The Domaine les Gravières Nature Reserve in Pont-à-Mousson

Date of your route : Jun 08, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

too much nettle at the end of the trail

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I’m sorry, it’s true that it’s a nature reserve. What more can I say? It was a walk in the park before the reserve was established.

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Date of your route : Jul 11, 2023
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : Not used / Not applicable
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

I’ve already done this walk this winter and in early spring. It’s IMPOSSIBLE to do. The path has disappeared; you’d need a machete if you wanted to give it a go. I contacted Pont-à-Mousson Town Hall to find out why the paths had been left to fall into disrepair. The gist of the reply was: it’s a nature reserve, so we don’t touch anything and it’s for the animals, not for humans!! So it’s impossible to see the rich variety of wildlife, especially the dragonflies. It’s probably passable, with some difficulty this winter... but no more dragonflies!!

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Thank you, and I'm glad you enjoyed it.

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Date of your route : May 29, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful walk through unspoilt countryside where humans have allowed nature to flourish once more. Rich plant life, a wide variety of bird species and a herd of wild Tarpan horses roaming freely between the banks of the Moselle and the gravel pits. A little piece of the Camargue in Lorraine.

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Thank you for your message. It’s true that the path gets very muddy in winter, but the wildlife you’ll encounter is truly remarkable.

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Date of your route : Jan 15, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

The route gets very muddy when it rains and is mostly across open fields. Only to be undertaken in dry weather. On the other hand, we saw plenty of birds along the route we chose

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Date of your route : Oct 28, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The route has been altered to ensure a more peaceful walk.
Thank you for your comments.

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Date of your route : Oct 22, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

Hello,
I can confirm what was written earlier. Two to three hundred metres from point 3, just before the route turns west to join the towpath, there is no path left, or it is completely impassable. It is nothing but a field of brambles as tall as a person. We had to turn back.
Kind regards

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Sorry, it’s true that the end of the route is a bit tricky to find; otherwise you’ll end up in the sandpit. Otherwise, from Vandières, follow the Moselle along the towpath, and for the return journey to PàM, do the same: follow the towpath along the river.
Enjoy your walks.

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Date of your route : Oct 25, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hello. The end of the route isn’t signposted and was impossible to find. I carried on straight through the brambles and bamboo. I turned back and, wandering a bit at random, ended up in the middle of the sandpit, between the lorries and the super-slippery mud puddles. It’s a shame to end the walk on such a negative note.
As I didn’t have a car, I came by train to Vandière station (2 km) and returned to Pont-à-Mousson on bus route 1 along the main road. So it’s easily accessible. I’ll be back in the spring for the birds and in the summer for the insects and dragonflies.

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