From the city of Messina to Toul station

The V50 cycle route (Luxembourg - Lyon) crosses the Messine conurbation, running alongside the Moselle from La Maxe to Augny. Like the author, who set off from Lorry-lès-Metz, it is easy to join the route and follow it to Blénod-lès-Pont-à-Mousson, between ponds and wetlands, riding mostly on dedicated cycle paths. Then you cross "Little Lorraine Switzerland" on quiet roads to rejoin the Moselle at Liverdun, nestled in one of its beautiful meanders. Following the river along the V533 greenway, you soon come into view of Toul Cathedral, the first stop on the journey.

Details

83390984
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Touring/Gravel
    Activity: Touring/Gravel
  • ↔
    Distance: 49.83 mi
  • ◔
    Duration according to the author: 8 hrs 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Difficult

  • ⚐
    Back to start: No
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 676 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 758 ft

  • ▲
    Highest point: 945 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 541 ft
  • ⚐ Country: France
  • ⚐ City: Lorry-lès-Metz (57050)
  • ⚑
    Start: N 49.142008° / E 6.120183°
  • ⚑
    End: N 48.678922° / E 5.880589°
  • Accessible from the train station Gare d'Ancy-sur-Moselle.
  • ❏
    IGN map(s): Ref. 3312E, 3312O, 3315ET, 3414O

  • ◶
    Type of surface:
  •  
     
     
     33% Road  34% Byway  33% Path
  • Hour-by-hour weather

Description of the route

Start from the church and town hall in Lorry-lès-Metz.

(S) Take Ruelle du Jeu de Quilles, continue along Rue de la Vigne and, at the end of this, follow Route de Plappeville to the right to reach Tignomont.

(1) Follow Rue de Lorry towards Metz, then continue straight on and go down Rue des Plantes.

(2) Before the bend, turn right onto Chemin des Oiseaux, then continue along Rue du Breuil to the end. Turn right onto Rue du Général de Gaulle for 50 m and arrive at a four-way junction. Turn left onto Rue des Carrières and continue for about 20 metres.

(3) Turn left onto Rue des Mirabelles, then continue along the track at the edge of the forest until you reach the tarmac.

(4) Take Rue des Bénédictins on the right, then, at the no-entry sign, take Rue Nicolas Chaillot on the left, and head towards a junction.

(5) Go down the very steep road, then continue along Rue Saint-Sigisbert to the end.

(6) At the traffic lights, cross the avenue and take Rue de la Digue Wadrineau. At No. 1bis, take the cycle path on the left, then go under the railway line and join the Voie Bleue (V50).

(7) Follow it to the right, heading up the left bank of the Moselle. Go under the railway bridge.

(8) Cross the bridge over the Fossé des Vieilles Eaux and arrive at a bridge over the Moselle.

(9) Turn right and cross the bridge to continue on the other bank towards the Pépinières de Metz. Ride alongside them until you reach a three-way junction.

(10) Continue to the right between the Moselle and the ponds on the cycle route, and reach the D66 at Corny-sur-Moselle.

(11) Take the footbridge reserved for pedestrians and cyclists and continue along the opposite bank until you reach a bridge under the railway line.

(12) Go under the railway line, then turn right to make a return trip to the bakery at the junction with the D12.

(13) Return to the cycle path at the bridge under the railway line.

(12) Turn right onto the cycle path.

(14) Continue towards the Pont Canal du Rupt de Mad, cross the canal at the lock, then continue with the railway line on your right. Cross the canal again, then turn right along the Moselle.

(15) Ignore the path over the lock, turn left and carry straight on to the end of Rue Jules Ferry.

(16) Continue straight ahead onto Rue Jean Bouin, then turn left onto Rue du Moulon. Join the canal and continue to the right.

(17) At the quarry, leave the V50 and take the street on the right. Cross the railway line, follow Rue du Fort des Romains, then turn left onto Avenue Victor Claude, and reach Rue du Saule on the right.

(18) Follow this road, skirting the Ruisseau d'Esch, until you reach Rue du Moulin.

(19) Turn right, then, at the church, left onto Rue Saint-Aubin towards Griscourt, and follow the D107 to the village.

(20) Take the D106, Grand'Rue, left for 250 m, then right just after the bridge, onto Rue du Moulin, towards Villers-en-Haye.

(21) At the first houses in the village, turn right onto Rue du Puits and, 150 m further on, left onto Rue des Sœurs Bonnaventure. Continue along the D10 and, at the three-way junction ahead, keep left onto Route du Pauron. Cross the D611 with care and arrive in Saizerais.

