Day 2 Friday 1 May Petit Wingen to Obersteinbach

Distance walked: 26km / 16 miles

I was only meant to walk about 20km today but I took detours to see some of the castle ruins and then missed a turn in the woods.

I set off up a quiet road from Petit-Wingen. After a few hundred yards I met two men that had left the station with me yesterday. I thought they were planning to walk further as they left Wissembourg straight away rather than look round the town.

A few hundred yards later I missed the turn. I realised I had gone wrong after a hundred metres or so and, after consulting the map, retraced my steps to take a path that ran alongside a small stream through woodland. The path was almost flat until I reached a small étang (lake).

The path then crossed the road that I had been walking along earlier and then I started to climb fairly steeply through woodland. At this point I was within 500 metres of the German border and my phone was receiving signal from a German mast.

Eventually the path levelled off and after 4km I reaches the Col de Litschhof where there was a good view across forest towards the crag of Fleckenstein castle. You can see the typical tree covered hills of the Vosges in the distance.

I left the Col by climbing steeply through more forest to reach the Col de Schlossberg after a further kilometre. As you will see, the names are often a mixture of French and German, reflecting the turbulent history of the region.

At the col I took my first deliberate detour to climb uphill to reach a ridge and the ruins of Loewenstein and Hohenbourg castles.

There is no much left of Loewenstein castle, apart from the crag it was built upon

I climbed up to the viewing platform, the views were spectacular

Looking south from Lowenstein crag. Fleckenstein crag and castle can be seen in the mid-ground

Like many Alsace castles, the Loewenstein castle was built in the twelfth century but was not very important. It was eventually taken over by robber brigands. It was destroyed in the mid 14th century.

I walked along the short ridge to Hohenburg castle, which was more impressive.

Assuming the hills were as heavily wooded as they are now it is difficult to see how lookouts could see troops approaching. Maybe they were used as bases to send out foot patrols. One website says they were used for protection of the lord of the region and as an administrative centre but there were uncomfortable to live in and most had been abandoned or taken over by robber-knights by the 14th century.

I returned to GR5 and descended from the col to reach the ticket office and cafe at the entrance to Fleckenstein castle. As you could see from the earlier photograph, this is also situated on a crag

This castle had a better history than some of the others. The Fleckenstein family were very powerful and lived here from the 12th century, adding to and modifying the castle. It was destroyed by the French in the late 17th century.

I now made my navigation error. I left the castle and came to a split n the path. I could not see the GR sign (a red rectangle in the Vosges). I guessed wrong and, too stubborn to turn back, followed the path for 2km in the wrong direction. I then tried to descend to the road through pathless forest but after about a quarter of an hour I came to a 5 metre vertical drop to the road. I turned back. Eventually I rejoined GR53

I was now very tired but I had to cross the Col de Hichtenbach and the associated mountain to get to Obersteinbach. I set off uphill and after 5km and 150 metres of height gain I arrived at the Col. On the way I passed Froensbourg castle,also built on a stone pinnacle.

How on earth did the masons build on these pinnacles without modern technology. This castle had a similar history to the others except the Fleckenstein family rebuilt it in the late 15th century it was destroyed by the French 200 years later.

After the Col I continued to climb and reached a series of sandstone pinnacles called the Zigeunerfels.

There is a metal ladder to the top. I didn’t attempt it!

After a further kilometre I came to my last castle of the day, the castle of Wasigenstein. There are over 60 castles in Alsace, most built by the regional lords in the 12 century. They were often taken over by robber knights and eventually destroyed. I will see more on my traverse of the Vosges.

It was now time to descend and I was grateful to get to Obersteinbach. There was one last drama. I arrived at my B and B but the owner only spoke German. Eventually she found someone that could speak French and a little English. Apparently I had been transferred to the hotel across the road, which was fine for me as I had a nice room and the hotel had a nice restaurant.

Day 1 Thursday 30 April Wissembourg to Petit Wingen

Distance walked: 13.6km; 8.5 miles

I only had a short walk today which gave me time to get up leisurely, get the train from Strasbourg and spend the second half of the morning wandering round Wissembourg, which is a town that lies just inside the border between France and Germany.

The history of the border is complex, to put it mildly. Remains of Celtic occupation have been found near Wissembourg but I couldn’t find out if the Romans ventured as far as this corner of France. It seems that, following the collapse of the Roman Empire, Alsace, the region in which most of the Vosges range lies, has been held in dispute by the French and the Germans from the 5th century until the end of the Second World War in 1945. In the Middle Ages neither had control and autonomous city states fought over the area. It was even involved in the Spanish Wars of Succession (which actually involved most of Western Europe). If you are interested then you will have to look it up but it has stimulated me to read some European history when I get home.

