Saint-Imoges - Villers-Allerand and Sermiers via the GR®142

This is a short 17 km hike on paths that are accessible in all seasons. It crosses magnificent forests and vineyards with a beautiful view of the city of Reims.

Accessible by TER train from Germaine Station (point (2))

Details

49752
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 16.70 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 5h 35 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 275 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 275 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 273 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 137 m
  • ⚐ Country: France
  • ⚐ District: Sermiers (51500)
  • ⚑
    Start/End: N 49.128142° / E 3.990399°
  • Accessible from the train station Gare de Germaine.
  • ❏
    IGN map(s): Ref. 2713E, 2812O, 2813O
  • Hour-by-hour weather

Photos

Description of the walk

Park in the Cadran car park on the D951.

(S/E) From the car park, walk under the trees to reach the Route Forestière du Cadran, which runs behind, and turn left.

(1) At the first crossroads, turn right (unpaved road). Stay on this road until you reach the hamlet of Les Haies (Germaine station).

(2) When you reach the first houses, turn left. The small road is initially tarmac, then gravel. It follows the railway line northwards at a distance.

(3) You will come to a junction with theGR®142. Do not continue straight on towards Rilly-la-Montagne, but turn left towards Villers-Allerand, then 100 m further on, turn right.
Take a grassy path towards Villers-Allerand. Descend steeply along a path, which is often slippery, running alongside the vineyards.

(4) From Villers-Allerand, follow Rue Alphonse Hanin, then turn left onto Rue du Voisin and follow the signs for theGR®142.

TheGR® crosses the village, leaves the road to the right between high walls (Chemin de la Petite Barbarie), and passes by the football field (picnic table).

(5) Walk through the vineyards to the D951. Cross the road using the nearby pedestrian crossing. Take theGR® opposite, walk through the vineyards and turn right at the fork. Enter an area of fields and continue straight ahead to the football pitch.

(6) Turn left. Walk to the village of Sermiers. Follow theGR® to the top of Sermiers, through the vineyards.

(7) Where theGR® trail turns right at a right angle, leave it and continue straight ahead. The path climbs between vineyards and woods to the Route Forestière de la Noëlle.

(8) At the crossroads, turn right, then left at the next junction. Follow the stony forest road that crosses the woods towards the south (Route de la Fontaine à l'Aulne).

(9) At the junction with Route Forestière de la Mer Rouge, follow it to the left to return to the Cadran car park on the D951 (A/D). Take care when crossing the D951, especially during the week.

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 271 m - Car park at the D951 junction
  2. 1 : km 0.21 - alt. 273 m - Crossroads
  3. 2 : km 2.83 - alt. 180 m - At the houses, turn left. - Gare de Germaine
  4. 3 : km 6.18 - alt. 271 m - Turn left
  5. 4 : km 7.72 - alt. 182 m - Turn left
  6. 5 : km 8.76 - alt. 182 m - Cross the road
  7. 6 : km 10.82 - alt. 144 m - Football pitch
  8. 7 : km 12.25 - alt. 202 m - Go straight ahead
  9. 8 : km 13.28 - alt. 267 m - Turn right
  10. 9 : km 15.61 - alt. 224 m - Route Forestière de la Mer Rouge. Close to the - Ardre (rivière)
  11. S/E : km 16.7 - alt. 271 m - Car park at the D951 junction

Notes

Cadran car park: Picnics can be enjoyed on the return from the hike.
Café in the village of Sermiers open on Sundays until 1.30 pm.
Delicatessen and bakery open on Sunday mornings in Villers-Allerand.

Bakery and delicatessen near the point (5) in Montchenot.

This hike takes experienced walkers around 3.5 hours. In winter, check the hunting days.
The paths are passable by vehicle and paved with stones, the small tarmac roads are traffic-free and are single-track trails.
The route is easy as it follows theGR®142.

To see the hunting dates:
http://www.dateschasse.parc-montagnedere...

Worth a visit

Nearby, Épernay and its champagne cellars.

 Always be cautious and plan ahead when you're outdoors. Visorando and the author of this route cannot be held responsible for any accidents occurring on this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

Reviews and comments

4.4 / 5
Based on 11 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.3 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.6 / 5
Route interest
4.5 / 5
User 26037596

Overall rating : 5 / 5

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

A beautiful hike completed in July 2025 with a 2-year-old child on my back in 4.5 hours.
No particular difficulties except for a fallen tree that we had to crawl under with our little one on our backs, which she found very funny!

A beautiful mix of forest, vineyards, villages and views.

Machine-translated

virgule
virgule

Hike redone today. It is indeed feasible in autumn or winter, as there is very little mud.

