Circular route around the southern part of Lake Der, starting from Giffaumont

Date of your route : Nov 10, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

This hike is very enjoyable, especially in autumn.

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Hello,

I’m just putting in my two cents, as this is a criticism that’s sometimes levelled at my routes.

If we suggest a route, it’s because we find it interesting. We don’t all have the same interests, of course. Some people like the physical challenge, others enjoy nature, or the trees, wildlife and flora, and some, in ‘tourist mode’, want to see the sights.

Personally, I love beautiful trees. So, often, on my routes, there aren’t any ‘views’. Anyone in ‘tourist mode’ can find out if there’s a little train to take a ride on. They pass through places where there are views.

I know the shores of Lac du Der. When it’s quiet there, it’s a marvellous spot.

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Hello, if you found it boring, it’s because you don’t know how to look properly. Between point 1 and point 2, there are plenty of birds in the trees and hedges lining the rowing lake, and a few more on the water.
Between point 4 and point 5, the same applies to the hedges lining the path, with views of the countryside and cows in the meadows, and perhaps, as a bonus, deer down below, near the edge of the woods.
Between point 5 and point 6, you pass through the village with its many half-timbered houses, as you do between points 6 and 7. At point 6, there is a flower-filled wash house and an educational trail on the right, featuring a remarkable sculpture carved into an old oak tree.
And from point 8 to the end of the route, there are views of the lake and a cycle path.
Your sunglasses must be too dark. Change them and listen to the birdsong.
Kind regards.

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Date of your route : Jul 05, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Very busy route : No

Horrible!
We were bored out of our wits; this walk was completely uninteresting. We didn’t see a thing.

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Hello courjus52

Thank you so much for your link and your advice – and I absolutely love mushrooms...!

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Hello,

@courjus52

Thank you for following up.

From what I can see, you’re not using Visorando on your smartphone, which explains the confusion.
It’s a brilliant tool,

See you soon

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Good evening, YvanEpi,
I’ve corrected point 7 as you suggested, but I haven’t changed anything in point 9 regarding the path with the red post, as both paths follow the same route.
From what I can see, you’re not using Visorando on your smartphone, which explains the confusion.
It’s a brilliant tool; here’s the link to the user guide – just copy and paste the link.
https://www.visorando.com/article-mode-d-...

In my walking club, I teach members how to use it – it’s brilliant, even for mushroom picking.
Kind regards.

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Hello courjus52,

I must indeed have got the hike wrong when selecting one for comment; the one I was referring to, which took place on 24 April 2019, is titled ‘The sources of Lac du Der, the river and the old canal’....
My mistake....

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Hello YvanEpi,
Thank you for your feedback, but this must not be the right walk – I’ve checked the waypoints again, and on the 7th there’s no bridge or canal, and the 9th doesn’t exist...
Kind regards.

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Date of your route : Apr 24, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Hello

A really lovely and interesting route. Well done to courjus52 for his choice and route planning

A few details should be added to avoid any confusion -> in capital letters and underlined, with the reason given in brackets.
(We didn’t have the IGN TOP25 map with us on this walk and used the map attached to the route description)

Point 7:
Turn right at a right angle, TAKING THE ROAD AFTER THE HOUSE(there is a risk of confusion with a footpath called the ‘Chemin Pédestre du Canal’); cross the iron canal bridge over the river and continue straight on. Cross the tarmac path......> until you reach the turn-off. Go under it and carry on straight ahead – DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF YOU, CHANGE SIDES OF THE CANAL – (Risk of confusion -> There is a path on each side of the canal and you change sides at this point)
Point 9:
Cross the bridge and turn immediately right (downhill), walk 100 metres and turn left onto the path (AT THE SECOND RED POST), THEN TURN RIGHT AFTER A FEW DOZEN METRES AT THE NEXT PATH, WHICH YOU FOLLOW PARALLEL TO THE CANAL, IT WIND THROUGH THE WOODS_(There is actually a first red post before you’ve covered the 100m; then, after a few dozen metres, you’ll join a path in the woods which you must follow to the right, roughly parallel to the canal)

Well done again to courjus 52 for this walk – highly recommended

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