The consequence of this instability is that, for the next two weeks, I will come across the remnants of the various wars, which will make it a more sobering walk than usual.

A group of Benedictine monks founded an abbey in what is now Wissembourg and the town grew up around it. The monastery became disused in the 16th century and the church became the local church. It was very impressive. There are several medieval wall paintings, although I do not know if these are originals or whether they have been restored

The old abbey church of Saints Peter and Paul

An impressive gargoyle. Discworld fans will know these are sentient beings

The town became a walled town in the Middle Ages and the remains of the ramparts are still in place.

River Lauter and old wall of Wissembourg

The old town itself is very attractive.

I had some lunch and began GR53. Adjacent to the church there was a sign telling me that I was on a Camino. It seems wherever I walk in Europe these days I come across one.

Only 2416km to go. Remember, in medieval times a would-be pilgrim had to walk (or ride) home as well. Not rail network or airports for him!

My route took me through a residential part of town but I soon turned off on a track that climbed on the edge of woodland. I had views towards the heavily wooded foothills to the north and back towards Wissembourg. To the south I could see over the Bas-rhin with the hills of the Black Forest in the distance. No guesses to what the ear worm was at this point.

I passed vineyards, I believe they are Riesling grapes around here, although Alsace is also well known for its Pinot Gris and gerutztraminer wines.

A series of defensive lines, the Lignes de la Lauter, were built here in the Spanish wars of Succession. Sometimes they were obvious, at other times hard to visualise (for the amateur). The earthworks of an old fort, the Redoute of Marshall du Bourg, could clearly be seen. An information board placed by the Club Vosgien, whose volunteers maintain the path and waymarking, gave the history of the tower. It had a variety of uses over the centuries but was destroyed by the retreating Germans at the ene of World War II.

All that remains of the Redoute of Marshall du Bourg

After 5km of continuous but easy ascent I arrived at the butte of Scherhol, my first summit with a modest height of 508metres. I was surrounded by trees so no views were to be had. There was a shelter here but I doubt it would make for a comfortable night’s sleep

I now had a long descent to the village of Climbach followed by an easy walk over a low hill to the hamlet of Petit-Wingen where my B and B was for the night.

Day 0 Wednesday 29 April 2026 Home to Strasbourg

After much deliberation I decided not to walk from Custines to the Vosges. It didn’t look very interesting and accommodation is scarce. Instead I decided to walk the Vosges range from north to south, start in at Wissenbourg on GR53 and joining GR5 near the Col du Donon.

I travelled to London on Tuesday and spent a very pleasant evening with my daughter, her (new!) fiancé and my sister and her husband. Today I took the mid-morning Eurostar and arrived in Paris for a late light lunch. It took less than 2 hours on the TGV to get to Strasbourg, a distance of 500km.

From the train, I could see the terrain which GR5 crosses after Custines. It was a pleasant enough pastoral landscape but not particularly interesting to walk through. I could see the line of 5he Vosges mountains and I was happy I had made the right decision. If I ever get to Nice on foot I can always go back and walk the missing segment.

I had the evening to wander round the old part of Strasbourg and admire its gothic cathedral. There had been some sort of fun run as there were a lot of people in running gear chatting in front of the cathedral. By nightfall it had become quiet.

I had a brief walk through the old city and stopped to watch a jazz band playing outside the palace. There were a lot of musicians, when does a band become an orchestra?

Tomorrow I will start the walk by taking the train to Wissembourg which is said to be a very pretty town so I shall wander round before a half day’s walk to Winden.

Day 39 Thursday 29 May Pont-a-Mousson to Custines

Distance walked approximately 27km

The good weather had returned and I set off in sunshine. The main GR5 trail heads off through the hills to the west to the medieval town of Liverdun. I was unable to find any accommodation or suitable transport along this route. Instead, I followed a variant, GR5F, which runs through the hills lying parallel to the Moselle. I started the day by walking through the west part of Pont-a-Moselle.

There was fierce fighting along this section of GR5 in both world wars. I have seen a lot of war memorials on this walk, often they also include the number of civilians killed as well as military personnel. In Pont-a-Mousson there is also a memorial to the members of the Resistance

I walked uphill on a series of roads until I came to a track leading into the forest. There was then a long section through the trees with very few views but the path had a gentle gradient so the walking was relaxed. I emerged from the forest at the village of Jezainville. There was then another long segment of walking along quiet roads between fields.

I entered into woodland and followed paths uphill to a chapel named Norte Dame but a plaque that appeared to say it was dedicated to Joan of Arc. From here there were good views down to the Moselle valley and the town of Dieuloard.

