From Fléville to Lupcourt in the footsteps of the past

A route combining a visit to Fléville-devant-Nancy with its Renaissance castle and the rolling landscapes of the Vermois; it follows some sections used in the distant past (a Gallo-Roman road) or more recently (harnessed horses at the beginning of the 20th century).

Route updated in January 2026.

Details

318042
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 12.46 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 45 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 56 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 52 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 255 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 209 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Departure from Fléville Castle (public transport stop nearby, parking available on the street or near the town hall if busy).

(S/E) Head east (towards the town hall) and take Rue du Puits on the left, which after a bend becomes Ruelle du Bas du Village.

(1) At the end of the street, you will see an Art Deco house on your left. Cross Rue du Château to take Rue de Manonchamp almost opposite, then Rue des Érables on the left. At the intersection, first turn right then left to take the footpath on the left which crosses the housing estate and leads to the Route de Lupcourt. Cross it and follow it to the right for 200 metres before taking the path on the left leading to the canal. This path, known as "de Fléville à Saint-Nicolas", is part of the "Route Charlemagne" linking Toul to Saint-Nicolas de Port, a route that follows a Gallo-Roman road which this route takes to Gérardcourt, then from the church of St-Hilaire to Lupcourt. Joan of Arc is said to have passed through here in January 1429. Cross the bridge over the Canal de Jonction and continue along the path opposite.

(2) Cross the Frahaut via an old culvert known locally as "the Roman Bridge", where you can see the stonework by stepping slightly off the path. After the bend, there is a panoramic view of the Vermois. Continue straight ahead across the plain, ignoring the intersection at the high-voltage power line. After a right-hand bend, the rural path leads to a farm, which you can bypass by fording the stream (or, if necessary, by following a track that runs alongside the building). Continue to the main road.

(3) Take it on the left to cross the hamlet of Gérardcourt. After passing over the A33 motorway, you will reach the "Chapelle St-Hilaire".

(4) Formerly the church of the destroyed village of St-Hilaire-en-Vermois, it is now the "country" church of the commune of Ville-en-Vermois. Continue towards this village for 100 m and take the path on the right that leads to Lupcourt. At the town entrance sign, take the road on the right, then the road on the right (Route de Lupcoury) and then the road on the left (Rue du Clos des Vergers), passing by the church. Turn left towards the town hall, then continue right along Rue du Château towards Azelot.

(5) Opposite the château (built inthe 17th century on the site of a former fortified house), take the rural path that branches off to the right. After 100 metres, in the bend, continue left along the track heading generally west.

(6) Near the railway line, leave the Bédon farm on your left and continue right towards the Fléville industrial estate. At the first roundabout, take the street on the right, then the one on the left and again the one on the right. At the second roundabout, turn left and go up the towpath of the Canal de Jonction.

(7) Follow it to the right towards the north-east, then at the lock, cross the canal to change banks.

(8) At the roundabout,
_ in wet weather, it is recommended to reach the village via Rue d'Erfurt on the left.
_ Otherwise, follow the canal, turning right after 400 metres to take Chemin de la Noue on the far left until you reach a crossroads. This road was once used by many tow horses to go and get a makeover at the farrier's in the centre of the village.

(9) Turn right to go down Rue Léon Ducret, where you will have a panoramic view of the old village, its castle and its church.

(10) At the monument square, go around the church on the left and pass in front of the castle farm before returning to the starting point (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 219 m - Château de Fléville
  2. 1 : km 0.38 - alt. 221 m - Art Deco house
  3. 2 : km 1.72 - alt. 209 m - Roman bridge
  4. 3 : km 3.95 - alt. 214 m - Road
  5. 4 : km 4.99 - alt. 238 m - Chapelle Saint Hilaire
  6. 5 : km 6.47 - alt. 239 m - Château de Lupcourt
  7. 6 : km 8.74 - alt. 250 m - Bédon Farm
  8. 7 : km 10.7 - alt. 241 m - Canal de jonction de Nancy
  9. 8 : km 10.97 - alt. 243 m - Alternative route
  10. 9 : km 11.99 - alt. 240 m - Rue Léon Ducret
  11. 10 : km 12.35 - alt. 220 m - Place du Monument
  12. S/E : km 12.46 - alt. 219 m - Château de Fléville

Notes

As the route passes through an industrial area, there is less traffic on weekends.

