Following the signs of the scallop marking the way of St. James I cross the border from Germany to Luxembourg for a short while, then I enter into France. I never see any borderlines, border fences or border guards. If it weren't for the road signs I would not have felt the difference.
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| Schengen, LUX |
The region Lorraine in Northeastern France originated from the Lotharingia kingdom in the 8th and 9th century. In 1766 the region was annexed by France.
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| Sierck les Bains, F |
The scenery is nice and picturesque, the path is smooth and the weather plays along as I continue my trek through a region that I do not know anything about, well except maybe for the famous Quiche Lorraine, a French tart filled with cream, eggs and bacon.
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Ouvrage Hackenberg
one of the largest fortifications of the Maginot Line |
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| wild garlic |
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| Boudange |
I lay my head to rest in pilgrim's refuges, youth hostels and B&Bs, whatever fits the budget and presents itself. People are friendly and open. I have been offered coffee and snacks, a small talk or the use of the bathroom along the way.
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| Porte d'Allemands |
Metz has a rich and long history dating back to the Romans two thousand years ago. In the middle ages it became a significant religious center. It is fortified and has a lot of historic buildings and churches to offer, major highlight being the cathedral St. Etienne.
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| Basilica St. Pierre |
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| Covered Market |
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| Protestant church Temple Neuf |
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Cathedral St. Etienne with its 42m high ceiling and over 6000 sqm of painted windows
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There is not much change in the landscape, and the scenery along the canal reminds me of Southern England, where part of my family lives.
I take a detour in order to visit the reconstruction of a Roman Aqueduct which delivered fresh water from the Moselle hills to Metz. (What have the Romans ever done for us?)
My next stop is in Pont-au-Mousson. Another impressive cathedral, an abbey and a hotel booked for a change.
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| Cathedral St. Martin |
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| a room with a view |
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| Premonstratensian abbey |
Then it starts raining... a lot! The trail is water and mud, slippery and nasty. Thankfully I have a wonderful B&B booked in Liverdun where I can rest my head and clean and dry my gear and clothing.
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| Moselle View |
The final leg of this trek takes me to Toul, another medieval city with a fortification and an old city core. I rains so hard that I decide to keep walking on the (flooded) bicycle path.
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| Toul cathedral St. Etienne
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A walk through the old city.
City fortifications
The next day I return home via Nancy - Metz - Luxembourg - Koblenz, an eight hour journey (including changing trains 4 times plus waiting time) for a hike of 130 kms that took six days.
