Along the Chiers between Lexy and Cons-la-Grandville

The start of this walk is near the church and town hall in Lexy, in the heart of the village. Free parking is available in the immediate vicinity, particularly near the Post Office and in the village centre.

(S/E) Turn your back on the Town Hall and follow Rue de Lorraine to the junction with Rue du Maréchal Foch.

(1) Turn left here, then turn right onto Rue du Cochet and begin the descent towards the forest. Continue along the path, which runs alongside the railway line before veering off it, and you will soon reach the Lexy micro-hydroelectric power station.

(2) Carry on, passing the pumping station, until you reach the railway bridge.

(3) Go under it to enter a former industrial and agricultural area. Take the opportunity to admire the impressive grain silos on your left. Some caution is still required in this area due to the possible movement of construction machinery. You’ll come out onto Route de Longwy and follow it to the left for about twenty metres.

(4) Turn left to avoid a section running alongside the road before rejoining the main route a little further on. Continue left until you reach the junction opposite the castle and the former priory.

(5) Head left onto Rue du Général de Gaulle, following the red and white markings of the GR®570. Cross the bridge over the Chiers.

(6) When you reach the Paul Fort school, take the street on the left and follow it along, passing the sewage treatment plant, until you reach a junction.

(7) Head straight on along the Greenway, leaving the GR® behind: this route extends the forest section but adds elevation gain to the hike. Follow the railway line for about 300 m, then veer off to walk alongside the River Chiers at varying distances.

(8) Take the path on the left at the sewage treatment plant to leave the Voie Verte and cross the bridge over the Chiers. Go under the railway line, pass another sewage treatment plant and then the water tower, and join Rue du Maréchal Foch (D171a).

(9) Cross the road with great care as vehicles often travel at high speed. Return to the Greenway opposite and begin the final climb.

(10) Leave the Greenway again and take the path on the left, which winds its way up a few bends before rejoining the tarmac at Chemin de l'Abbé d'Ollières. Please note that this section can become slippery and difficult to navigate in wet or damp conditions. Continue straight on until you reach the junction with Rue Albert Lebrun.

(11) Turn right to return to the car park near the church and the town hall (S/E).

This walk can be done in either direction.

Of moderate difficulty, this route alternates between slightly uneven paths in the first section and more easily walkable sections in the second half. Whilst presenting no major technical difficulties, the terrain and the total duration of the walk (just over 3 hours) make this an intermediate-level hike.

The sections shared with motor traffic are very limited. The route joins the ‘Sentier des Trois Frontières’ (GR®570) and the Réhon–Cons-la-Grandville Greenway for a few hundred metres.

The return climb follows a dirt track which can become difficult to walk on in wet or damp conditions. In such circumstances, it is possible to reach Lexy via the road, but this alternative can be dangerous due to the speed of passing traffic.

During this walk, you will soon come across the Lexy micro-hydroelectric power station (2), accompanied by several information boards to help you understand how it works.

On arriving at Cons-la-Grandville, take a moment to admire the old Clos de Lorraine building and Saint-Hubert Church, discreetly nestled just behind it.

On the second part of the route, you may have the chance to spot a few passenger trains running on the neighbouring line before arriving at the site of the former Réhon tube factory, a testament to the valley’s rich industrial past.