The Mills at Le Clerjus

From Bain-les-Bains, take the D164 towards Magnoncourt. Turn right halfway along onto the D12. Drive to the Salle des Fêtes in Le Clerjus.

(S/E) With your back to the Salle des Fêtes, follow the Green Ring signposts by turning left onto Rue des Écoles. Continue to the town hall. “Then, on your left, admire the church of Le Clerjus, rebuilt in 1823 on the site of the former 12th-century church.” Then, turn left onto the main street (Rue de la Chaudeau) to reach a crossroads.

(1) Turn left onto Rue des Jardins. At the next crossroads, turn left onto Chemin de la Croix de Mission. Continue to the cherry trees and the Croix des Gaudines, “erected in memory of a mission in 1873”.

(2) Take the stony path on the left. Then continue across the fields to the edge of the forest, following the ruins of an old wall. Walk down the slope to the road and turn left to see a shrine dedicated to Notre-Dame des Charbonniers.

(3) At the road, head left towards La Chaudeau and take a look at a replica of the Grotto of Lourdes dedicated to the Blessed Virgin. Continue and take the first road on the left next to the Martin-pêcheur guesthouse to follow the banks of the Semouse. Then, turn left at the Chaudeau Chapel and admire the ruins and old metalworks as you pass by. Follow the Semouse, ignore the first path on the right, then after walking 1 km, you’ll reach a junction.

(4) Turn right twice and head up towards the cul-de-sac leading into a field and then a forest. Reach the road and turn left. As you go downhill, pass by the Source des Foulots and continue until you reach the cul-de-sac at Moulin Greget.

(5) Turn right, following the road to Moulin Greget, then take the path branching off to the left. Continue for 400 m and rejoin the stony track leading towards the hamlet of Pâquis across the fields. Ignore a track on the left. After crossing a stream, turn left onto the road and continue to the bend.

(6) Follow the path on the left to re-enter the forest. Stay on this path, which continues downhill, until you cross the Ruisseau du Hallot and turn left. Follow this path and walk alongside the pond, turning right at the next junction to re-enter the forest. Continue to the palis.

(7) The palis are flat sandstone slabs anchored vertically in the ground. Continue straight on along this path until you return to the road.

(4) Carry on straight ahead and keep to the right until you reach the junction of the first circular route, passing close to a cemetery.

(1) Keep going in the same direction and return to the starting point by following the route in reverse (S/E).

Thank you to the Club Vosgien and ASCL Le Clerjus for organising this hike and for the work carried out by their teams throughout the year to mark out and maintain these paths.

• (2) The Croix des Gaudines: erected in memory of a mission in 1873.

• Sanctuary dedicated to Our Lady of the Coal Miners.

• Replica of the Grotto of Lourdes: erected by Mr Charles Der Buyer in 1926 in memory of his wife, née Hélène De La Salle, who died in 1927.

• (7) Palis: flat sandstone slabs set vertically into the ground. They are mainly found in the Vôge-les-Bains area and were once used to mark the boundaries of gardens, plots of land around dwellings or the right-of-way of paths.