In the lands of Desiderius in Saint-Dizier-l'Évêque

de fr

A very pretty hike that allows you to discover this small village with its superb church and beautiful vineyard.
The historical past is well highlighted with numerous information panels: in the church, at Au pas du Diable and at the small chapel.
The route is marked with a yellow ring.

Details

n°1605417
Creation:
Last update:
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Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 8.25 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 55 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 193 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 188 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 587 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 454 m
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Photos

The Devil's Stone
Vineyard of Saint-Dizier-l-Eveque
Virgin Mary in her chapel
Pierre des fous

Description of the walk

Departure from the car park of the church of Saint-Dizier-l'Évêque.

(S/E) The trail starts at the church, which dates back tothe 11th century. If it is open, it is well worth a visit. From the village church, take the steep, unpaved path between the cemetery wall and the vineyard down to the road. Turn left and head towards the hamlet of Le Val.

(1) You will arrive at the fountain where pilgrims used to bathe in large stone basins. Take some time to admire the stone niches behind the old wash house, designed for washing your head while standing with your feet in the water.
Turn left and cross the hamlet, following Rue de Villars-le-Sec. See the fountains in a small street on the right and continue to the votive chapel of the Virgin Mary, dating from 1860 and recently restored (explanations on the lectern).

(2) Cross the D50 road from Lebetain to Villars-le-Sec and continue along the path opposite, alongside the properties belonging to the commune of Saint-Dizier. This path forms a large circular loop. Take care to maintain your sense of direction to avoid unnecessary detours. The signposting is very useful.

(3) The path passes through a place called Les Pas du Diable (the Devil's Footsteps), linked to the legend of a battle between Bishop Desiderius (Dizier) and the Devil. The Devil is said to have remained imprisoned in the stone, hence the hoofprints embedded in the rock.
Turn right towards St-Dizier-l'Evêque for about 400 metres.

(4) Turn left onto a path. At the edge of the woods, enjoy a beautiful view of the village on the other side of the valley. After 500 metres, you will reach a forest path.

(5) Turn left and 200 metres further on, on the right, you will find a blue disc marker in addition to the yellow ring. Climb up a sunken path heading north-west. At the edge of the Charbonniers woods, the forest path joins a farm track.

(6) Turn left. The path takes you back to the D26.

(7) Turn right to return to the village and find the car park on the right (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 525 m - Car park at the church in Saint-Dizier-l'Évêque
  2. 1 : km 0.58 - alt. 462 m - Le Val hamlet
  3. 2 : km 1.18 - alt. 496 m - Crossing the D50
  4. 3 : km 3.96 - alt. 563 m - Les Pas du Diable
  5. 4 : km 4.27 - alt. 572 m - Path on the left
  6. 5 : km 5.62 - alt. 517 m - Forest path
  7. 6 : km 6.94 - alt. 551 m - Junction with a farm track.
  8. 7 : km 7.6 - alt. 543 m - D26 on the right
  9. S/E : km 8.25 - alt. 526 m - Car park at the church in Saint-Dizier-l'Évêque

Notes

Parking: in front of the church. Very easy to find.

Visorando was informed by Mr Chevalley, a volunteer member of Balisage90, based on the description of the hike published by the Sud-Territoire community of municipalities.

The route is marked with a yellow ring.

Worth a visit

The commune of Saint-Dizier-l'Évêque
It was once the most important commune on the southern plateau of the Belfort Territory and the seat of the "Haute-Mairie" (high council), which administered a dozen neighbouring communes untilthe 18th century. Beaucourt was in fact once only a hamlet of peasants belonging to Montbouton, until the "Japy" industrialisation at the end ofthe 18th century.

Saint-Dizier-l'Évêque, which belonged to the county of Ferrette and Alsace, was the seat of the oldest church in the region, which was under the authority of Murbach Abbey, near Guebwiller. Pilgrimages for the mentally ill continued in the village for centuries until 1850. This is why the tomb of Bishop Desiderius (Saint Dizier), still visible in the church, is still called the "stone of the mad".
This bishop, who was passing through at the end ofthe 7th century, was murdered in Croix by thieves and is said to have had time before he died to heal his servant's head wound, hence the origin of the pilgrimage. There was already a chapel at that time, on the site of the present church, which was consecrated in 1041 and renovated in the16th century.

