Via Francigena France 04, Clairvaux - Perrancey-les-Vieux-Moulins

The Via Francigena France 04, Clairvaux – Perrancey-les-Vieux-Moulins, is a roughly 65-km point-to-point section in eastern France, threading the Aube and Haute-Marne departments along the waymarked GR 145. Cumulative climb is near 900 m across three walking days of rolling Champagne plateau. Rated moderate, it links Cistercian Clairvaux to the fortified plateau city of Langres.

About the Via Francigena France 04, Clairvaux - Perrancey-les-Vieux-Moulins

The Via Francigena is one of Europe's great pilgrimage corridors, running more than 2,000 km from Canterbury in England to Rome, and crossing England, France, Switzerland and Italy. The route as we know it follows the diary of Sigeric the Serious, Archbishop of Canterbury, who recorded 79 stages (submansiones) on his return from Rome in the year 990. That manuscript, held in London, remains the historical backbone of the modern trail.

This particular segment — catalogued by the official trail authority as "France 04" — carries walkers from Clairvaux, in the Aube, southeast across the Haute-Marne to Perrancey-les-Vieux-Moulins, a small commune in the lake country just below the hilltop city of Langres. In France the whole pilgrimage has been recognised since 2018 as the long-distance footpath GR 145, marked with the familiar red-and-white blazes used across the French sentiers de grande randonnée network. The Via Francigena has held the status of a Council of Europe Cultural Route since 1994, and is coordinated by the European Association of the Vie Francigene (AEVF), founded in 2001.

The walking here is gentle by Alpine standards: open arable plateaux, beech and oak forest, dry limestone valleys and a string of quiet stone villages. Clairvaux itself is dominated by the remains of the great Cistercian abbey founded by Bernard of Clairvaux in 1115, while Langres — the birthplace of the philosopher Denis Diderot — sits behind some of the most complete medieval ramparts in France. Between them the trail rewards a slower, contemplative pace rather than chasing summits.

Route Overview & Stages

The section divides naturally into three day-stages. Distances are approximate and follow the GR 145 waymarking; many pilgrims combine or split them depending on accommodation.

Total: roughly 65 km with about 900 m of cumulative ascent. None of the days exceeds 25 km, which makes this an approachable introduction to multi-day pilgrim walking. If you are calibrating your daily output, our guide to how many calories you need hiking a full day helps you plan food for stages of this length.

Highlights & Points of Interest

• Clairvaux Abbey — founded in 1115 by Bernard of Clairvaux, the mother house of the Cistercian reform; the surviving 18th-century buildings later served as a prison and can be visited by guided tour.
• Forêt de Châteauvillain — a large managed forest with a fenced parc aux daims (deer park) on the edge of the village, a cool, shaded stretch on Stage 1.
• Châteauvillain — a medieval bastide town with a 14th-century gateway tower (Tour de l'Auditoire) and old fortified walls.
• Commanderie de Mormant — a 12th-century Templar and later Hospitaller commandery, one of the best-preserved pilgrim halts on the French Francigena and a free roadside stop.
• Lac de la Liez — a 280-hectare reservoir feeding the Marne–Saône canal, with a beach, sailing and a campsite directly on the GR 145 below Langres.
• Perrancey-les-Vieux-Moulins — the section's quiet endpoint among the Langres lakes, a logical overnight before climbing to the city.
• Langres ramparts — just beyond the stage, nearly 4 km of near-continuous medieval and Renaissance walls with seven towers and a Gallo-Roman gate, encircling the historic town.
• Marne and Aube headwaters — the plateau here is a watershed; you cross the upper reaches of rivers that flow north to the Seine basin.

Best Time to Hike the Via Francigena France 04, Clairvaux - Perrancey-les-Vieux-Moulins

The Haute-Marne plateau has a continental climate: cold, damp winters and warm, sometimes humid summers. The walking season runs from April to October. May is the single best month — daytime highs of 16–20 °C, long daylight, green forest, manageable trail mud and far fewer biting insects than high summer. June is a close second.

July and August can climb past 30 °C on the exposed arable sections, where shade is scarce; start early and carry extra water. September and early October bring crisp, stable weather and the first colour in the beech woods, but accommodation in the smaller villages begins to close for the season. Through winter, from November to March, many gîtes and the Lac de la Liez campsite shut entirely, and the clay tracks turn heavy. As of 2026, AEVF continues to publish updated French stage conditions and seasonal opening notes, so confirm village services before a shoulder-season departure.

