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Stage Two of my ‘Grande Traversée de la Lorraine’ once again proves that France is an inexhaustible treasure trove of nature parks, rich culture, and idyllic cycling.

In short: Winding country roads perfect for racing or leisurely pedaling, long straight stretches of silky-smooth tarmac begging for speed, expansive forests, quaint farming villages with characterful houses and little churches, charming towns with lively market squares, the grandeur of regional capital Nancy, climbs (not very steep, not very long), exhilarating descents, lakes and rivers, and the deep peace and beauty of the Lorraine Regional Nature Park.

ÉPINAL TO NANCY – 90 km

The day began with a peaceful ride along the Moselle River, morning mist still drifting over the still surface.

Soon, I climbed up twisting lanes out of the valley toward the open fields around Dogneville and Dignonville—about 100 meters higher. Then I dropped back down into the valley, where the Canal des Vosges runs straight while the Moselle meanders beside it.

I blasted 7 km along the path beside the canal until the urge to climb kicked in again. Into a 13 km straight stretch uphill through a vast forest. The gentle downhill on perfect asphalt on the other side made for a pure racing thrill.

I didn’t feel like heading back to the river, so I stayed up in the rolling fields and villages. Chamagne, with its striking church, then 10 uninterrupted kilometers gliding straight along a wide, peaceful, undulating asphalt road to Bayon.

But just as those smooth roads lulled me into comfort, I seemed to crave a challenge again. I turned off onto a rougher road that quickly became gravel and then a mix of grass and earth. 

Everything was dry, so—why not continue? I was rewarded with stunning, isolated views over deeper valleys.

Back on asphalt, the winding continued happily all the way to Saffrais.

That’s where a spectacular final downhill to Nancy began—the historic capital of Lorraine.

The village was at 350 m, Nancy at 200 m. Distance: 15 km. Just one wide, gently descending road through empty countryside. On perfect whisper-smooth tarmac. Time to put the hammer down! BAM!

You literally enter Nancy through a grand gate. It was a striking moment, after 90 km across the Lorraine countryside, to suddenly arrive at this grandeur—riding through the Porte Stanislas and straight onto the majestic Place Stanislas, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Everything around the square radiates that pompous, imposing French royal grandeur—what most people associate with Paris. But Nancy surprised me.

Also very French: the history of this square changing names in line with the politics of the time:

* Place Royale, named for King Louis XV, whose statue stood in the center
* Place du Peuple during the Revolution—the statue gone
* Place Napoléon under the Empire
* Place Stanislas—moving away from kings, emperors, and revolutionaries to honor the Polish nobleman who commissioned the square’s redesign in 1831, Stanislaus Leszczyński (though yes, he was also a King of… Poland)

Best salad I’ve ever eaten? At Manda, overlooking Stanislas Square. A work of art and absolutely delicious. I usually don’t promote places, but when it’s good, healthy, tasty and reasonably priced—it deserves a mention.

NANCY TO PONT-À-MOUSSON – 65 km

I had 130 km still to go. First, 15 calm kilometers along the paths of the Meurthe and Moselle rivers, leaving Nancy behind.

Then came a twisty climb through the forest on the Moselle’s flank, up to an open plateau—back into the heart of the countryside.

Those isolated, seemingly deserted old villages amid vast emptiness, rolling fields, and bucolic valleys of the Lorraine Nature Park… they’re mesmerizing. Where are the people, apart from the occasional tractor humming by? Who lives here? How do they live? What do they live from?

The road rose and fell in majestic waves through golden wheat fields, across the Esch valley, from village to village, in and out of valleys.

And the names! Villey-Saint-Etienne, Avrainville, Manoncourt-en-Woëvre, Tremblecourt, Villers-en-Haye, Jezainville…

Eventually, I reached the larger town of Pont-à-Mousson on the Moselle—and couldn’t resist the inviting terraces in the market square.

I still had 65 km to go, and it was only 4:30 PM. No problem.

PONT-À-MOUSSON TO SAINT-MIHIEL – 65 km

The break was welcome, because what came next was a demanding stretch.

Between Pont-à-Mousson (180 m) and the village of Thiaucourt-Regniéville lies a dead-straight 15 km road across a plateau at 350 m elevation. A series of steep dips and climbs, each one following the last in rapid succession. For kilometers, there was no steady pedaling—just going from 55 km/h to 15 km/h in seconds.

After 15 km of that, the final descent felt like an immense release—a liberating, supersonic dive.

Then it was back to speed pedalling, blasting through Bouillonville, a single line of charming houses under a green hillside, and circling Lac de Madine on smooth gravel paths. 

This artificial lake supplies drinking water to Metz and Nancy—and it looked stunning in the glow of the setting sun.

The finale was the cherry on top: the longest climb of the day, 4 km, winding gently upward. Slowly, I ascended a giant rolling slope, past Buxières and Buxerulles, through the forest above Woinville. Phenomenal views over the vast Woëvre valley, and finally the swooping plunge to Saint-Mihiel.

That village is truly a hidden gem of France. As there are so many, of course. But the long ribbon of once stately mansions and narrow streets, today largely abandoned and dilapidated, displays that mysterious grandeur of yesteryear like blood draining from a dying body. If these towns can survive at all, let it at least be for those explorers on bicycles who make their stop here during a Grande Traversée de la Lorraine.

I am staying in one of those abandoned mansions, in an old cottage at the back, in a green courtyard among the whistling birds.

See you tomorrow! On the road again. Freedom. Destination Virton, Belgique!

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Pieter Stockmans

Lorraine 🇫🇷 Épinal Nancy Saint-Mihiel

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