Norroy-le-Veneur walks

Water is everywhere in Norroy-le-Veneur: wash houses, the Fontaine aux Chênes, and the Moulin aux Prés. The fortified church and the Highland cattle are also well worth a visit.

A fairly varied route passing through fields and gardens, with long stretches through the forest and then through the village.

An easy route starting from the village centre, allowing you to see different aspects of this village of 1,500 inhabitants located about 10 km west of the city of Metz. Through narrow streets and paths, you can enjoy an unobstructed view of Saint-Brice Church, cross a market garden area and then walk along the Saulny Stream.

This circular route, through the paths and lanes of the village of Saulny, will give you a better understanding of this village, situated 7 km west of the city of Metz. A varied route through woods, farmland and urban streets.

This easy route takes you through the streets and alleys of the village, allowing you to enjoy a pleasant, effortless walk with dry feet and get to know this village near Metz better.

A fairly easy circular route which, starting from the village of Saulny, takes you up onto the limestone plateau, offering a panoramic view – in good weather – of the village of Lorry-lès-Metz and the city of Metz. This panoramic view also takes in Saint-Étienne Cathedral and the Centre Pompidou (museum) with its white sail. A walk through the limestone grasslands and the surrounding woods.

Starting from Saulny, cross through Lorry-lès-Metz, walk around Fort de Plappeville, a fortified structure dating from the 1870 war, and return via the limestone plateau and the Bois des Prussiens.

Ten kilometres from Metz, enjoy this walk along the banks of the Moselle through woods, orchards and vineyards.

A stroll through fields and woodsBeautiful views as you pass through Saulny, Plesnois, Norroy-le-Veneur and Semécourt.

This varied walk will allow you to discover, in particular, the Bois du Nord de Woippy, the Parc de la Gentière (a former private wildlife park that has become a forest), the limestone meadow with its unique view of Saulny, and a beautiful descent through the Bois de Plesnois.

For this first stage, the route seems very direct but stays well away from the main roads. It follows country lanes, tracks reserved for farm machinery, forest paths and cycle paths!

The village of Chassepierre is a little paradise on the banks of the Semois, very close to the French and Luxembourg borders, just 120 km from Metz.Our route takes 3 or 4 days: one and a half days to reach Chassepierre, half a day or one and a half days there to enjoy the surroundings, and one day for the return journey, part of which is by train. It is also possible, as the author of this route did, to attend the performances at the street arts festival, which takes place in the afternoons and evenings on the Saturday and Sunday following 15 August. The first long stage (over 90 km) takes us beyond the Chiers and the Ton via a very direct route through France. The following morning, it’s just a 30 km cycle, plus an optional visit to Orval Abbey. The return journey to Metz follows the Semois upstream before heading into Luxembourg to catch the train.

On the first day, you’ll need to cycle to the nearest or most suitable station to catch the train to Bettembourg. In this guide, we’ve chosen Hagondange station for the reasons explained in the practical information section. It’s easy to adapt this section to suit your starting point, choosing another station on the line between Nancy and Luxembourg.

The V50 cycle route (Luxembourg - Lyon) crosses the Messine conurbation, running alongside the Moselle from La Maxe to Augny. Like the author, who set off from Lorry-lès-Metz, it is easy to join the route and follow it to Blénod-lès-Pont-à-Mousson, between ponds and wetlands, riding mostly on dedicated cycle paths. Then you cross "Little Lorraine Switzerland" on quiet roads to rejoin the Moselle at Liverdun, nestled in one of its beautiful meanders. Following the river along the V533 greenway, you soon come into view of Toul Cathedral, the first stop on the journey.

Two borders, three countries, several castles, a river and winding streams punctuate this short cycling trip. The route often follows valleys, so the elevation gain is not very significant. It almost always runs along dedicated routes, including smooth cycle paths, footpaths or shared roads with very little motor traffic. If all the cultural attractions appeal to you, you’ll need to allow an extra day or two, which is possible by camping, for example, in Inor (Meuse) and Hesperange (Luxembourg).

This first stage of the route takes us into the Meuse department via footpaths, tracks reserved for farm machinery or small country lanes. The detour into Meurthe-et-Moselle offers the chance to visit several castles. There are several spots along the route ideal for a picnic, including the Étang d’Amel within a nature reserve, provided you set off early to reach it before lunchtime.

A circular route leading to the Tour de Drince (viewpoint), starting from the car park at the Pierrevillers community hall. Please note: the route is very muddy in winter.