Route of dry stone huts in Blois-sur-Seille

In the car park, there is a sign with a map of the routes and numbered huts.

(S/E) Opposite the hamlet, take a wide white path (stone path) on the left to reach the starting point of route no. 1.

(1) At the intersection, turn left onto a small road towards La Saugiat (Chemin du Champs du Bois) and follow the^GR® 59 for a short while. Walk past several copses before reaching a large meadow, keeping to the left at the intersections until you reach the first hut.

(2) Look for the pile of stone gathered from fields on your left, perpendicular to the road. Observe it carefully and find hut no. 1 hidden behind it. Once you have found it, go inside. Notice the lintel above the entrance, the corbelled dome and the date engraved on a stone.
Continue along the road to the edge of the forest. Turn left onto a small forest path and leave the^GR®. Continue along this path, then cross a collapsed pile of stone gathered from fields on your left.

(3) Continue straight ahead on a path between copses and rows of posts. Stay on this path and avoid trampling the fields. Hut No. 2 opens onto the large meadow. Note the flat lintel, the corbelled pyramid vault and the beautiful circular foundation.
Immediately turn right of this hut onto a new, very bucolic forest path.

(4) Look for hut no. 3 on your right. It is slightly hidden by vegetation, but you will see it from behind. Look for a large pile of stones. The hut opens onto a vast meadow. A small stone staircase provides access. Note the magnificent lava stone lintel.
Return to the path, pass a double chicane and continue straight ahead. Walk along a conifer forest on your left. Pay attention! On your right, you will soon see an entrance to hut no. 4. To see it, briefly leave the path and view it from behind. The huts were always oriented towards meadows or fields. Admire its pyramidal entrance, the corbelling of its vault, the arrangement of the stones and its side foundations.

Return to the path and, before it turns left, go straight ahead through the copse, towards the tip, at the edge of the forest and the clearing onto the meadow. Find the small hut no. 5. It is rudimentary, built in a dome shape with no foundations, just a shelter.

Return to the path and continue straight ahead. The path is now lined with hedges and meadows. Enjoy a pleasant stroll along a wide grassy path before you come to a chicane on the right in the hedge.
Go through it and continue along the pile of stone gathered from fields to the next hut.
The vegetation has largely grown into the pile of stone gathered from fields, concealing it. At the entrance to hut no. 6, a tree has grown into the pile of stone and its protective branch seems to support it.
Go inside and observe the construction, the carefully laid stones and the corbelled vault. Take a seat on the benches and imagine the herd being watched over the expanse of meadow that opens up before you.
Return to the path, turn left at the next bend and discover hut no. 7.

(5) Continue along the path. In front of you, a series of openings have been made in the piles of stone gathered from fields. Go through them and you will come to a vast meadow. Follow the path marked by stakes, go around a large pile of stones gathered from fields on your right and discover hut no. 8 in this impressive pile of stone gathered from fields . The opening is protected from cattle by stakes. Go inside and observe the plants that have grown between the stones over time. Trunks and roots are now part of the structure.
Retrace your steps and continue on your left along the path to the car park and picnic area.

(S/E) Take the road towards La Marre (route no. 2) and turn your back on Chaumois Boivin.
Look for a pile of wood on your right along the road, pass the chicane and walk along the pile of stone gathered from fields, on the meadow side, marked by a row of posts. Cabin no. 9 is a simple shelter. A very large lava stone (lauze) replaces the dome here.

(6) At the forest path on the right, continue along the road and look for a sign on the right indicating "Cabane en arc brisé" (broken arch hut). Go through the chicane and enter the meadow. On your right, hidden in the grove, is hut no. 10.

(7) Return to the road you just left and turn left towards Chaumois Boivin until you reach the forest path.

(6) Follow it to hut no. 11. It appears from behind, slightly below. Feel free to climb over the embankment and descend towards the meadow to access the hut. Beautiful domed vault. The foundation has disappeared.
Return to the path and continue to the right until you reach hut no. 12. Now obsolete, it has suffered the ravages of time and lack of maintenance (currently being restored).
Continue along the path to the road. Turn right towards La Marre and you will see a sign on the right indicating "Voûte coupole" (dome vault). Go through the chicane and enter the meadow. In front of you is hut no. 13. Beautiful circular foundation. Caution! Do not enter if there is livestock present. The hut remains visible from the road.

Retrace your steps and continue along the La Marre road. At the next crossroads, take the white path on the left and follow the yellow^PR® markings^.
On your left, along the rural path, you will see huts nos. 14, 15 and 16 in the meadows. Access to these huts is prohibited (decision of the owners). Continue along this wide path, which narrows into a narrow trail. The path appears to be closed off by barbed wire to prevent cattle grazing in the meadow from entering. Approach the fence; there is a passage between the posts.
Continue along this forest path between stone walls and copses until you reach the chicane marked "Cabane coupole" (dome hut). The hut is visible from the path in the distance in the meadow. Do not cross the pile of stone gathered from fields on your left and do not go into the meadow (owner's request). To see it, turn right onto the forest path. Cabin No. 17 appears in full view on your left. Go through the opening between the pile of stone gathered from fields and the cabin. Enter. It is exceptional, partly underground, and is the only cabin with two steps leading down to it. It is very long and could accommodate about ten people. Sit down on the seats and note their layout.

