The GR5 Trail - Benelux and Lorraine

Guidebook to walking the northern section of the GR5 - 1000km starting in Hoek van Holland and passing through the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and Lorraine to Schirmeck in France. A long-distance route covering a variety of cultures and landscapes. The full GR5 from the North Sea to the Mediterranean is one of the world's greatest trails.

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Overview

Guidebook to the northernmost section of the GR5 - from Hoek van Holland in the Netherlands, through Belgium and Luxembourg, to Schirmeck in the northeast of France. Described over 49 stages, this 1000 kilometre section of the GR5 is relatively easy and ideal for those who don't want to hike up and down steep mountains - or not just yet.

Clear route description is accompanied by 1:100K mapping, together with information on points of interest passed along the way. Background information on landscape, wildlife and history is included, as is practical information - everything from clothing, equipment, food, drink and waymarking to maps, money and staying in touch - making planning and executing a trip as easy as possible.

One of the world's best long distance walking trails, the GR5, in its entirety, covers an impressive 1423 miles (2290km) on its way from the North Sea to the Mediterranean. This northern stretch - before the trail hits the depth of the Vosges. Two further Cicerone guidebooks cover the remaining sections of the GR5; 'The GR5 Trail - Vosges and Jura', and 'The GR5 Trail' which covers the route from Lac Leman to the Mediterranean.

Table of Contents

Contents
Introduction
What it’s like to hike the Northern GR5
Landscape
Wildlife
History
When to go
Getting there (and back)
Accommodation
Food and drink
Clothing and equipment
Waymarking
Maps
Language
Money
Staying in touch
Health and safety
Using this guide
1 The Netherlands
Stage 1 Hoek van Holland to Maasland
Stage 2 Maasland to Brielle
Stage 3 Brielle to Rockanje
Stage 4 Rockanje to Goedereede
Stage 5 Goedereede to Herkingen
Stage 6 Herkingen to Nieuw-Vossemeer
Stage 7 Nieuw-Vossemeer to Bergen op Zoom
2 Flanders
Stage 8 Bergen op Zoom to Kalmthout
Stage 9 Kalmthout to Brecht
Stage 10 Brecht to Zoersel
Stage 11 Zoersel to Herentals
Stage 12 Herentals to Westerlo
Stage 13 Westerlo to Scherpenheuvel
Stage 14 Scherpenheuvel to Diest
Stage 15 Diest to Lummen
Stage 16 Lummen to Stokrooie
Stage 17 Stokrooie to Bokrijk Provincial Domain
Stage 18 Bokrijk Provincial Domain to Zutendaal
Stage 19 Zutendaal to Maastricht
Stage 20 Maastricht to Eben-Emael
3 Wallonia
Stage 21 Eben-Emael to Visé
Stage 22 Visé to Soumagne
Stage 23 Soumagne to Banneux
Stage 24 Banneux to Spa
Stage 25 Spa to Stavelot
Stage 26 Stavelot to Commanster
Stage 27 Commanster to Ouren
4 Luxembourg
Stage 28 Ouren to Obereisenbach
Stage 29 Obereisenbach to Vianden
Stage 30 Vianden to Bleesbréck
Stage 31 Bleesbréck to Beaufort
Stage 32 Beaufort to Echternach
Stage 33 Echternach to Wasserbillig
Stage 34 Wasserbillig to Grevenmacher
Stage 35 Grevenmacher to Remich
Stage 36 Remich to Montenach
5 Lorraine
Stage 37 Montenach to Saint-Hubert
Stage 38 Saint-Hubert to Metz
Stage 39 Metz to Gorze
Stage 40 Gorze to Pagny-sur-Moselle
Stage 41 Pagny-sur-Moselle to Montauville
Stage 42 Montauville to Liverdun
Stage 43 Liverdun to Bioncourt
Stage 44 Bioncourt to Vic-sur-Seille
Stage 45 Vic-sur-Seille to Tarquimpol
Stage 46 Tarquimpol to Gondrexange
Stage 47 Gondrexange to Abreschviller
Stage 48 Abreschviller to Col du Donon
Stage 49 Col du Donon to Schirmeck

Appendix A Route planner
Appendix B Four 5-day itineraries on the GR5
Appendix C Accommodation along the route
Appendix D Useful contacts
Appendix E A little Dutch and French for hikers

Updates

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June 2019

Updates

Stage 42: The café in Rogéville is reported to be closed.

Stage 39: The chambre d’hôtes in Gorze (La Renaissance) has closed.

Stage 27: The café within the Burg-Reuland castle has closed.

May 2019

Stage 11 – The Kinderboerderij Lentehei, a petting zoo located near the bridge across the Kleine Nete, is a good place to stop for refreshments.

Stage 18 – As anticipated, the signpost in the forest south of Genk has been modified to conform to the description in the topoguide: the trail going to Zutendaal is the main GR5 route, and the trail leading to Genk is a variant.

Stage 20 – The new route of the GR5 through the ENCI-groeve quarry remains closed to walkers. Therefore (until the new route is finally opened), follow the alternative route described in the text.

Stage 21 – There is no longer a café in Wonck.

Stage 38 & Appendix C – The chambre d’hôtes in Vigy has closed.

Reviews

One of the world's best long-distance walking trails

As springtime inches closer, it is time to start thinking about getting back out in the fresh air and if you really want to challenge yourself this year why not take on a trekking challenge? One of the world's best long-distance walking trails, the GRS covers 1423 miles from the North Sea, down through the length of eastern France to the Mediterranean with varied landscapes and cultural experiences along the way. Cicerone, a guidebook publisher that is celebrating its 50th anniversary this month, has detailed guidebooks that cover the GR5 trail over three titles. The northernmost section from the North Sea coast in Hoek van Holland, Netherlands to the Vosges mountains in France is covered in The GRS Trail - Benelux and Lorraine, then, the GRS Trail - Vosges and Jura covers wooded hills and river gorges, and The GRS Trail - Through the French Alps from Lake Geneva to Nice covers the southern stretch. The books have clear route descriptions, maps, information on landscapes and points of interest as well as practical advice.

Living France

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The guide is a good read and is recommended.

The GR5 Trail is one of the world's famous trails. It runs from the North Sea to the Mediterranean. Guides to the mountainous sections have been available from Cicerone for some years. At last the northern section has a guide. This section runs through four countries, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and France., for 990km. Running from Hoek van Holland on the coast to Schirmeck, north of the Vosges mountains, it is the most varied section of the GR5, and is relatively easy walking.

The guide begins with an introduction to the trail in the standard Cicerone format; this is an interesting read as the northern section of the GR5 is very varied. Then follows the route description, 49 stages, with 1:100K mapping, together with details of transport, accommodation, refreshment possibilities, and information on the culture of the area. There are campsites along the trail, or nearby, wild camping is not generally permitted but is possible if done discreetly. The author describes four 5 day itineraries suitable for a week's holiday.

The guide is a good read and is recommended.

Slackpacker

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