Tour of Lake Liez near Langres

Start from the car park at the foot of the Liez Reservoir or Lecey dam.

(S/E) Turn right until you reach the Rigole de Vaucouleur. Take the footbridge and turn left to follow the Rigole de Vaucouleur to the edge of the lake. Follow the path that runs alongside the Liez reservoir on your left.
After a few minutes' walk, the path enters the Bois Chaspussin. A first footbridge takes you to a point where there are many fishing boats. Two other footbridges are useful for crossing a marshy area without difficulty. Continue along the left-hand path closest to the lake shore and go around the rounded tip of La Fourrière.

(1) On the left, a small path leads to the lake shore, after passing a picnic area with two tables under a shelter. Continue on the main path that runs along the edge of the Bois de la Goutte. Continue straight ahead until the path meets the D266. Turn left towards Lecey and carefully follow the road for two to three hundred metres. Cross the Liez, which feeds the reservoir of the same name, and continue to the next crossroads.

(2) Turn left onto the^GR®7and^GR®145trails. Follow them to the Bois du Râlet. Enjoy the beautiful view of Lake Liez and the town of Langres in the distance. Continue on the^{GR® trails} along the lake and you will reach the Fontaine Cornée Jean Henri fountain on your right.

(3) Continue along the lake shore and go to the bridge over the Suane, the northernmost bridge on the route. A little further on, at a junction with a white path, take the left-hand path and pass through the Bois de la Carotte.

(4) Leave a small road on your right, coming from the D282 above, and stay on the white path along the lake to walk along the Bay of Orbigny-au-Val, then go around the Pointe des Murgers. The path continues along the lake shore and passes below the Ferme de Cordamble, nestled in a small valley.

(5) Continue straight ahead until you reach a small road on the right, coming from the D284, which leads to Langres Plage with its campsite and water sports centre. Continue straight ahead to the Club Nautique de la Liez. Go through the barrier and stay on the path along the lake to reach the Lac de la Liez beach, then the sailing school. The path gives way to a small road, Rue de la Plage. Follow it to the port, then cross a parking area and continue to the sea wall.

(6) Turn left onto the D284. Follow it carefully to pass under the dyke and reach the car park after crossing the Liez (S/E).

Departure from the car park at the foot of the Liez Reservoir or Lecey dam.
Access: from Langres, take the N19 south-east, then turn right onto the D284 to reach the car park.

This hike covers varied terrain and requires suitable footwear.

This hike does not present any real difficulty in terms of orientation as it is marked in green and yellow up to the point (2), then in white and red (^GR®) up to the point (6) and again in green and yellow to finish. It follows the "Randonnée du tour du Lac de la Liez" route, the information sheet for which is published by the Pays de Langres Tourist Office. In addition, it is advisable to follow the directions in the description and on the map, while also paying close attention to the landscape. The waypoints (with their GPS coordinates and distance from the starting point) are helpful for hikers who are discovering the route for the first time.

Lake Liez in figures
Lake Liez collects water from this river and the Suane. It is the largest of the lakes, covering 290 hectares at the start of the season, but also the oldest. Its construction began in 1880 and was completed in 1888. Its 16-metre-high dam is made of compacted earth. It closes off the downstream part of the valley over a width of 460 m, creating a 4.5 km long reservoir. Although it is fed by the smallest of the four catchment areas (3,400 ha), it has the largest storage capacity at 16,100,000 m³.

Significant ecological and ornithological value
While Lake Villegusien is of particular interest for waterbird watching, Lake Liez is no less rich in wildlife. To enjoy this, you will need to leave the busy area near the dam and head for the tranquillity of Lecey Bay. Here, small marshy areas and mudflats make the site attractive to nesting birds such as coots, grebes, herons, etc.

The Chatenay-Macheron heronry
On the southern shore of the lake, and more specifically in the commune of Châtenay-Macheron, the Chaspussin woods are home to around thirty nests, much to the delight of birdwatchers. After the chicks are born, it is not uncommon to hear them calling for their parents, even from the other side of the lake.

The Fort of Peigney
This belt fort was intended to cover the upper Marne valley, the roads to Nancy and Belfort, and the Paris-Basel railway line.
It is the only structure of its kind in Langres to have retained its bastioned layout. This appears quite complex, as the cavalier forming a high, long-range fire ridge is made up of a redoubt concentrating the barracks and storage facilities. This redoubt is separated from the four bastions forming the envelope by a second moat on the front and side fronts.

The Church of the Assumption of the Virgin in Peigney
Choir listed in the Supplementary Inventory of Historic Monuments on 10 October 1927.

Wash house in Orbigny-au-Val
A stone wash house where washerwomen worked on both sides of the basins.

16th-century cross in Lecey
Cross located at the western exit of the village, listed in the Supplementary Inventory of Historic Monuments on 1 February 1929.
Source: hiking information sheet published by the Langres Tourist Office