Practical Information

Accommodation

Lodging along this section is a mix of pilgrim-focused and general tourist options. Expect a municipal or association gîte d'étape bunk from around €15–25 per person, and a donation-based pilgrim hall (accueil pèlerin) at a few parishes — give roughly €10–15 to cover costs. A double room in a chambre d'hôtes or small hotel in Châteauvillain or near Langres runs about €55–85. The Lac de la Liez campsite near Perrancey charges roughly €12–20 for a small tent pitch in season. Book ahead in May–June and over French public holidays, as beds in the villages are limited.

Getting There & Back

The natural gateway is Langres, just past the section's end. Langres–Marne is on the rail line between Dijon and Culmont-Chalindrey; from Paris Gare de Lyon, count on about 2.5–3 hours via Culmont-Chalindrey, or a faster TGV to Dijon (about 1h40) and a regional train onward. Clairvaux, at the start, has no station: the closest rail access is Bar-sur-Aube (about 12 km, on the Paris–Belfort line), with a local taxi or bus link to the abbey. The nearest major airports are EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse and Paris-Charlestown hubs roughly 2.5–4 hours away by train. For up-to-date French rail times and tickets, check the national operator SNCF Connect.

Permits & Fees

No permit is required to walk this section — the GR 145 is a public right of way and access is free. There is no entry fee for the trail itself or for the Mormant commandery. The only costs are accommodation, food and optional visits such as the guided tour of Clairvaux Abbey (around €8–12). Many walkers carry a credenziale (pilgrim passport), available from AEVF; it is not mandatory but is needed to collect stamps and, eventually, the pilgrim certificate in Rome. For official route data, GPS tracks and the credential, see the AEVF official Via Francigena site.

Gear & Packing List

This is a low-altitude, well-supplied walk, so weight matters more than technical kit. A comfortable 35–50-litre pack is ideal for three days of self-supported walking with village resupply. The Abisko Hike 35 suits a light, hut-to-hut style, while the Atmos AG 50 gives extra room if you carry a tent for the Lac de la Liez campsite. Pilgrims counting every gram on the longer Canterbury-to-Rome journey often favour an ultralight frame such as the 2400 Windrider.

Pack for variable weather: a waterproof jacket, layers for cool plateau mornings, broken-in trail shoes for clay tracks, and at least 1.5 litres of water capacity for the shadeless arable stretches. Trekking poles ease the gentle but persistent ups and downs. For deeper pack selection, see our roundup of the best ultralight backpacks of 2026.

Similar Trails You Might Like

If the long-distance, point-to-point character of the French Francigena appeals, France offers several other classic routes — from Alpine circuits to literary pilgrim ways and historic mountain crossings. These pair well with a Champagne plateau walk for building a longer itinerary or comparing terrain.

• Tour du Mont Blanc - Itinéraire principal
• GR 20 Principale
• Chemin de Stevenson - Liaison 1
• GR 105
• Sulle strade dei valdesi: GRV Glorioso Rimpatrio dei Valdesi

For a rougher, more mountainous multi-day contrast in the Balkans, our guide on how to hike the Theth to Valbona trail in Albania is a useful comparison point.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the best time to hike this section?
May is the best month: daytime highs of 16–20 °C, long daylight, green forest and few insects. June is nearly as good. July and August can exceed 30 °C on exposed farmland, while many gîtes and the Lac de la Liez campsite close from November through March, making winter walking impractical for most pilgrims.

How difficult is the Clairvaux to Perrancey section?
It is rated moderate and is one of the easier French Francigena segments. Over roughly 65 km the cumulative climb is only about 900 m, spread across gentle plateau and forest. There is no technical terrain. The main challenges are clay mud after rain, limited shade on arable stretches, and basic navigation along GR 145 red-and-white waymarks.

How far is each day?
Walkers typically split the section into three stages of about 24 km, 22 km and 19 km. None exceeds 25 km, which keeps daily effort comfortable for most fit hikers. You can compress it into two longer days of around 32 km each, or add a night in Langres to break the approach to the ramparts.

What accommodation is available along the route?
Options include municipal and association gîtes d'étape from about €15–25, donation-based parish pilgrim halls (roughly €10–15), chambres d'hôtes and small hotels at €55–85 for a double, and the Lac de la Liez campsite near Perrancey at about €12–20 per tent. Book ahead in spring and around French public holidays, as village beds are scarce.

Do I need a permit or pilgrim passport?
No permit is required — the GR 145 is a free public footpath with no entry fee. A pilgrim passport (credenziale) from AEVF is optional, but you need it to collect stamps and qualify for the pilgrim certificate in Rome. The only mandatory costs are food, accommodation and optional visits such as the guided tour of Clairvaux Abbey.