There have been lakes at various intervals along this part of the Moselle. There was an information board, in French, that, I think, said that they were formed when the valley was excavated for silicate deposits that had been washed down from the hillsides. The lakes are now used for leisure and sport.

I walked through the edge of Dieuloard to leave through a residential estate. From here a track ascended through open country

After the village of Saizerais I re-entered woodland and climbed to a path junction with GR5. now it was an easy descent to Custines where I crossed the Moselle for the last time

My hotel was 1km outside Custines on a main road but there was a cycle path. It was Ascension Day so everything was shut but I had brought some bread and salad for supper.

I now had about 5 days walking across the Lorraine plateau before climbing to the Col du Donon. I learned that there was going to be a train strike on the day I was due to return home. One option would have been to complete the walk and get a bus to the nearest city, Strasbourg and spend some time in that city until I could get transport home. However, I had to be back in Manchester for the end of the weekend. After much soul searching I decided the sensible thing to do was to return home now rather than risk being stuck in Strasbourg until the following Monday. My options now will be to miss out this short segment of GR5 or to do it as a “warm up” prior to crossing the Vosges.

Day 38 Wednesday 28 May Pagny-sur-Moselle to Pont-a-Mousson

Distance walked 22km. 14 miles

The first wet day. I said goodbye to Metz and took the train back to Pagny-sur-Moselle. With all my wet weather gear on I set off back up the hill to where I left GR5 the previous day..

I followed a road past the last few houses. The road became a track and continued between fields and vineyards. There were pictures of some grape varieties grown near here. I was surprised to see Gerwurztraminer grapes are pink, they must separate the skins before making the wine as it is a white wine. The views would have been great on a clear day.

I arrived at another road and followed it, passing between houses to a forest. Here, I took a track that climbed through the forest to the village of Preny. On the way I met a Dutch couple who are doing GR5 a week or two at a time. They have also had trouble getting accommodation between Pont-a-Mousson and Schimerk and have not decided what to do yet. I do have accommodation(after a struggle on the Internet) but resupply and restaurants are few and far between so I have a couple of dehydrated camping meals with me just in case.

There is a ruined castle in Preny. When Carrol Dorgan walked here when he was writing the Cicetone guide he was able to walk through the ruins. Today this was blocked by a gate and all I could see was the remnant of an ivy covered tower.

I descended from Preny on a road with misty views towards the Moselle valley.

The road led eventually to a track that climbed into forest. The Cicerone guide warns to be careful here as there are several turns. I do find it difficult to navigate in forest as there are no landmarks to use as a reference and, often, not all the forestry tracks are marked on the map. I came to one junction where I had to retrace my steps to find the way marker leading off on a small path.

At another junction I could not see a way marker at all. Maybe I should have spent more time thinking about which was the correct way but I guessed wrongly and took the wrong path. When I had not seen a confirmatory way marker after 200 metres I should have turned back. Instead I walked on and after about 1km I was sure I had gone wrong. Rather than retrace my steps I decided to continue although the track was clearly going the wrong direction to GR5. I knew I was heading towards a village, Villers-sous-Preny where I could either continue to Pont-a-Mousson or rejoin GR5. By the time I reached Villers-sous-Preny it was still raining so I just followed roads to Pont-a-Mousson.

I had read in the Cicerone guide that Pont-a-Mousson makes manhole covers for most of France. I have been keeping an eye on street furniture for the last few days and this does seem to be the case.

Of course, as soon as I arrived at the hotel the sun came out so I had a quick wander into town and had very nice pasta and pesto for dinner

Day 37 Tuesday 27 May. Ars-sur-Moselle to Pagney-sur-Moselle

Distance walked 28km/ 17 miles

Today was the first of three days walking in the hills on the west side of the Moselle that will bring me to the town of Custines. The day did not begin well. I started to follow some GR markers. After about half a kilometre I realised they were a variant of GR5 (GR5F) which crossed back to the east side of the Moselle, where. Did not wish to go. I had to retrace my steps.

Back on the correct path, I left Ars-sur-Moselle by walking between houses to an open space where there were two war memorials

The one at the front is German dating from 1870 and dedicated to the German general that capture Metz in the Franco-Prussian war, some of the inscription has been defaced. I was surprised the French haven’t removed it. The white monument is dedicated to the French soldiers that liberated Metz at the end of the First World War.

The path now passed between small vineyards to the restored ruins of a Roman acqueduct built to transfer water from a spring near Gorze to Metz.

