Dieulouard, Notre-Dame des Airs Chapel and Blénod Thermal Power Station

Route through the forest offering beautiful views of the Esch Valley and the Moselle Valley.
The return trip along the canalised Moselle offers views of herons, cormorants and possibly deer in the plain.

Details

104868
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 9.71 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 10 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 145 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 145 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 331 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 182 m
  • ⚐ Country: France
  • ⚐ District: Dieulouard (54380)
  • ⚑
    Start/End: N 48.842872° / E 6.068679°
  • Accessible from the train station Gare de Dieulouard.
  • Hour-by-hour weather

Photos

Description of the walk

Park at Place de Verdun.

(S/E) Facing the castle, take Rue de la Fontaine on the left, then Rue de la Grande Roche on the right for 85 metres. Pass under the small bridge on the right leading to the castle and take Rue du Château. Walk down this street for 80 metres, then turn right onto Rue Porte Boulot and walk for 60 metres.

(1) Take Chemin du Trême, which climbs between the houses on the left, just at the intersection with Rue Hamonvaux.

Follow this path for about 120 metres, then take the path on the right (two metal arches mark the passage). Follow this path for about 800 metres to reach the Notre-Dame des Airs chapel.

(2) Cross the car park opposite the chapel and turn right onto the path that follows the ridge.

(3) The start of this path is just before an orange disc marking on the right-hand side of the path. Follow it for about 1,700 metres. There are numerous remains of trenches on the right and the entrance to a cave or chasm on the left.

(4) At the intersection with a Gaz de France easement (yellow markers), turn right onto the gravel path to the gas station. Pass the barbed wire and descend the park on the right as there are many springs and the ground is muddy. Pass in front of the water tanks and turn slightly left to enter a second park. Go down this park on the left to reach the limestone path.

(5) Follow this path to the D657 road (Blénod - Dieulouard). Turn right for 90 metres, then left onto Rue de la Cartonnerie. Cross the level crossing, then the bridge over the canal (canalised Moselle). Turn right and follow the path to cross another bridge over two locks.

(6) After this bridge, turn right onto Chemin de Rouves along the canal. Pass under a road bridge.

(7) Continue along this towpath. Follow this path to the D10 bridge (Ville au Val - Dieulouard). Cross the bridge on the right. Follow the D10 for about 50 metres (until the end of the safety barrier).

(8) Take the dirt track on the right, follow it and pass under the bridge, turning right. Walk along the canalised Moselle for about 500 metres.

(9) Take a path on the right. Follow this path to a house, then turn left to pass in front of the house.

(10) Then turn right onto Rue des Trappiers (GOUVY building on the left). Follow the street to the intersection with the D10 and turn left. Follow the D10 to the intersection with the D 657 (Avenue du Général De Gaulle).
Turn left onto Place de Verdun, which is on the right-hand side of this avenue, approximately 80 metres away.
You have arrived (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 186 m - Place de Verdun - Gare de Dieulouard
  2. 1 : km 0.33 - alt. 188 m - Dirt track climbing to the left.
  3. 2 : km 1.21 - alt. 257 m - Chapelle Notre-Dame des Airs (Dieulouard)
  4. 3 : km 1.37 - alt. 262 m - Turn right onto the path that follows the ridge.
  5. 4 : km 3.12 - alt. 303 m - GDF easement. Turn right.
  6. 5 : km 3.89 - alt. 204 m - Limestone path.
  7. 6 : km 5.04 - alt. 189 m - Blénod lock
  8. 7 : km 6 - alt. 184 m - Towpath of the - Moselle (la)
  9. 8 : km 8.13 - alt. 185 m - End of the slide. Take the path on the right.
  10. 9 : km 9.01 - alt. 185 m - Dirt track on the right.
  11. 10 : km 9.17 - alt. 184 m - Rue des Trapiers. On the right.
  12. S/E : km 9.71 - alt. 186 m - Place de Verdun - Château (Dieulouard)

Notes

Walking sticks recommended, gaiters recommended after rain.

Worth a visit

Notre-Dame des Airs Chapel.
Visit to Dieulouard Castle.
Visit to the Gallo-Roman museum.

Reviews and comments

4 / 5
Based on 9 reviews

Reliability of the description
3.8 / 5
Ease of following the route
4 / 5
Route interest
4.3 / 5
Isabelle54
Isabelle54

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 21, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk. The landscape is very varied: Notre Dame des Airs, forest, banks of the Moselle.
The walk is well described.
The problem is that you have to climb over barbed wire to get to a field with cows. Not sure the farmer would approve...

