The Val la Pie loop in Daillancourt

The walk starts from the church car park.

(S/E) Take the road leading uphill away from the church towards the Ferme des Gourmandises.
At the junction, turn left onto the road towards La Prouse.

(1) At the Fork in the road, just before a cowshed, turn left and stay on this path, which leads to Val la Pie and into the woodland.

(2) As you emerge from the woods, carry on straight ahead, then at the end of the path, turn right towards the entrance to the communal forest.

(3) Turn left to enter the communal forest and stay on this path until you reach a clearing where two paths cross at right angles.

(4) Turn right and follow the path to the edge of the forest.

(5) Turn right and follow the path that runs between the forest and a small copse, then walk alongside the forest across the fields, heading towards the entrance to the forest you took earlier.

(3) When you reach the path, turn left – away from the path leading back into the forest – and follow the cattle track to La Pérouse to head back down towards the village of Daillancourt.

(1) From the cowshed, follow the path in the opposite direction to the way you came to return to the church (S/E).

(2) You can shorten this walk to return to Daillancourt by turning right once as you leave the woods, then right again to take the ‘Voie des vaches’ path, which leads back to the village via La Pérouse.

On the way back, along the Pérouse, you’ll see the village of Guindrecourt-sur-Blaise on your right, with its cemetery situated just outside the village, and further still to the right, the village of Blaise with the Forêt de l’Étoile in the background.

At the start of the walk, opposite the church porch, you’ll be able to see the old wash house.

On your way back to Daillancourt, don’t miss the cross on the road leading down from La Pérouse, which is more or less visible through the vegetation depending on the season.

At the end of your walk, you can visit the educational farm ‘Les Gourmandises’ with the children, if you wish.

On your way back, if you follow the Blaise valley, you can stop off at the Château de Cirey-sur-Blaise, just as Voltaire did in his day at the invitation of Madame du Châtelet; or, alternatively, by heading back up the valley, carry on to Colombey-les-Deux-Églises, the final resting place and memorial to General de Gaulle.