach the station more directly by taking the Haute Sûre path down from the castle. It was designed to be accessible by train (free in Luxembourg since March 2020).

The V50 cycle route (Luxembourg - Lyon) crosses the Messine conurbation, running alongside the Moselle from La Maxe to Augny. Like the author, who set off from Lorry-lès-Metz, it is easy to join the route and follow it to Blénod-lès-Pont-à-Mousson, between ponds and wetlands, riding mostly on dedicated cycle paths. Then you cross "Little Lorraine Switzerland" on quiet roads to rejoin the Moselle at Liverdun, nestled in one of its beautiful meanders. Following the river along the V533 greenway, you soon come into view of Toul Cathedral, the first stop on the journey.

This stage follows the southern part of the Eurovélo 19 "La Meuse à vélo" route (1,050 km from Langres to Rotterdam). From Neufchâteau, we follow the meandering Mouzon, a tributary of the Meuse. We then leave it behind, taking less travelled but more direct roads that avoid the meanders of the Meuse. We rejoin the EV19 just before the "Source de la Meuse" site, on the Langres plateau crossed by three watersheds. With the plateau reaching a height of 450 m, the gradients are not significant, but on arrival, you will need to make a little effort to climb the promontory on which the Citadel of Langres is perched. Your reward: a splendid view at dusk!

This route, initially designed to connect to the Culmont-Chalindrey railway junction, has been extended to Dijon due to the cancellation of the train service! It crosses the mustard fields of the Côte-d'Or and the former sand pits of La Tille, which have been converted into ponds that are more popular with fishermen than tourists.

This first stage of the route takes us into the Meuse department via footpaths, tracks reserved for farm machinery or small country lanes. The detour into Meurthe-et-Moselle offers the chance to visit several castles. There are several spots along the route ideal for a picnic, including the Étang d’Amel within a nature reserve, provided you set off early to reach it before lunchtime.

Two borders, three countries, several castles, a river and winding streams punctuate this short cycling trip. The route often follows valleys, so the elevation gain is not very significant. It almost always runs along dedicated routes, including smooth cycle paths, footpaths or shared roads with very little motor traffic. If all the cultural attractions appeal to you, you’ll need to allow an extra day or two, which is possible by camping, for example, in Inor (Meuse) and Hesperange (Luxembourg).

Passing through woods, meadows and sites of First World War battles, we reach the River Meuse at Stenay, a small town in department 55. Our route crosses several meanders and enters the Ardennes via Mouzon, from where EuroVelo 19 takes us to Sedan. On the way, we’ll pitch our tent near Lake Douzy and return there in the evening.

From Lac de Douzy, after passing through the Forges de Brévilly industrial site – which was very active in the 19th century – we reach the nearby Belgian border (10 km) via a small road that turns into a track suitable for vehicles. From there, simply follow numbers 30, then 11, then 13 on the cycle network’s ‘points-nœuds’ system to reach the village of Chassepierre and the campsite on the banks of the Semois. Halfway along the route, after Muno, a short walk takes you to a remarkable geological feature.

Starting from Chassepierre, this route through the Gaume region allows time to visit remarkable cultural sites and another of the ‘most beautiful villages in Wallonia’. This involves a few detours, but fewer than those along the Semois, where the route cuts across several bends! The route description refers to the ‘nodes’ of the cycle network developed in Belgium. The route includes a loop through Arlon to the viewpoint at the top of Knippchen, which can be done in the evening or the following morning.

Our route to Metz takes us through the heavily urbanised areas of Luxembourg City and along the Moselle valley. Choosing to make the most of the increasingly extensive cycle paths, particularly those along the rivers, makes this route efficient, safe and picturesque.

On the first day, you’ll need to cycle to the nearest or most suitable station to catch the train to Bettembourg. In this guide, we’ve chosen Hagondange station for the reasons explained in the practical information section. It’s easy to adapt this section to suit your starting point, choosing another station on the line between Nancy and Luxembourg.