The Malzéville Plateau tour

A pleasant route on the Malzéville Plateau at the Porte de Nancy, offering a change of scenery while skirting around an aerodrome. The circuit features a variety of natural environments, with sections through woods, along the edge of woods, and across grassy fields and moorland.

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 8.61 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 40 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 62 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 63 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 383 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 324 m

Photos

Description of the walk

(S/E) Take the right path heading north-west. Shortly afterwards, at a crossroads (picnic table off to the left), take the narrow path in the middle opposite. It heads towards the woods, then turns left and enters the woods. Atthe first crossroads in the woods, turn right. At the next crossroads, go straight ahead. Walk along the fence of an antenna anchor point.

(1) At the end, follow a wide path to the left (west). Ignore a path on the left and head northwest.

(2) At the crossroads, first turn right then left to follow a forest path that runs alongside a landscaped area on the left, in a sort of clearing. Pass a memorial stone in honour of two non-commissioned officers of the 26th Infantry Regiment and continue north-northwest on the wide forest path. The path eventually turns right and exits the woods.

(3) At the crossroads in the middle of the moor, take the path on the left, which slopes slightly downwards (beautiful views towards Bouxières aux Dames). You will come to a crossroads with a signpost.

(4) Turn right (east) onto a grassy path in the middle of a large plot of land. A little further on, the path becomes more visible and curves to the right (south-east). Further on, the path approaches the woods and turns left. Walk between the woods on your left and an electric fence.

(5) At the T-junction, take the path on the left (north-west). Shortly afterwards, at a fork, take the path on the right, heading due north. Further on, the path curves to the left (north-west).

(6) At the crossroads, turn sharply right. Walk up the gently sloping moorland towards the south-east. Stay on the main path, which leads to a grassy clearing and approaches a wood, heading towards what appears to be a corner of the clearing.

(7) Cross a strip of woodland for a few metres to reach another clearing. Stay on the main path, which heads south and crosses a strip of woodland about 30 metres long before opening out into another clearing. The path immediately turns left: stay at the edge of the woods, heading south-east. Then turn right at the edge of the Bois de Flavémont. Stay at the edge, keeping the aerodrome on your right.

(8) At the Butte Sainte-Geneviève car park, first turn right then left to take a path that runs between two concrete blocks. Cross a clearing (picnic tables) to reach a path in the woods lined with wooden posts. Follow this path through the Bois des Carrières. Continue along this main path until you reach an area where the woods open up and there is a crossroads.

(9) Turn left to reach the Dommartemont orientation table. Retrace your steps.

(9) Continue straight ahead (north-west). The path winds. At a crossroads, turn right. At the next crossroads, turn right again. When you reach a fence on the left, take the stairs on the left, along this protected area. At the top, go straight ahead, past a tennis court. At the crossroads, first turn left then right to return to the starting point (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 346 m - Plateau car park
  2. 1 : km 0.6 - alt. 367 m - Intersection
  3. 2 : km 0.85 - alt. 359 m - Crossroads
  4. 3 : km 1.61 - alt. 355 m - Crossroads
  5. 4 : km 2.44 - alt. 329 m - Crossroads - Signpost
  6. 5 : km 3.37 - alt. 336 m - T-junction
  7. 6 : km 4.12 - alt. 324 m - Crossroads of five paths
  8. 7 : km 5.18 - alt. 351 m - Crossroads
  9. 8 : km 7.21 - alt. 360 m - T-junction
  10. 9 : km 8.01 - alt. 345 m - Access to the orientation table
  11. S/E : km 8.61 - alt. 346 m - Plateau car park

Notes

The car park is located on the Plateau de Malzéville car park. Please note that there is another car park at point (8) (west of Sainte-Geneviève and north of Montbois). The two are connected by the Pain de Sucre path, which is closed to traffic.

This hike covers varied terrain and requires sturdy footwear.

This route is only partially marked. Consequently, it is advisable to follow the directions in this description and on the map, while also paying attention to the landscape you are walking through. Distance indications from the starting point and even the GPS coordinates of the waypoints (including the starting point) can also help hikers find their way.
Using a GPS or a smartphone with the Visorando app can make it easier for walkers to find their way. This route is not difficult, but it crosses many paths that can be misleading, even if some of them rejoin further on. There are other paths, particularly in the woods around the plateau. The proposed route offers beautiful panoramic views, with a choice of walking along the edge of the woods or across the moorland.

Alternative: From the point (8), it is possible to return directly to the car park by taking the Pain de Sucre path, which is closed to traffic. The circuit is then 7.9 km long.

Hike completed by the author on 21 June 2020

Worth a visit

Malzéville plateau
A calcareous steppe on the outskirts of Nancy
The Malzéville Plateau is a landform located mainly within the commune of Malzéville, in the department of Meurthe-et-Moselle, north-east of the city of Nancy.
Covering an area of 557 hectares (plateau and Sainte Geneviève hill), the plateau, which is mainly wooded with conifers, is classified as a site of Community importance. Its Natura 2000 classified area covers 439 hectares. It rises to an altitude of 384 metres.
The climate of the Malzéville plateau is much the same as that of the rest of the department, but due to its altitude, the winds are generally stronger than in the plains and there is much more snowfall. In winter, the plateau is often covered with several centimetres of snow, while the surrounding plains remain snow-free.
A witness hill remains in the south-east of the plateau: the Sainte-Geneviève hill (361 metres).

