The best traffic-free bike rides around Lérouville

Very long front lines of trenches; today, the forest has grown back on the other side. During the war, not a single tree remained. It was very impressive how many kilometers of trenches there were in the forest, with shell holes every few meters.

A very beautiful lake, well worth a visit. I first visited it in 1993 on a tour of Lorraine. Mirabelle plums are grown everywhere nearby, and they also produce very good mirabelle plum schnapps.

The former German military cemetery of Altenweiher was located near Saint-Mihiel in the Meuse department, a region that was badly affected during the First World War. The cemetery was built by the German troops to bury their fallen soldiers in the area, often near field hospitals or strategic positions. After the war, many of these smaller cemeteries, including Altenweiher, were cleared and the remains transferred to larger collective cemeteries such as those at Consenvoye or Andilly, as part of a wider regrouping of German war graves by the Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge. Today, little remains of Altenweiher, but it stands as a quiet reminder of the scale of human loss in this region.

Founded around 708 by Count Wulfoalde, this Benedictine abbey became an important religious and cultural centre in Lorraine. The abbey was under the protection of Charlemagne and flourished under Abbot Smaragdus in the 9th century. Today, you can still visit the abbey church of Saint-Michel, home to the masterpiece La Pâmoison de la Vierge by Ligier Richier. The 18th-century monastery library houses thousands of ancient works and is one of the most beautiful in the region.

This former abbey church forms the historic heart of Saint-Mihiel. Originally built in the 9th century, it took on its current form during major renovations in the 17th and 18th centuries. Inside, you can admire a magnificent baroque organ (1679–1681), colourful stained glass windows and the masterpiece La Pâmoison de la Vierge by sculptor Ligier Richier. A place where art, history and spirituality come together.

Lac de Madine is an artificial lake of almost 10 km², created in the 1970s as a water reservoir for the city of Metz. It is located in the heart of the Lorraine Regional Nature Park and is part of the Natura 2000 network for its ecological value. The lake has two islands, 250 hectares of forest and 42 km of shoreline. In addition to its role in the drinking water supply, it is an important recreational area with two main sites: Nonsard-Lamarche and Heudicourt-sous-les-Côtes. Visitors will find marinas, beaches, cycle and walking routes, restaurants and nature reserves.

Lac de Madine is an artificial lake of almost 10 km², created in the 1970s as a water reservoir for the city of Metz. It is located in the heart of the Lorraine Regional Nature Park and is part of the Natura 2000 network for its ecological value. The lake has two islands, 250 hectares of forest and 42 km of shoreline. In addition to its role in the drinking water supply, it is an important recreational area with two main sites: Nonsard-Lamarche and Heudicourt-sous-les-Côtes. Visitors will find marinas, beaches, cycle and walking routes, restaurants and nature reserves.

Saint-Mihiel is picturesquely situated on the Meuse, on the edge of the Lorraine Regional Nature Park. The town grew around a Benedictine abbey, founded in the 8th century, and flourished during the Renaissance. Visit the abbey with its impressive library, the Museum of Sacred Art, and the Saint-Michel church. Wander the charming streets, admire the sculptures of Ligier Richier, and taste local specialities such as the “croquets” and “rochers de Saint-Mihiel”. A town full of history, culture and character.