The Vierge de Brumare Trail

Small car park at the Val Dallet visitor centre.

(S/E) Take the RD47 road towards Appeville for 200 metres to visit the ‘Chêne à la Vierge’. Then retrace your steps slightly to take the path that climbs to the right through the woodland.

(1) At the top, just before the Route Forestière du Ruel, turn left onto a path that runs along the hillside. At the end, keep right onto the straighter forest track, which offers a lovely view of the valley in winter.

(2) At the Rond Fleury junction, head down to the left along the Route forestière du Midi and, at the bend, take the path that cuts straight across to cross the valley. Climb back up the opposite side, which is very steep.

(3) Halfway up the other slope, veer to the right to continue climbing on a gentler gradient, making a wide circular loop to the left. At the top, carry on straight ahead until you reach the RD47.

(4) After admiring the Virgin of Brumare, take the small road on your left towards the castle gates. Turn left onto the path about a hundred metres further on. In the forest, follow this path straight on.

(5) On the descent along the small ravine, turn right. 100 metres further on, veer left to descend gently along a small ridge with a distinctly Vosges-like atmosphere. At the end, follow the path to the right, which descends steeply to the Val Dallet rest area (S/E).

The Montfort State Forest offers four rest areas for hikers and walkers, each with car parks, picnic tables and information boards showing maps of the marked trails and starting points for walks:
- the Val Dallet rest area: the starting point for the ‘Vierge de Brumare’ walk, as well as the yellow-marked ‘Du Chêne à la Vierge’ route (9.4 km)
- the Rond de Beuvron rest area
- the Saint-Michel rest area
- the Catelier area

The statue of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart was erected by the countess, owner of the nearby Château de Brumare, following the events of 5 and 6 January 1871. At the edge of the forest, three German cavalrymen (Uhlans) were shot dead by French snipers. Alerted to this, the Count had the bodies of the horsemen and their horses hidden away. The Countess prayed to the Virgin Mary, and snow fell just in time to cover the pools of blood on the path. In gratitude, the Countess had a statue of the Virgin Mary erected near the spot where this miracle took place.

The Virgin’s Oak: a remarkable tree in the state-owned forest, recognised by the ONF. In the past, a pilgrimage would set out from the chapel at Rondemare – also dedicated to the Virgin – with a procession making its way to the oak. Following the restoration of the statue in 1999 by the local council, the ONF erected a sign marking this revered tree.