(22) Continue along Rue du Muguet then Rue des Iris. At the end, first turn left then right and continue along Rue des Roses. Then head straight on until you reach a multi-way junction with a wayside cross on your right.

(23) Continue left onto theD90B. Pass by the foot of the water tower and head to the next junction.

(24) Turn left onto Avenue Le Gloan, which passes through a small housing estate before rejoining the main road and the cycle path. Continue straight on until you reach the junction signposting Château Corbin on the right.

(25) Turn right, then left, and enter the medieval town. Pass between the church and the tourist office and keep to the right until you reach Château Corbin.

(26) Go back a few metres and head down the Grande Rue to the right. At the bottom, go under the railway line via the underpass, then take the Chemin de la Noué on the right and head towards the banks of the Moselle.

(27) Turn right, walk along the Moselle, past a car park on your left, and arrive at the start of the cycle path on your left at the corner.

(28) Take this path, follow the Moselle and reach a fork immediately after passing under the railway bridge, then the road bridge.

(29) Turn right and cross the bridge over the canal, then continue straight ahead.

(30) At the road junction, turn right (cycle route), then take the cycle path on the right which runs alongside the canal to the junction at the bridge.

(31) Return to the left bank of the canal towards Toul and immediately turn left onto Rue du Champ de Foire. Continue straight on until you reach a four-way junction.

(32) Turn left onto Rue du Moulin Saintin, then go through the tunnel under the railway line and first turn left then right towards the town centre to reach Quai de la Glacière, on the right, a few metres before the cathedral.

(33) Turn right onto Quai de la Glacière and follow it for 100 m, then turn left onto Rue Qui Qu’en Grogne, then right and left onto Rue Baron Louis and follow it to the end.

(34) Turn left onto Rue de la Boucherie and continue along Rue Joly to reach No. 14 Rue du Général Gengoult.

(35) Turn right onto Rue du Terreau, then left onto Cours Raymond Poincaré. At the roundabout, turn right onto Rue des Anciens Résistants du Toulois, then veer right onto Avenue du Colonel Gilbert Grandval. Continue along the cycle path alongside Avenue Victor Hugo

(36) Cross the canal bridge and continue to the station (E).

Waypoints

  1. S : mi 0 - alt. 807 ft - 71 Grand'rue, Lorry-lès-Metz - Église Saint-Clément (Lorry-lès-Metz)
  2. 1 : mi 0.71 - alt. 830 ft - Rue des Plantes, Plappeville
  3. 2 : mi 0.98 - alt. 696 ft - Chemin des Oiseaux, Plappeville
  4. 3 : mi 1.23 - alt. 702 ft - Rue des Mirabelles, Plappeville
  5. 4 : mi 1.71 - alt. 653 ft - Rue des Bénédictins, Le Ban-Saint-Martin
  6. 5 : mi 1.92 - alt. 617 ft - Rue Nicolas Chaillot, Le Ban-Saint-Martin
  7. 6 : mi 2.37 - alt. 548 ft - Avenue du Général de Gaulle, Le Ban-Saint-Martin
  8. 7 : mi 2.48 - alt. 551 ft - Access to the V50 Blue Route - Moselle (la)
  9. 8 : mi 4.36 - alt. 554 ft - Fossé des Vieilles Eaux (cours d'eau) - Affluent de la Moselle
  10. 9 : mi 4.98 - alt. 551 ft - Bridge over the Moselle
  11. 10 : mi 6.54 - alt. 554 ft - Étangs d'Outre-Moselle (Vaux)
  12. 11 : mi 11.67 - alt. 571 ft - “MadeMoselle” cycle bridge
  13. 12 : mi 12.33 - alt. 571 ft - Bridge under the railway line
  14. 13 : mi 12.46 - alt. 571 ft - 1 Rue des Alliés, Novéant-sur-Moselle
  15. 14 : mi 13.32 - alt. 574 ft - Rupt de Mad
  16. 15 : mi 15.42 - alt. 587 ft - Lock
  17. 16 : mi 16.31 - alt. 587 ft - End of Rue Jules Ferry - Gare de Pagny-sur-Moselle
  18. 17 : mi 23.87 - alt. 600 ft - Quarry, level crossing
  19. 18 : mi 24.52 - alt. 607 ft - Rue du Saule
  20. 19 : mi 25.4 - alt. 614 ft - Rue du Moulin - Esch (rivière)
  21. 20 : mi 28.95 - alt. 702 ft - Grand'Rue, Griscourt
  22. 21 : mi 29.66 - alt. 787 ft - Rue du Puits, Villers-en-Haye
  23. 22 : mi 32.71 - alt. 850 ft - Route Nationale, Saizerais
  24. 23 : mi 33.19 - alt. 863 ft - Multiple fork in the road with a wayside cross
  25. 24 : mi 34.23 - alt. 912 ft - Petit Toulaire, Liverdun
  26. 25 : mi 35.77 - alt. 814 ft - Crossroads - Chapelle Notre-Dame de Bel Amour (Liverdun)
  27. 26 : mi 36.07 - alt. 771 ft - Château Corbin, Liverdun
  28. 27 : mi 36.67 - alt. 630 ft - Avenue Eugène Lerebourg
  29. 28 : mi 37.37 - alt. 636 ft - Cycle path on the left
  30. 29 : mi 44 - alt. 666 ft - Grande Écluse de Fontenoy, Gondreville - Canal de la Marne au Rhin
  31. 30 : mi 45.13 - alt. 659 ft - Road junction
  32. 31 : mi 47.85 - alt. 686 ft - Bridge over the Grand Canal, Toul
  33. 32 : mi 48.33 - alt. 676 ft - Rue du Moulin Saintin, Toul
  34. 33 : mi 48.7 - alt. 676 ft - Quai de la Glacière - Ingressin (rivière)
  35. 34 : mi 49.02 - alt. 686 ft - Rue de la Boucherie, Toul
  36. 35 : mi 49.27 - alt. 692 ft - Rue du Terreau, Toul
  37. 36 : mi 49.71 - alt. 702 ft - Canal de la Marne au Rhin
  38. E : mi 49.83 - alt. 725 ft - Gare de Toul (Pte Jeanne d'Arc)