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franchie
franchie

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 20, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful walk in freezing cold weather but with blue skies and sunshine. I agree with some of the hikers on the forum about climbing over the barbed wire (personally, I preferred to crawl!).
The chapel has been restored and the Treme path has been well laid out with a few explanatory panels on the dry stone walls. The cardboard factory, which has been partially restored, is very interesting for those who, like me, appreciate industrial wastelands.
I skipped sections 8 to 10 and returned to the car park via the waste collection centre and the pretty little Gouvy train.
I was able to see all the wildlife promised in the route presentation, including deer.
Thank you, Jean-Jacques!

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Christecol
Christecol

Overall rating : 4.5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 28, 2021
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A walk just the way I like it, with everything I love: the forest, fields to cross with cows and barbed wire fences, beautiful landscapes, water and lots of birds. Thanks to the BirdNet app (thank you, Visorando), I discovered the nightingale. Following a prefectural decree and a landslide, the first trail from the car park is normally closed, but the work is almost finished and I was able to get through. The chapel, part of whose decoration has fallen to the ground, is blocked off by barriers.
In any case, it's best to have a map to make sure you don't get too lost.

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martine.parachini@orange.fr
martine.parachini@orange.fr

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 09, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very beautiful panorama from the chapel, beautiful view also along part of the path. Very pleasant walk.

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pgullung
pgullung
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 02, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A quick note regarding point 7. After crossing the bridge and going down the stairs, it says, "On the right is a building. Go around it on the right, following the bushes..." The vegetation is very thick, making it impossible to pass. Therefore, at the bottom of the stairs, continue straight ahead on the path for about 300 metres. Just before the water, there is a building on the right. Go around it on the right or left to find a passage through the vegetation (which is not overgrown) to climb up (you will see a yellow post marked 12) onto the towpath and turn left. You will then be back on the trail.

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randopompey
randopompey

Where did you get lost?

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Frère Annette 2018
Frère Annette 2018

Overall rating : 3 / 5

Date of your route : May 24, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Ease of following the route : Not used / Not applicable
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

The description seemed difficult to us; in fact, it was our first hike with a description, and in the end we got lost. Some kind locals who were out hiking took us back to their house on foot and then drove us more than 5 km to our car. I think the signposting should be taken into account for 11 km walks, as many landscapes look alike, but otherwise it was a fantastic walk.

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OdileRando
OdileRando

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 25, 2015
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

The first third of the hike was very good. Beautiful view from Notre Dame des Airs and magnificent path through the forest amid the autumn foliage. A minor observation (I saw traces of trenches on the left, not on the right, and no cave entrances).
I wasn't keen on the descent through the parks and crossing the barbed wire several times among young bulls, and I wouldn't recommend this section for a group.
After that, it's a good idea to go through an industrial site, even if it's disused, although going around the power station is of limited interest and even monotonous.
The towpath is pleasant, but crossing the bridge along the safety barriers seems dangerous with a group, as the pavement is very narrow and the traffic is quite heavy.
I will look for another solution and remove this part because of the descent from the parks and perhaps make a circular route towards Jezainville.
In any case, it's an excellent idea, combining forest, beautiful landscapes, industrial area and towpath.

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randopompey
randopompey

Actually, I don't understand the problem with walking through this park either. Many hikes in the Vosges pass through these areas. As for private property, it is an open space with no barriers, so passage is tolerated.
To reach the towpath along the Moselle, I chose to turn right after the tin building to have easy access to this path. It is possible to reach it further on by continuing along the path that passes through the centre of the buildings and passing to the right of a bungalow located in the middle of a meadow. You then have to climb a slope.
As there are people over 80 years old in the club, I did not choose this option.
Enjoy your walks.

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bibi
bibi ★

In the mountains, in my experience, trails often pass through pastures with animals, and there are even passages adapted for hikers/mountain bikers...

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ferveur
ferveur

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 13, 2015
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Hello
I don't understand how you can walk through a park where there are animals or through private property
and after crossing the railway line and the road at the bottom of the stairs, I don't see how you can turn right.
Thank you for the explanations from Viso Randonneur.

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ferveur
ferveur

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 19, 2015
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

I find it abnormal to walk through a park below the gas station where there may be animals (cows, horses).

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