A double circular loop in the shape of a figure of 8 starting from Purgerot

Park near the church or the town hall in Purgerot, in the centre of the village.

(S/E) From the town hall, head south up Rue des Bournaux. Just past the last farm, take the forest track straight ahead, which continues to climb southwards. Pass an abandoned cemetery on your left, along with the road that bends and turns into a track.

This track climbs to the ridge, then descends, running alongside what look like old quarries on your left. The main track turns left at a cross, then arrives at an elegant, well-maintained chapel, flanked by a few beautiful pollarded willows. A little further down, you’ll reach the church at Chargey-lès-Port.

(1) At the church, head down the Grande Rue (D197) opposite. Pass a beautiful wash house on the right. At the next junction, follow the D197 to the left, which becomes Rue de la Pennière (there’s a beautiful wash house at the junction).

(2) At the next junction, about 200m on, take Rue Voie des Côtes, which climbs to the right. Continue along this street, which turns into a track and passes a final large farm before entering the forest, still heading more or less south-south-west. Pass the “Tomb.” marked on the IGN map, which is an engraved gravestone set into a low stone wall at the foot of a large tree. About 1.5 km further on, you’ll come to a track leading up from the plain.

(3) Follow this forest track to the right for about 700 metres until you reach a crossroads. Turn right at a right angle to head north-west, continuing straight on for about 1,500 metres. The track then curves gently northwards, about 150 metres after leaving the woods, to cross some farmland. You’ll arrive at a bend in a very good farm track.

(4) Turn left onto this track, which joins another track 300 metres further on. Follow it to the right, heading north-north-east.

(5) About a hundred metres before reaching the D7, take the forest track which climbs to the right then turns left (beehives on the right) to continue climbing gently, more or less parallel to the D7.

(6) At the start of a right-hand bend, take a well-marked path that descends to the left up to the top of the village of Purgerot. The path disappears as you leave the forest, but simply head straight on along the low wall that leads down to Rue de la Chèvre. At the bottom of this very steep street, turn right to reach the town hall.

(S/E) From the town hall, cross the Grande Rue and head south down Rue du Vaux, which leads to the superb fountain and washhouse with its distinctive metal structure. Continue down Rue du Vaux, which becomes Rue des Vignes, then head north up the other side of the Vallon. Ignore the path that veers off to the left and continue up the tarmac road that runs alongside a small vineyard.

(7) Carry on straight ahead along the forest track at the isolated farm in the hamlet of Grande Vigne. The track makes a slight hairpin bend before crossing the ridge and descending the northern slope, quickly emerging from the forest, crossing farmland and climbing up to some large sheds (cattle sheds and haylofts).

(8) At the pass, by the wayside cross, leave the main path and turn left, then right onto the path leading down to Aboncourt. When you reach the D56, turn left. Near the church, note an interesting wayside cross featuring, on one side, Christ on the cross, and on the other, the Virgin Mary with her feet resting on an angel’s head. Continue along the D56 to the church-cum-town hall in Gesincourt. Don’t miss the opportunity, to the left of this building, to visit the interesting combination of well, drinking trough, fountain and washhouse situated slightly below.

(9) Just before leaving the village, take a path on the left, passing the last house on your right, then a large shed. The track climbs and reaches a ridge overlooking vast expanses of pasture and farmland. This south-westerly track then enters the forest whilst climbing, turns left and soon reaches farmland again, which it crosses in an easterly direction for about 1 km, before entering the forest once more. The track veers southwards, where it is joined by another forest track coming from the north.

(10) About 100 metres after this junction, leave the main track and turn left onto a less-travelled track which descends rapidly down the hillside. This track continues to the entrance to the village of Purgerot. From there, simply follow the departmental road to return to your starting point (S/E).

La Ludore Farm Inn in Aboncourt-Gesincourt 03 84 68 71 28