Route of the three fountains in the Marcaulieu National Forest

On the D101 road, coming from the village of Dompcevrin and heading towards Lahaymeix, look out for a sign on your right indicating ‘Forêt Domaniale de Marcaulieu’. Then take the dirt track on the right and park at the side of it.

The route is signposted with red directional signs.

(S/E) Take the marked path leading down to your left. After about 100 metres, on your left stands “Les cent ciels plantés” (Denis Malbos, 2001). Continue for 600 m.

(1) Just before you leave the forest, turn sharply left, following the red markers. As you walk alongside the field on your right, you’ll come across “La promenade des dragons” (Antoine Marquis, 2018), whose small ceramic bas-reliefs are spread across tree trunks for about 500 metres. Then, turn left and follow the path. Pass by a spring, turn right, then continue straight ahead.

(2) In front of you stands “Salut pour tous” (Théodore Fivel, 2012); take the path to the left of the artwork. A few metres further on, take the small path on the right leading to “L’œil du Cyclope” (Nicolas Chenard, 1997). Then continue to the junction, where you’ll go straight on. Next, follow the winding path marked by the signposts.

(3) At the junction, turn left and walk uphill for 400 m. Just before the road, turn right to find “Exode” (Joël Thépault, 2002) in front of you. Turn left and continue until you cross the road.

(4) Then walk along the tarmac road for a few metres, then turn left to enter the forest. Walk on, then turn right when you see “Turbin” (Matthieu Pilaud, 2016). Follow the sloping path (not shown on the IGN map) until you see “Figura Translata” (Luc Doerflinger, 2005) on your right, then further on “Volis et Chandelles” (Dominique Blais, 2008). Join the tarmac road.

(5) Continue left to the edge of the forest and look out for “Par erreur” (Maciej Albrzykowski, 1997). Turn left at the wooden gate and follow the white path, continuing straight on for 1 km. Turn left just before the forest entrance and walk along the field; at the end, turn left.

(6) Take the second path on the right to enter the forest and see “Le Voile du palais” (Emmanuelle Lainé, 2010). Then walk until you are alongside the fence protecting the water catchment on your left and climb for 350 m. You will then come to a signpost indicating an access path on your right, which you must take to see “Miss Panoramique” (Elsa Sahal, 2009). Retrace your steps and continue to the right.

(7) Discover “Champignons” (Abdul Rahman Katamani, 2017) below on your right, then follow the path as it bends left and continue straight on for 500 m. Turn left onto the sloping path. Opposite a standing dead tree on your left is an access point to “Shrapnel Galeries” (Arnaud Rochard, 2016). Return to the path, continue, then, a few metres before the white path, turn right to see “La ballade des pendus” (Emmanuel Perrin, 2003) hanging from several trees. Then join the white path.

(8) Turn left. Continue for 400 m. About thirty metres before “Pierre dorée” (Frédérique Lecerf, 2006), there is a small access path on the left leading to “Aire cellulaire” (Sébastien Lacroix, 2010). Then continue along the white path and you will see “Enraciné” (Douglas White, 2014) on your right. After about a hundred metres, you will find “Das Aldernest” (Clément Laigle, 2008) above “Lieu de rêve” (Walther Piesch, 2002). At the road, continue left for a few metres and look out for the sign for “Forêt Domaniale de Marcaulieu”. Then take the dirt track and continue until you reach the starting point (S/E).

In the heart of the Meuse department, in the heart of the countryside, lies a forest dotted with works of art made of wood, stone or iron. The Vent des Forêts association is behind this open-air space. Since 1977, it has invited around ten international artists each year to offer a creative perspective on nature. Immersed in the rural and natural setting of the heart of the Meuse, the artists create works in harmony with the forest. The creation of these works fosters encounters and shapes the history of this unique place.

Across 5,000 hectares of forest, seven signposted routes ranging from 1 to 4 hours’ walk are freely accessible all year round.

Pick up a trail map and set off to discover around a hundred artworks. A map is also available free of charge outside the town hall in Fresnes-au-Mont.

From October to March, the hunting season is open, so please check the hunting calendar available on Vent des Forêts.
We also recommend that you take with you the 1:25,000 scale IGN paper maps for this walk. Click here to order them: 3114SB.

Always be careful and prepared when out walking. Visorando and the author of this guide cannot be held liable for any accidents or incidents that may occur on this route.

The Cornouilles