The vineyards of Saint-Dizier-l'Évêque
The Territoire de Belfort is not a wine-growing region. The vineyard of Saint-Dizier-l'Évêque is one of the rare exceptions. Planted in 1996 on the former priest's garden, it is exposed to the sun, which allows for good ripening. The members of the association "Les Amis de la Vigne" (Friends of the Vineyard) volunteer their time to maintain the site, with the participation of the Belfort Departmental Council.

Reviews and comments

4.4 / 5
Based on 12 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.3 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.5 / 5
Route interest
4.4 / 5
rubi
rubi

Overall rating : 2.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 15, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

signalling error

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robert grillon
robert grillon

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 02, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Interesting walk, beautiful view of the Vosges mountains

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Miguel mgz
Miguel mgz

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 28, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

Hello, I have only recently started using Visorando and it is very easy for a beginner like me, but you still need to know how to read a map. I didn't find this hike particularly interesting; there are too many dirt tracks for my personal taste. I think it is a walk designed for families with young children. It's also very nice for a little picnic in the Pas du Diable area (there's a bench available), but be careful of the nearby road. I recommend it for older people and families. Enjoy your walk.

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Sicarius
Sicarius

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 26, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant walk that took 2 hours and covered 8.5 km according to my GPS.

It is well signposted except in the first hamlet at the bottom of Saint Dizier: when you see the wash house, do not continue straight ahead, but go down to your left towards the centre of the hamlet (there is a small yellow circle, but it is very easy to miss as you are focused on the wash house).

Note that the car park at the start is tiny: there is space for three cars and when I arrived, two spaces were already taken.

If you want to eat, there is a picnic table near the Devil's Stone. Allow an hour to get there and another hour to finish the walk after your meal.

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clo25
clo25

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 23, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Very pleasant and easy hike.

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Claude Rémond
Claude Rémond

Overall rating : 5 / 5

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

An interesting route, due to

  • the historical and spiritual references (more than myths, something supernatural happened) with the beautiful church of St-Dizier, its miniature vineyard, and its treasures (sarcophagi, etc.)
  • and, on the other hand, the views from the highest points on the entire southern flank of the Vosges mountains, over St-Dizier and Delle.

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Domisan
Domisan

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 15, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

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verglas
verglas

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 16, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A pleasant route that alternates between forest paths, open stretches and villages, plus a visit to the church of Saint-Dizier.
It's a shame that there is no explanation at the "Pas du Diable" (Devil's Step).

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francoisg90
francoisg90

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 13, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Beautiful hike

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chevalley@wanadoo
chevalley@wanadoo

Indeed, the Belfort region is full of gems like this hike.
Thank you for your comment.

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corna54
corna54

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 19, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A very beautiful hike, alternating between woods, open spaces and villages. Very well marked. We are very pleased with this walk.

Daniel

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chevalley@wanadoo
chevalley@wanadoo

Thank you to Randovedo for his comment.
I went to check it out. The markings are clearly visible, and there is a reminder a little further on. However, I added an extra marker to make it easier to find your way at this crossroads and to prevent others from getting lost.
Thank you again for your comment, which helps us improve our beautiful hikes.

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Randovedo
Randovedo

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 21, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A beautiful hike in the south of the Belfort area. It goes up and down nicely!
Well marked, but we made the mistake of following the horse riding route that branched off to the left, when the route marked with a yellow circle continued straight ahead. There was definitely a sign missing to prevent people from going the wrong way. We realised our mistake shortly afterwards because there was no more yellow circle...

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chevalley@wanadoo
chevalley@wanadoo

Thank you very much for encouraging us to publish the walks available in our beautiful region.

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hquimalypense
hquimalypense

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 29, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A very pleasant walk alternating between wooded areas, wide open spaces and villages. Points of interest are clearly marked, the route is well signposted throughout, and the paths are well marked, allowing you to walk off-season without getting muddy up to your ears. There are no difficulties whatsoever. There is a beautiful picnic area at Pas du Diable where we took the time to enjoy a hot cup of tea from our thermos. We came back more than satisfied with this outing. Thank you very much for this route.

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