Discover Chaillon: Culture, Trails and Cheese

Chaillon offers several distinct starting points for planning a stay. The GS14 “La Grande Enceinte” hiking trail has two route options, Saint-Rémi Church is a stop on the Duilio-Donzelli heritage trail, and Ferme du P'tit Ban-Houé makes cheese from goat’s and cow’s milk. There are also geological outcrops and a Hallstatt-period necropolis. You can first decide whether trail length, art and history, or a farm visit best matches your interests.

Hiking and Geology

The GS14 “La Grande Enceinte” hiking trail starts at Chaillon Town Hall, heading towards Heudicourt and into the Bois de Grande Enceinte. It offers two options: 12.5 kilometres and 10 kilometres. The 2.5-kilometre difference gives you a specific point of comparison when planning. Check local access conditions before setting out, as route details may change.

The geological outcrops near Chaillon, west of Lac de Madine, offer a different perspective on the landscape. They are spread across the communes of Chaillon, Creuë and Varvinay. The area features a sequence of clayey or marly rocks and fossil-bearing limestones from the Lower to Middle Oxfordian. This rock sequence brings together different materials within a clear time frame: clay and marl alongside limestone containing fossils. This geological perspective differs from the GS14, whose information focuses mainly on the route and its length.

Church and History

Saint-Rémi Church in Chaillon is a stop on the Duilio-Donzelli heritage trail. Its main altar is considered the best example of the Art Deco influence in the artist’s work. The two details have different focuses: the trail places the church in a heritage context, while the altar provides the specific Art Deco connection. If you include art and heritage in your travel plans, you can distinguish between the themed trail and the feature of the main altar.

The Hallstatt-period necropolis of Chaillon also offers a distinct historical point of interest. It comprised 19 grave pits containing 23 people. The two figures refer to different units: the grave pits on the one hand, and the people on the other. This gives you two ways to gauge the scale of the necropolis: by the number of pits and by the number of people buried.

Cheese, Visits and Direct Sales

Ferme du P'tit Ban-Houé makes cheese from goat’s and cow’s milk. You can visit the farm independently; group visits with a tasting are also offered. The visit options therefore differ clearly in format: an independent visit or a group visit with a tasting. Confirm the arrangements before your visit, as group bookings and product availability may change.

Brasserie La Mandale has a direct sales outlet at 2 Grande rue in Chaillon. If the door is open, you should ring the bell. This instruction applies under that condition and also gives you a specific address for direct sales.

Discover more destinations: Sampigny, Montmédy, Quincy-Landzécourt, Bonnet, Beaulieu-En-Argonne, Romagne-Sous-Montfaucon, Le Neufour, Vacherauville

Go to the main travel overview: Meuse.