Just uphill from the aqueduct is a partially restored pool with an overflow channel used at times of high rainfall. It showed the two channel design of the pipeline so that, if one pipe needed repair, water flow could be maintained through the other channel, keeping the supply to Metz running.

I now climbed steeply out of the valley and soon got a good view of Ars-sur-Moselle

I entered a forest. The gradient eased and it was very pleasant, fast walking. After a couple of kilometres I came to “le pierre qui tourne”

As you can see, the stone sits on a narrow base. One legend says that if the full moon falls on December 31st the stone rotates.

Just off GR5, a gap in the trees gave a good view of the Moselle valley

I continued along the very pleasant forest path. I emerged at a road by the Cross of St. Clement, said to be where Clement (the first bishop of Metz)first saw the city of Metz. I continued through forest until I emerged at an enormous field with Gorze on the other side.

Frustratingly,there was no path across the field so I was forced to walk around it within the edge of woodland. This, long way round, brought me out into the village of Gorze. As I left the village I could see a gold statue on the other side of the valley. It was too far away to identify it but it is apparently Norte Dame.

Most of the afternoon was spent in forest with occasional views. I had noticed these ghostly webs before and I assumed they were made by spiders.

I then read an article on the BBC web site (pun unintended) that they are made by ermine moth caterpillars to protect themselves from birds. On closer inspection:

The forest walking was sometimes on tracks and sometimes on paths. It was pleasant but I missed the views. Two notable ones were from the Col de Rudemont

And towards the end, as I approached Pagny-sur-Moselle

Metz days off

Metz is well worth a visit if you are passing. On my first rest day I relaxed. I went to the Metz Pompidou centre for Modern Art which had an exhibition curated by Maurizio Cattelan (he of the banana on the wall fame; that was not on display, unless someone had eaten it.. exhibits varied from the bizarre

To the thought provoking

The clever

And the funny

This table football game is playable by, of course, 11 a side

The following day I wandered round the old town, some lovely public gardens near the old municipal buildings, and visited the cathedral with its Chagall windows

I also went to the Musee de la Cour d’Or with some amazing Gallic- Roman exhibits

Day 36 Saturday 24 May Vremy to Ars-sur-Moselle

Distance walked 28km 17 miles

I had a decision to make: two short days or one long day and then two days off. I chose the latter option. I booked four nights in a hotel in Metz. This gives me me some time for a good rest. I can then do one day’s walk with just a daypack.

I set off early. I walked down a quiet road through Vremy and Failly. I the distance I could see the hills on the west side of the Moselle.

I walked under a motorway bridge and rejoined GR5 in Villers l’Orme. I walked through the village and up a hill where there was a chapel and an oratory dedicated to Fátima.

I know very little about Catholicism but, I think, this relates to a vision of the Virgin Mary by children in the Portuguese village of Fátima. I saw a similar shrine in Luxembourg , which has a significant Portuguese community but I do not know why this is here.

I continued down the road to Mey. The countryside to the south looks very flat, I am not sure how good next week’s walk is going to be

Just outside Mey I saw this sign

What happens in this forest? Gruffalo?? Lions, tigers and bears (Oh My!)? Wild boar are common in this part of France so, more likely, it is probable that this wood is used for hunting.

After Mey I had a short stretch on a path between fields before I entered the suburbs of Metz. The next few kilometres were not interesting but eventually I joined a tarmac path that followed the old city walls of Metz

This led down to the river where I joined a cycle path that followed the Moselle. I didn’t quite get to grips with the geography of the waterways through Metz. There is the Moselle river but there is also a canal and a large artificial lake formed when earth was excavated for a nearby motorway. It made for a few kilometres nice walking.

After the lake I crossed the Moselle and followed a cycle path along the bank for a few kilometres. It was now time for the hard work of the day. I left the riverbank and took a steep path up the hill to Scy-Chazelles. This emerged by its church and Maisie but, disappointingly, only a restricted view of the valley. Almost immediately, I lost a lot of height to walk past the home of Robert Schumann, one of the founding fathers of the EEC.

The road now ran up and down through a few quiet villages

I passed a lavoir, similar to the communal laundries I saw on the Camino last year

After walking through Vaux I finally felt the road and followed a path for a few kilometres through woodland down to Ars-sur-Moselles where I took a train back to Metz.

Day 35 Friday 23 May Kedange-sur-Canner to Vremy

Distance walked 25km 16 miles

An easy walk today. There was even time to stop for lunch in Vigy.

I set off from the village square in Kedange on a road that climbed gently. I passed a boulangerie which was “a vendre.” A sad sight. Forty years ago every village this size would have a bakery. It seems that village shops are having as much difficulty here as they are in England.

