Walks and hikes in Champagne

At Lac du Der there are a number of walks that may be of interest to beginners.

For a short loop on foot, the Etangs d’Outines walk is a good option. For a longer but still easy route, the Entre Dame et Chevalier hike is a good choice.

For cycling, we suggest the Tour du Lac à vélo, which, despite being 36km long, is easy to do on flat ground. You can make life easier by opting for an electrically assisted bike. You’ll find plenty of choices on our bike hire page.

Several hunting zones and reserves are located in the forests and around the villages of the Lac du Der region. Although it is not forbidden to walk in these areas on hunting days, it is potentially dangerous. Hunting in progress” signs are usually visible on a hunting day to warn walkers and motorists.

Despite all the precautions taken by hikers and hunters, we recommend that you plan your walk outside the hunting season.

To find out about hunting periods and days, we recommend that you contact the Fédérations Départementales des Chasseurs (Departmental Hunting Federations). The FDC 51 for the Marne and the FDC 52 for the Haute-Marne.

You can also contact the town halls to find out the calendar of hunting days in your local area.

A GPX file contains the GPS coordinates of the hike or walk. Once opened on your GPS or mobile phone, it allows you to plot the route of your walk on a base map and locate your position on the route in real time. It’s essential if you want to avoid getting lost and walk or cycle with complete peace of mind.

To access this file, you need a hiking GPS or a simple smartphone.

If you have a hiking GPS (Garmin, Twonav, etc.), please refer to the manufacturer’s instructions.

If you want to download this file to your phone, you’ll need a hiking application to open it. You can download applications such as GPX Viewer, Decathlon Outdoor or Visorando from the App Store (iOS) or Play Store (Android). You’ll be spoilt for choice!

On each of our hiking web pages, you’ll see a button for downloading the GPX track of the route.

GR® stands for Sentier de Grande Randonnée. These are long routes that can cross several countries. This is the case, for example, of the GR® 654, which is one of the routes to Santiago de Compostela, or the GR® 145, which is the path of the Via Francigena. The GR® are demanding hikes that generally take several days or weeks to complete. So it’s important to get organised beforehand, pack accordingly and find places to sleep.

The markings on these paths are white lines superimposed on red lines.

Several GR® trails pass through the Champagne region close to the Lac du Der.

These include

• The GR® 654 – Pilgrim’s Way to Santiago de Compostela
• The GR® 145 – Via Francigena Way
• The GR® 15 through Champagne and the Marne Valley
• The GR® 14 – The Ardennes Trail and its variant, the GR 14B

GRP® or GR® de Pays are Sentiers de Grande Randonnée de Pays. Unlike the GR®, the GRP® is a loop, whereas the GR® is not a circuit where the starting point is also the finishing point. The GRP® is shorter than the GR® and does not lead through different countries.

GRP® trails can be demanding, covering dozens of kilometres and divided into several daily stages. Advance preparation is required to equip yourself and find accommodation along the route of your walk.

The GRP® signposting is a yellow line superimposed on a red line.

Our website and walks page are regularly updated. New hikes and walks are published on the site as soon as we become aware of a route that lies within the Lac du Der region. Checking and creating the route using our hiking tool can take a little time. Don’t hesitate to check this page and our walking and cycling sections frequently.