Then continue to the back of the hut. A pile of stone gathered from fields on your left borders a meadow. Follow it and take the forest path in front of you, marked in orange. When the path is blocked by a barricade of branches, turn right and go straight ahead until you see hut no. 18 in a grove on your right. Approach and take the time to explore it. It is barely visible, almost buried. Find its entrance at ground level. See the work of nature and time when huts that have become useless are abandoned.

(8) Continue on until you reach another chicane. Cross it, cross the white path and you will arrive at the Belvédère des Exterpois.

(9) It is secure, but remain cautious as you are directly above the cliffs. Enjoy the splendid view of the valley and its cliffs. It is an impressive and magnificent sight. There are information panels.
Continue immediately to the left and take the narrow forest path towards Chaumois Boivin. Enjoy a pleasant stroll before reaching hut no. 19. Look carefully to find it on your right, as it is hidden by a clump of trees. A pile of mossy stones marks the back of the hut. Cross the embankment and go around it. It is basic but has a seating area. The forest has invaded the space once devoted to fields and meadows.
Continue along the path to reach the centre of Chaumois Boivin.

(10) At the hamlet, immediately turn onto the wide path on the left until you see a long pile of stone gathered from fields that is perpendicular to the path on the left.

(11) Look carefully to spot the hut, which is so perfectly integrated into the pile of stone gathered from fields that it is barely noticeable. Enter the grounds and approach this magnificent hut, No. 20. Compare it to the previous one. It is particularly well crafted, with beautiful stonework, a flat lintel, circular base and pyramidal vault. Here again, the forest has reclaimed the space. Imagine fields or meadows in its place.
Then return to the centre of Chaumois Boivin.

(10) Take the road to the right towards the viewpoint, which you will soon see in front of you, or at least the small station (cottage) of the milk cable car. A large window allows you to see its mechanism. Try to spot the second cable car on the village square at the bottom of the vertiginous cliff.
Then continue along the path behind this small building to the nearby Blois-sur-Seille viewpoint. Magnificent view of the valley and the village.

(12) Retrace your steps to the centre of the hamlet.

(10) Continue along the road, turn left at the sign for "La Marre" and follow this direction straight ahead to the car park (S/E).

Variations:
This route offers five possibilities:

Two starting points:
- For experienced hikers, start from the village of Blois-sur-Seille, located in the valley at the foot of the cliff.

- You can also start on the first plateau, in the hamlet of Chaumois Boivin, for an easy family hike.
Pass through the village of La Marre on the first plateau, where you will find free parking and a picnic area at the entrance to the hamlet of Chaumois Boivin.

When you arrive on the first plateau, there are three possible routes:
The route is shaped like a figure of eight and consists of three routes. The start and finish points are the same, located at the intersection of the two circular routes.
- Route No. 1: approximately 2.5 km with 8 huts (45 minutes).
- Route no. 2: approximately 5.15 km with 12 huts (1 hour 15 minutes).
- Route no. 3: full route plus the Blois-sur-Seille viewpoint and the milk cable car (2 hours).

Departure from the village of Blois sur Seille in the remote area for hikers:
This route is for experienced hikers. The terrain is very steep and rocky. Sturdy footwear is essential and walking sticks are recommended.
Leave your car in the village centre, where there is free parking.
Take the bridge on the right at the end of the car park. You will pass through the courtyard of an old farmhouse, then follow the path to the road at the foot of the rocky outcrop.
Take this road on your right and continue to the centre of the hamlet of Chaumois Boivin (commune of Blois-sur-Seille). Cross the hamlet, keeping to your right, then continue on this road towards "La Saugiat" (Chemin du Champs du Bois).
You have reached the discovery route without passing through the starting point, which will not affect the rest of the hike. Continue towards hut no. 1.

Starting point on the Plateau for a family hike:
Coming from Blois-sur-Seille by road, cross the hamlet, heading towards La Marre until you reach the car park.
By car through the village of La Marre, follow the sign for "Sentier pierre sèche" (dry stone path).
At the entrance to the hamlet of Chaumois Boivin, you will find a car park and a picnic area. The paths are easy to walk on, but pushchairs are not suitable and sturdy footwear is recommended.

Discovering the huts is an opportunity to play a treasure hunt with the children.

Please note: the viewpoints are secure but you are directly above the cliffs, so please remain vigilant.
The dry stone huts are all on private land. The owners have given their conditional consent for access to their sites, with the exception of huts 14-15-16.
Please respect the site. Dogs must be kept on a leash.
Do not open the gates to the pastures and avoid the meadows occupied by cattle.

There is a water source in the centre of the hamlet.

Take advantage of the two lookout points to admire these magnificent views: exceptional sites in the Jura reculées.

Dirt tracks, meadows, forests, paths, roads, crossing a hamlet: Chaumois Boivin.

Take advantage of this unique topography of the Jura valleys: the commune of Blois sur Seille at the bottom of the valley (a dead-end valley bordered by high cliffs) and its hamlets, including Chaumois Boivin on the First Plateau, home to herds of cows, meadows and cultivated fields.
A very steep 200-metre drop separates them. The dry stone huts served as shelters and were used to store tools and harvests.
The milk cable car transported milk twice a day from the plateau to the village where the dairy was located.