Bois de la Pierre à Cheval, Col de la Chapelotte and Haut de Faîte

The hike starts at the car park of the 14/18 Interpretation Centre, 4 Rue de la Menelle in Pierre Percée. Access is via Rue de l'Église in Celles-sur-Plaine. Car park 50 m past the centre.

(S/E) With your back to the car park, head towards Route de la Soye, cross the stream, and at the junction, continue left until you reach a track on the right.

(1) Follow it for a few metres, then turn right onto the stony track. Turn onto the first small path leading uphill to the left, signposted with a Red Cross and a Blue Cross. 50 m further on, turn right towards Chapelotte, signposted with a Blue Cross. Join a path.

(2) Continue left for 10 m then turn onto the path leading uphill to the right, signposted Chapelotte with a Blue Cross. Pass the Roche de la Soye and continue to a track in the Bois Pierre à Cheval.

(3) Follow it to the right, then turn onto the first path on the left, marked with a Yellow Triangle and signposted towards Roches de la Pierre à Cheval.

(4) At the junction with the signpost, turn right towards the Pierre à Cheval viewpoint, return to the junction and continue to the right.

(5) At the junction with the signpost, turn left towards the Roche de la Vue viewpoint, return to the junction and continue along the small path. Pass under the rock with the information panel and join a track.

(6) Turn right, join another track and turn left. Follow this track to reach the Col de la Chapelotte.

(7) Cross the D992 road with care, visit the site and continue along the track opposite. At the first Y-junction, take the right-hand branch and head towards a crossroads of tracks (signposted ‘Chemin de la Mémoire’).

(8) Turn right to take the first grass track on the left.

(9) Turn right, go down into the trench on the right. At the end of the trench, at the T-junction, turn right to visit the hospital. Return to the T-junction and continue straight on along the small path to pass in front of the command post.

(10) At the T-junction, turn right to visit a blockhouse, return to the junction and continue right along the small path. Join a grass track on the right and, further on, a stony track on the right. Pass in front of shelter 14/18.

(11) Take the stony track on the right and follow it to a 180° bend.

(12) At the Y-junction, take the track on the right and at the next junction, take the one on the left. Pass under the high-voltage power line, then turn right to join a track at elevation 498.

(13) Turn left to visit a blockhouse, return to the junction and head left then right onto the steeply ascending track. Join another track.

(14) Turn right; after a few steps, turn left into the woods towards a small mound – this is a WWI shelter. Return to the track and continue left until you reach the Haut des Planches junction.

(15) Join the GR®533 and continue straight on

(16) At a T-junction, turn left to visit the German cemetery with its headstones, return to the track and continue along the path on the left until you reach the junction marked ‘Chemin de Mémoire’.

(8) Continue straight on towards the north-west.

(17) Turn left into an old trench, read the information boards and continue to another path.

(18) Turn right then immediately left at the memorial stone, join a track and continue to the left.

(19) Take the first small path on the right, visit the French remains and read the information boards. Continue down into the bottom of an old trench. Join a new track.

(20) Turn left and return to the Col de la Chapelotte.

(7) Follow the track you took on the way up in the opposite direction until you reach a track junction on the right. Take this grassy track heading north-west and continue until you reach a Y-junction.

(21) Turn left onto the track and immediately right onto the small path to see the Gros Pin. Return to the track and continue left. (You can take a short detour to the left to see the old trenches). Join a stony track.

(22) Continue straight on along a small descending path to visit the Grotte des Poilus site, then continue along the small path to pass beneath the Rocher de l'Arche. At a T-junction, continue the descent to the right and join a stony track.

(23) Turn right, take the small path leading uphill to the left to visit the Dame Galle site and return to the track. Follow it to the left until you reach a Fork in the road at elevation 492.

(24) Continue along the track descending to the right and rejoin the starting road.

(1) Follow this road to the left until you reach the car park of the 14/18 Information Centre (S/E).

Allow a little more time than the hike suggests, as there are many places to visit.

You can top up your water supply at the fountain at Col de la Chapelotte.

La Roche de la Soye with its viewpoint.

La Roche de la Pierre à Cheval with its military history; explanations are provided below the rock.

La Roche de Vue, with views of Pierre Percée and its lake, and in the distance the Lunéville plain.

The Col de la Chapelotte with its monuments, fountain, columns and chapel.

Le Haut de Faite, steeped in the history of the German occupation between 1914 and 1918, featuring a military hospital, command post, blockhouse and access trenches.

The two German shelters from 1914–18 in the Bois de Grandviller.

The descent towards the pass along a small path with German blockhouses and, below, the French underground passages and trenches from the trench warfare of 1915–1917, featuring numerous information panels.

The return route via the Gros Pin, the French access trenches to the pass, the Grotte des Poilus, the Rocher de l'Arches and the Grotte de Dame Galle, which dates back to 1135.