Several streams originate on the Malzéville plateau.
the Rouaux stream (2.4 km) flows from the south-east of the plateau, first towards the east, then curving northwards, crossing Agincourt and joining the Amezule.
the Ronchère rises in the north-west of the plateau, flows northwards in a fairly steep basin thirty to forty metres deep and joins the Meurthe below. This stream often runs dry during dry periods.

The Malzéville plateau has been occupied since Neolithic times, as evidenced by the presence of primitive tools and pottery.
Its location became strategic for the defence of Nancy following the war of 1870. The border with annexed Alsace-Lorraine was only fourteen kilometres away. The plateau was used as a military airfield until 1926, when it was replaced by Nancy-Essey Airport. It was on the Malzéville plateau that, on 14 November 1915, the President of the Republic, Raymond Poincaré, solemnly presented the military aviation flag to the army, an emblem which, on that day, together with the military aerostation flag, replaced a single flag " which the government of the Republic had assigned in 1912 to all military aviation troops".
The plateau served as a training ground for the army and is now a recreational area.
On 19 April 2015, a forest fire ravaged between 6 and 10 hectares, mainly windfall and scrub, but the fire still made inroads into the pine forest.

It is one of the largest limestone grasslands in Lorraine. It is home to Festuco-Lemanii Bromeîum and Onobrychido-Brometum, as well as rare and protected species such as Sieglingio-Brachypodietum, common fumitory, Haller's sedge, perfoliate chlorella, common spirea, burnt orchid, stemless primrose, white violet and false senna.

The plateau is home to the Marie Marvingt microlight flying club and the Greater Nancy gliding club. These associations offer supervised or independent microlight and gliding activities on the three grass runways.

The Malzéville transmitter, 215 metres high, is located to the south of the plateau and broadcasts radio and digital terrestrial television.
For more information
Source: Wikipedia

Reviews and comments

4.4 / 5
Based on 21 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.4 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.6 / 5
Route interest
4.2 / 5
mirande.jules.
mirande.jules.

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 26, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

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Majorelle1
Majorelle1

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : May 05, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

Deserves a little more guidance

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thierry.david54
thierry.david54

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 28, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very interesting.

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Cosilb
Cosilb

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 16, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very pleasant hike, easy to access and very simple to follow with the Visorando route.

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Nad54000
Nad54000

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 25, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Lovely walk, shame it rained but still enjoyable, very beautiful scenery

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RAVIGOTE
RAVIGOTE

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 20, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

Pleasant route. Beautiful view of Nancy. What's more, the sun was shining...

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Aude1354
Aude1354

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 06, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hike done on 30 December in thick fog and snow. And yet very pleasant! A breath of fresh air and a good walk

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noelleclaudine
noelleclaudine

Overall rating : 2.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 12, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Beautiful hike but some paths are non-existent

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fanfan
fanfan

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : May 26, 2024
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : Not used / Not applicable
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Hello
Sorry, but we didn't need Visorando to do this route.
It is very well marked on the ground and offers two versions, one 8 km long and one 11 km long.
Signs present and explain the two routes and their attractions, as well as the prohibition of shortcuts that would involve crossing the aerodrome runways.
Due to an injury, we settled for the 8 km route, which is very pleasant and dotted with orchids

I have just read the previous comments and it is true that some of the markings are on posts, which can be hidden by tall grass. This is worth noting.

Thank you

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Claraazimut
Claraazimut

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 16, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

I did this hike very early in the morning with my dog during a rainy period. The path was easily passable, with no mud.
The views at various points along the way are lovely. An easy hike.

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François VERNIER
François VERNIER

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 12, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A circuit with no particular difficulties and well signposted for most of the route.

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slhuilli
slhuilli

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 21, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

well, it's still a utility file, so it's difficult to judge!

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Angèle 2
Angèle 2

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 23, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

A beautiful, exotic hike just a stone's throw from Nancy. Sometimes vast fields of grass alongside the glider runway and telecommunications antenna, sometimes pine forests and woodlands. The short loop is well marked with posts at the start, but due to the tall grass (May 2023), the paths were no longer visible. The posts were either hidden by the grass or non-existent. Thank goodness for Visorando's GPS, which helped me find my way back to the loop.
The icing on the cake was that I met an English couple who were a little lost, and we walked together. A very good afternoon.

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philippebis
philippebis

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 20, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : Yes

This hike is best done in good weather to enjoy the views. Otherwise, it is not particularly interesting. Also avoid wet weather, as there is a long, very slippery section.

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ac92
ac92

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 15, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike with picturesque scenery throughout. No difficulty in terms of elevation, terrain conditions or navigation – really enjoyable. There are many possible variations in the surrounding woods, which is particularly pleasant in the height of summer when you want to seek out the shade. At this time of year, we enjoyed the sunshine, of course! There is a small restaurant opposite the car park, which is good and inexpensive, perfect for before or after your walk.

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