Walk around the Bois de l’Hôpital from Peltre

You can reach the starting point on foot from Peltre station, which is right next door, or by parking in the car park next to the railway line at the start of the Route de Metz.

(S/E) As you leave the car park, cross the footpath keeping the railway line on your right and turn left onto the Route de Metz. Continue along this road, carefully changing pavements after about a hundred metres, until you reach the Lycée Notre-Dame.

(1) Turn left onto Route de Guerre, pass a house and two sheds, and you’ll reach a car park.

(2) Ignore the road branching off to the right and carry on straight ahead along the path that leads into the forest. Continue along this main path, ignoring any side paths, until you reach some picnic tables and a junction with a path branching off to the left.

(3) Carry on straight ahead along the main path for nearly 2 km until you reach a paved crossroads.

(4) Carry on straight ahead, still on the main path, for a further 2 km or so, ignoring the path branching off to the left, until you reach a lake.

(5) Keeping the lake on your left, walk a further 500 m or so along the main path, avoiding the paths branching off to the sides. You will reach a multi-way junction.

(6) Take the path leading uphill to the left and turn left again as soon as possible. Stay on this main uphill path, passing military bunkers, a lake and meadows until you reach a three-way junction marking the entrance to the fort (no entry).

(7) Take the path branching off to the left and continue for about 900 m until you reach the D70.

(8) Turn left and walk alongside the road, taking care (though there is very little traffic). When you reach the next junction, leave the D70 and turn left onto the road leading to a military zone.

(9) A sign blocks access to vehicles, but you can continue along this path on foot. Carry on straight ahead along an uphill path, past a crumbling stone wall, then continue through the woodland until you reach a military road.

(10) Take the path opposite until you reach a field. Follow the path that branches off to the left at the edge of the field, keeping the field on your right, until you reach the start of a path on the right.

(11) Ignore the path that heads into the woods on the left; turn right to stay on the main path and carry on until you reach Chesny. When you reach Rue de Peltre, carry on straight ahead until you leave the village and arrive at the equestrian centre.

(12) Take the nature trail which branches off to the right. Once you reach the D155b, turn left and stay on the cycle path that runs alongside it. You’ll reach the industrial estate just before a high-voltage power line.

(13) Continue to the left, following the Ruisseau Saint-Pierre. Stay on this road until you reach another road and a small pond. Cross the road and continue opposite on the cycle path.

(14) Continue along this cycle path, keeping the road on your right, and head up Rue du Ruisseau Saint-Pierre. Cross carefully, pass the fire brigade’s technical centre and stay on the cycle path to return to the starting point (S/E).

No special equipment required. Take care when crossing roads and between points (8) and (9) along the D70.

You can shorten this walk by turning left at point (3). After a long forest track and 100 m along the edge of the D155, you will reach point (12) on the outskirts of Chesny. This shortened route is 7.6 km long.