In the countryside, some sections may be muddy in wet weather.

There is a bakery near the town hall and a bar-restaurant on Place du Monument.

Worth a visit

Fléville Castle is one of the few Renaissance castles in Lorraine, complete with a14th-century keep. A large part of the richly furnished rooms and the 20-hectare park are open to visitors from April to November.

The Canal de Jonction connects the Canal de l'Est (north-south) directly to the Canal de la Marne au Rhin (east-west), avoiding a bend to the west.

Reviews and comments

4.5 / 5
Based on 7 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.7 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.7 / 5
Route interest
4.1 / 5
DanielFR
DanielFR

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 15, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Our comments:
- At Gérardcourt, on the eastern corner of the farm, the path is overgrown. There is a footbridge, but it is not visible, so you have to wade across.
- Towards the Petite Commune woods, the path is also overgrown with weeds.
- Roman bridge at point 5: also overgrown, the bridge is not visible.
- On leaving Fléville, the path is also overgrown, although it is signposted; the junction with the cycle path can be reached via a footbridge located 130 metres further east than on the GPX route.

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LEBANDIDO
LEBANDIDO

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 08, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant afternoon walk. The stretch through the industrial area is relatively short and not very pleasant. There were no lorries as it was a Saturday.

There is a small error at the end of paragraph (2): you must leave the D71 on the LEFT, not on the right, before heading towards Saint Hilare.

My thanks to the creator of the walk.

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Hezotin
Hezotin

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 14, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Pleasant outside the industrial area, in sunny weather, but still muddy, especially between Fléville and Gerardcourt.
The Art Deco house is not very typical, but that's not the main thing.
Thanks to the author.

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franchie
franchie

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 24, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Nice walk, for which I would like to make a few corrections:

- At the end of paragraph (2), you need to leave the D71 on the LEFT, not on the right!
- Paragraph (5): there are no longer any Grand Nancy signs, but the path between the houses leads to Rue de Manonchamp, which you need to take on the right.
- Paragraph (6): you actually have to cross the main street (rue du Château) and go down Ruelle du Bas du Village, which joins rue du Puits. I looked hard for the Art Deco house, but couldn't find it.

Apart from that, it was a lovely walk on this sunny day. I met a few other walkers on the paths; the site is very popular!

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PGER
PGER

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 31, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Very pleasant hike. Avoid in very hot weather.

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randomapa54
randomapa54
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 27, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

We set off on this hike under grey skies. It started raining in Lupcourt, where we encountered dirt paths that were a little muddy after several days of rain. Although we have lived in Fléville for several years, we were unfamiliar with this route starting from the industrial estate, and we enjoyed it because we love these country paths. Seeing beautiful horses in the green meadows was a wonderful sight. We chose to do this hike on a Saturday to avoid the lorry traffic in the area at the start, even though it's not long. We recommend this hike, which is a bit different from the walks along the canal.
As always, we are very satisfied with VISORANDO.

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mn54710
mn54710

Route modified following Beauric's comment.

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gazok54
gazok54 ★

Thank you mn54710 for your follow-up.

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mn54710
mn54710

Second reply to Beauric:

I have just seen on the map a path that connects Lupcourt directly to La Chapelle.
I will check whether it is still passable and, if so, the route would benefit from going down to the village of Lupcourt and joining Gérardcourt via this route.
To be continued...
Thank you

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mn54710
mn54710

Hello,

I assume you are referring to the St-Hilaire chapel, which is actually the church of Ville-en-Vermois.
It is possible to make a round trip there, but it is usually closed and the journey is along a road.
I will indicate it as a possible extension.
Thank you.

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Beauric
Beauric

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 03, 2016
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Include the Chapel of Gérarcourt in this route

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