Notes

(15) The Darbois bakery is open every morning except Monday.

(18) Bench for a croissant break.

(21) Water point at the end of Rue du Moulin.

(22) Water point 300 metres further along Rue de la Petite Suisse.

(27) Back on a marked cycle route: the V533.

(30) Picnic tables in the park and on the banks of the Moselle

(32) Following the LBM (Les Berges de Moselle) V52 cycle route, 12km away, Villey-le-Sec campsite

Accommodation: several alternatives are possible: the campsite mentioned above, other accommodation in Toul or taking a train in the evening upon arrival.

(E) Track 1 at Toul station is at street level. If you choose to take the train and it is on another track, you will have to carry your bike up the stairs: the station does not have a lift or ramp!

Worth a visit

(7) The V50 Blue Way was formerly known as the “Charles-le-Téméraire”. It runs alongside the Moselle and Saône rivers from Luxembourg to Lyon.

(12) Since the gravel pits, which were used in particular for the construction of the A31 motorway (1960s), are no longer in operation, the banks of the Vaux (or Outre-Moselle) ponds, amongst the alders and poplars, are home to numerous species of birds as well as dozens of small huts used for fishing and leisure activities.

(14) The 270-metre-long “MadeMoselle” cycle bridge runs parallel to the narrow bridge between Corny and Novéant-sur-Moselle. Opened in September 2024, it now allows people to cross the river and the railway line safely.

(17) The confluence of the Rupt de Mad and the Moselle in the commune of Arnaville is a remarkable wetland
A few shops in the town centre of Pagny-sur-Moselle. On Prény Hill, 4 km away, you can visit the ruins of Prény Castle

(18) Opposite, on the other bank of the Moselle, you can admire the Prémontrés Abbey. Exhibitions are often held at this cultural venue, which charges an admission fee.

Near the railway line, ductile iron pipes manufactured at the Saint-Gobain factory in Blénod-lès-Pont-à-Mousson are stored. The pipes produced here are used in water networks all over the world.

(21) The Esch Valley has been a listed natural site since 1938.

(25) The Porte Haute guarded one of the entrances to the medieval town of Liverdun.

(26) Panoramic view of the circular bends in the Moselle from the Château park.

(33) Just 100 metres away via Rue Drouas, you can reach Saint-Étienne Cathedral and its cloister. For €3, you can sometimes climb to the top of the south tower and admire Vauban’s fortifications from above.

For more walks, use our search engine .

The GPS track and description are the property of this route's author. Please do not copy them without permission.