Very nice picnic table in full sun next to the football pitch in Sermiers. The gate is closed, but there is a small entrance on the side.

Machine-translated

Cricri et didith
Cricri et didith
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 05, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful route, pleasantly varied between forests, vineyards, villages and viewpoints. Good signage overall, except perhaps at the exit from Sermiers, which could be improved.

Machine-translated

virgule
virgule

Thank you for this advice.

During the next lockdown, in order to be able to go wherever you want, you will need to equip yourself with a rifle.

Machine-translated

berthomas
berthomas

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 10, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant hike, undertaken in beautiful late autumn/early winter weather; the only downside was that we had to change the end of the route, which was a hunting area.

Machine-translated

49lex35
49lex35

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 18, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

..actually, I combined your suggestion with my usual routes in the area (by mountain bike).

Machine-translated

chantal majerus
chantal majerus

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 27, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

We did this hike in very hot weather. It would have been better to start at the Villers Allerand football pitch and head towards Sermiers before the heat became too intense.

Machine-translated

virgule
virgule

Thank you for your feedback, I have made the change.

I have also added the Montchenot baker and caterer, who has just set up shop near point 5.

Machine-translated

ovil
ovil

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : May 14, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

We did this hike from Rilly la Montagne station, starting at point 3.
The weather was ideal, with blue skies, sunshine and a light breeze. The scenery was superb.
However, there is little shade on the route, which must be more difficult in hot weather.
Just one comment: in Villers Allerand, the street that runs past the football pitch is called Rue de la Petite Barbarie, not Rue de la Ferme. Just follow the GR markings.

Machine-translated

virgule
virgule

Hike repeated today in the opposite direction. Despite the rain, there are no muddy spots. So it's a "four-season" route.

However, there is no longer a pedestrian crossing in Montchenot. That's a shame.

Machine-translated

ffrantz
ffrantz

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 25, 2018
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A beautiful hike thanks to the diversity of the landscapes: forest, vineyards, plateaus.
The view of Reims as you arrive in Sermiers is superb. We did this hike in beautiful weather but it was very cold (-1°C). The section of the GR between Sermiers and Villers Allerand was very windy. In summer it must be quite hot because it is exposed, so bring a cap; today a hat was essential.
Although quite long, there are no difficulties, although there may be some muddy patches in wet weather and a few ruts.
My husband likes small paths, and I like wide "white" paths: this hike is perfect for both of us
. The map and GPS track are perfect for finding your way around, so we didn't use the description.
We didn't start from the Cadran car park but from Les Haies and parked the car just around the corner to the right before the barrier that runs along the forest.
Thanks to the hiker who suggested this lovely Champagne trail to us.

Machine-translated

Thierry S6.
Thierry S6.

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 20, 2016
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Hello,
I personally experienced a minor technical problem when arriving in Saint Imoges. I couldn't find the village on the Visorando map I had downloaded, so I changed the route until I reached a point I could find on the map (in fact, we ended up doing a circular route around Sermiers). I don't use the description much in general; I mainly use the map and the markers to find my way. It's a beautiful hike, with a significant portion in the forest and a magnificent view of vineyards and villages when you leave the forest at Sermiers.

Machine-translated

virgule
virgule

I'll add a few more details to my description... I don't want anyone to get lost on one of my routes. I'll pretend there are no markers, instead of relying on the GR.

Actually, where you entered the vineyards on the left, you should have gone slightly to the right, away from the vineyards.

If you go back in a fortnight, it will be the middle of the grape harvest.

Machine-translated

virgule
virgule

Hello,

after crossing Montchenot, the GR crosses the vineyards, then follows the bottom of the vineyards, then crosses the fields. You stay more or less in the same direction until you reach the football field, where you turn left towards the village.

In this area, where the GR markers are sometimes difficult to see, I think it is essential to use the map or smartphone app.

I think you must have left the GR to the left, into the vineyards. As a general rule, when you think you are on a GR and you can no longer see the markers, it means you are no longer on it.

Machine-translated

fidji51
fidji51

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 11, 2016
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Hike done today, problem encountered after crossing the main road at Montchenot: the GR trail is poorly marked in the vineyards. I got lost at the top of the vineyards and turned left (no markings) and ended up on the D 26 towards Sermiers. It's not ideal to take the road, but I couldn't find the path through the vineyards. Instead of turning left, should I have turned right and gone downhill? Thank you if anyone knows, so that I can do it again... otherwise, it's very good.

Machine-translated

Other walks in the area

For more walks, use our search engine .

The GPS track and description are the property of this route's author. Please do not copy them without permission.