The GR5 Trail / Benelux & Lorraine Cicerone | 9781852849597

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. Seasons: A three-season trail, best between April and October. Abundant public transport links even make it possible to seize an opportunity to walk on the GR5 during fine days in winter. Centres: End points: Hoek van Holland and Schirmeck; numerous cities between them: Bergen op Zoom, Diest, Maastricht, Spa, Vianden, Echternach, Metz. Difficulty: The GR5 Trail - Benelux and Lorraine, also known as 'The Northern GR5' is relatively easy: level terrain in the Netherlands and Flanders; hilly, but not difficult in Wallonia and Luxembourg; mostly gentle slopes in Lorraine. The final stages of the walk enter the Vosges Mountains, where trails are steeper. No special equipment is needed, just comfortable walking shoes; some people use trekking poles. Must See: Voornes Duin (Netherlands); Maten Nature Reserve (Flanders); Fagne de Malchamps (Ardennes); Little Switzerland (Luxembourg); Côte de Moselle hills and forests (Lorraine). Cities: Bergen op Zoom, Diest, Maastricht, Echternach and Metz. Museums: not just art (Pompidou-Metz); there are also museums dedicated to social history (Bokrijk), tugboats, flint, papier mâché and salt. Other highlights: historic churches and abbeys, medieval castles and modern fortifications.