Les Bois Beaudoin in Xertigny

From Epinal, take the D434 towards Plombières-les-Bains. Stop at Xertigny, at Place Michel Bidaud.

Yellow Rectangle markings throughout the route

(S/E) From the square, take the path leading up to the castle.

(1) Head up the stone steps on the left and cross the path lined with fruit trees to reach the wooden footbridge and the junction at the start of the circular route.

(2) Head straight ahead to reach a second junction and the first pond.

(3) Walk straight along the edge of the pond to reach the second one. Walk around it, then head back towards the first pond.

(3) Head up to the right twice, taking the stony path. Continue to the Faisanderie.

(4) Continue through the forest, then begin the descent, which ends with a series of hairpin bends. You’ll come to a crossroads after the bends.

(5) Turn right to return to the crossroads at the start.

(2) Turn left to return to the starting point via the reverse route (S/E).

Thank you to the French Hiking Federation and Xertigny en transition for creating this walk and for the work carried out by their teams throughout the year to signpost and maintain these paths.

• The Bois Beaudoin form part of the vast estate that once surrounded the Château des Brasseurs. Here you can see a variety of tree species (chestnut, spruce, beech, maple, hornbeam, etc.), the ponds were once used as icehouses to produce ice for the brewing industry; the Faisanderie, a former farm, bred pheasants for hunting (now converted into a venue for celebrations); the arboretum features exotic species, some of which are over a century old.

• (5) __The Château__, a sumptuous residence, was built in 1886. It belonged to the brewer Victor Champion, who developed the production of La Lorraine beer from 1865 onwards, drawing on the exceptional quality of Xertigny’s water, aided by technological and management innovations, as well as the opportunities opened up by supplying the front lines during the First World War and the colonies. Following a period of high production, the post-Second World War years were less prosperous, and economic and technical difficulties, despite two attempts at revival, led to the brewery closing in 1966 after a century of intense activity.

The Château and the Bois Beaudoin form part of the themed walk exploring the history of Xertigny, entitled ‘History on the Move’. Numerous information panels can be found along this walk, each highlighting a local feature, a legend or a piece of local history.