I joined the main road leaving Kedange. Although there was a pavement it was not particularly pleasant. After a kilometre I arrived in Hombourg-Budange. Again, no bakery. Here I turned on to a minor road. There was little traffic. The views were good; open, rolling countryside interspersed with isolated farmhouses and pretty villages.

The road continued through Aboncourt which looked pretty nestled in the hills. It had an attractive town hall.

I walked past a farmhouse that had a flock of housemartins living under the eaves. They were flying in and out, in a hurry, presumably bringing food back to their nests.

At last, at another farmhouse, the road came to an end. I now followed a dirt track to Saint Hubert.

After St Hubert I took a path that ran through woodland to a pretty chapel, the Chapelle Notre Dame de Rabas.

There are a few legends about the origin of this chapel. One is that Charlemagne (the Emperor) was hunting and got lost. His men and horses needed water. He prayed to the Virgin Mary to bring water, which duly appeared and, as thanks, he built the chapel. Another variation states that Charlemagne’s horse stamped on the ground and water spurted forth.

It is likely this was a pagan site and yet another legend is that water from the stream nearby cures rickets.

What is known is that the original shrine was built in 806 and it became a site of pilgrimage in the 11th century. In some ways it still is as the Berlin Camino passes it.

I now had a long and pleasant walk through forest to Vigy. I am staying in an Airbnb in a village with no facilities so I took the opportunity to have a proper lunch. Very nice chicken brochettes with chips and salad. Oh, and a beer.

After lunch I had a short stretch of road before I took a path that ran between a disused railway and fields. The ground to my right dropped gently away to the Moselle valley which I will return to tomorrow. The path then ran between trees to Sanry-Les-Vigy. Here I got a text from the owner of the Airbnb to make sure I turned off GR5 in the forest on a cycle track to Vremy. Thank you Silviane, you saved me walking about 2km.

Initially there was a nice path that ran parallel to the track used by forestry vehicles. Later on I had to dodge the ruts on the main track. I watched out for the signpost and was soon in Vremy.

Day 34 Thursday 22 May Montenach to Kedange-sur-Canner

Distance walked 19 km 12 miles

It is about 55km from Montenach to Metz and I couldn’t find any accommodation near the halfway point so I split the walk into three stages.

I had a leisurely start this morning. It rained in the night so it felt much fresher this morning and the sun was out. I set off up the hill with a stream running next to me down the middle of the road. The gradient was much less than in recent days and I ambled along quite happily. The road became a track and I walked between fields with good views all around.

I walked slowly, being in the moment and enjoying the different shades of green

I walked through the village of Haute Sierck and I then entered the first forest of the day, the Forest de Sierck. After a kilometre I came to a bench by a rather nice wooden signpost for the Camino

This is the Berlin to Santiago Camino. I think it is a different Camino to the one I walked on in Luxembourg. Only another 2000km to go to Santiago. How did pilgrims travel so far? And I before the 20th century you couldn’t get a train or fly home, you had to walk or ride your horse back. See you love, I’ll be back sometime next year.

I rested on the bench but a farmer decided to spray the field behind me. I could see the spray getting nearer so I put my rucksack back on an set off again.

There was a short hold up while a machine loaded tree trunks on to a transporter, worth watching though. A little further on a water official stopped his car and asked me (in French) the way to the lake. With my map, his bad English and my bad French I managed to send him in the right direction.

I left the forest and walked through the village of Sainte Marguerite. Just beyond the village GR5 turns left but there was a defensive tower marked on the map which formed part of the Maginot line. I could see it in the distance and it looked like there was a path to it, with no extra distance to walk. When I got to the turn off there was a big sign saying that it was a military area and keep out. Well, the government seems to be trying to align itself closer to Europe and I didn’t want to jeopardise negotiations by being accused of stealing French military secrets so I returned to GR5. I did pass a bunker and gun emplacement

I rejoined GR5 and most of the rest of the day was spent walking through a delightful wood. I climbed up to a clearing and on the way saw two more gun emplacements. I could see why the French thought this area was a potential route for the Germans to invade, the country is much more gentle than in the Ardennes. Unfortunately the Germans didn’t agree and bypassed the Maginot line to cross the Ardennes.

Lorraine is another area that has a complex history. It was a Duchy in the Holy Roman Empire. France annexed it in the 18th century. Then it became German after the Franco-Prussian war in 1871. After the First World War it was given back to France. Simples. European history summarised in one paragraph.

I climbed up to a clearing where I ate my lunch and had a power nap. Refreshed, I continued on

The path re-entered the forest and descended gently to Kedange and my bed for the night.