E5 in France

Below you find an overview of the E5 and its route in France (as we hiked it): If you click on a section of the route, you can even see the corresponding stage number, start and destination! (For comparison, you can find the original route here).

[osm_map_v3 map_center=”autolat,autolon” zoom=”autozoom” width=”100%” height=”450″ file_list=”../../../../wp-content/uploads/2024/12/E5_Frankreich.gpx” file_color_list=”blue” file_title=”Frankreich E5″]

Hiking Stats

E5 France Facts and Figures:

A journey along the E5 European long-distance hiking trail in France in 5 minutes: 

• We set off from the Pointe du Raz, almost the most westerly point in France, along the Breton coast on the customs-officers’ path.

• Through the muddy Breton interior we reach the Canal de Nantes à Brest, a beautiful stretch of road.

• This is also the location of Lac de Guerledan and the village of Caurel, where we chat to John and Larry about the Broceliande Forest and the legend of King Arthur in Larry’s bar in the backyard (which nobody would have expected to be there).
• There are also some cute and fortified little villages in this area, for example my favourite place of the hike, Josselin, with its castle.

• In the Forêt de Brocéliande, we realise why it is the stuff of legends – the forest exudes a certain magic (especially the parts you are allowed to enter) and there is even a great King Arthur Museum.

• Via the famous Etang de Neal and after a visit to the owner and the friendly Nathalie, we finally reach the Breton coast again at Saint Malo, a fortified town well worth seeing.

• From here, the route continues in three beautiful stages along a stretch of coast that experiences the highest tidal fluctuations in Europe to the famous monastery island of Mont Saint Michel.

• We treat ourselves to two overnight stays on the famous island and a day off to celebrate Easter!

• Along the very walkable Voie Verte and the GR 22, we pass through seaside resorts and national parks where overnight accommodation is rare and far between.
• We are all the happier when we discover the Sloowli, a tiny house in the middle of the National Park du Perche and to this day my absolute favourite accommodation on the E5!

• Over fields and through forests, the route leads to Versailles and thus ‘Ante portas Paris’.

• For three days we hike through the city until we leave it again along the Seine heading south into the Fontainebleau forest, where I can have bouldering sessions along the way.

• Continuing along the Seine and Yonne, we reach Champagne, which is full of accommodation highlights including multi-course meals accompanied by champagne. At Raphael and Laurent’s in particular, we enjoy a truly exquisite French dinner.

• Shortly afterwards, we reach a section of the route where we need our knowledge of Dutch rather than French for the accommodations: This section is teeming with bed and breakfasts run by Dutch people – for all the Dutch who are travelling through to the south of France.
• We then hike along pilgrims’ paths past some fantastic abbeys, first and foremost the Abbaye du Clairvaux, which was a prison until 2023 and which we visit as part of a guided tour, and the Abbaye Mormant, of which only ruins remain, but where we stay in a very nice pilgrims’ hostel.

• The route continues through the lake region, including along the Lac du Liez, to a snail farm where we spend the night in a tiny house and enjoy a snail tasting!

• We then get our first taste of the mountains in the Vosges, where we climb the Ballon D’Alsace and treat ourselves to an overnight stay in a super nice location with a hot tub! Very special!

• We hike through Alsace – where we hear and read more and more German – to Basel, where the E5 continues along the Rhine in Switzerland.
• And with that, it’s “Au Revoir France” and “Grüezi Schwiiz!”

Stages and Numbers

For all those interested in details, numbers and more: In the table below you will find our stages, the respective length, where we stayed overnight and the number of the GR we followed.

Stage	Start	Destination	Length (km)	Accomodation	Way followed
1	Point du Raz	Beuzec-Cap-Sizun	35,14	Chez Lydie	GR34
2	Beuzec-Cap-Sizun	Douarnenez	20,04	Douarnenez	GR34
3	Douarnenez	Kerklody	26,74	Kerklody	GR34
4	Kerklody	Le Faou	31,97	Le Faou	GR37
5	Le Faou	La Vallee du Rivoal	24,53	La Vallee du Rivoal	GR37
6	La vallee du rivoal	Brennilis	28,87	Brennilis Aubrey	GR37
7	Brennilis	Huelgoat	4,04	Huelgoat	GR37
8	Huelgoat	Carhaix	24,27	Carhaix	GR37
9	Carhaix	Rostrenen	31,12	Maison du Canal	GR37
10	Rostrenen	Gouarec	17,96	Gouarec	GR37
11	Gouarec	Caurel	19,21	Caurel	GR37
12	Caurel	Saint Caradec	19,81	St. Caradec Containerdorf	GR37
13	Saint Caradec	Le Ferme de Cavalerie	23,27	Le Ferme de Cavalerie	GR37
14	Le Ferme de Cavalerie	Rohan	9,22	Rohan	GR37
15	Rohan	Josselin	27,78	Josselin	GR37
16	Josselin	Ploërmel	18,08	Ploërmel	GR37
17	Ploërmel	Chateau de Trécesson	25,79	Chateau du Trécesson	GR37
18	Chateau de Trécesson	Plélan-le-Grand	27,47	Plélan-le-Grande	GR37
19	Plélan-le-Grand	Montauban	30,61	Montauban (Inhaber Mimi)	GR37
20	Montauban	Etang de Neal	21,71	Etang de Neal	GR37
21	Etang de Neal	Dinan	30,26	Dinan	Liaison GR34 – GR37
22	Dinan	Saint Malo	30,14	St. Malo japanisch	Liaison GR34 – GR37
23	Saint Malo	Saint Malo	6,15	St. Malo italienisch	GR34
24	Saint Malo	Cancale	24,67	Cancale	GR34
25	Cancale	Dol-de-Bretagne	22,88	Dol-de-Bretagne	GR34
26	Dol-de-Bretagne	Le Mont Saint Michel	30,07	Mont Saint Michel	GR34
Pause	Le Mont Saint Michel		0	Mont Saint Michel
27	Le Mont Saint Michel	Isigny	31,76	Isigny Tranquil Oasis	GR22
28	Isigny	Mortain	30,02	Mortain Tour Caché	GR22
29	Mortain	FlorEl	15,77	FlorEl	GR22
30	FlorEl	Domfront	30,6	Domfront	GR22
31	Domfront	Bangoles de l’Orne	20,27	Bagnoles de l’Orne	GR22
32	Bangoles de l’Orne	Carrouges	29,75	Carrouges	GR22
33	Carrouges	Les Vergers	29,5	Les Vergers (ants everywhere)	GR22
34	Les Vergers	Alençon	13,12	Alençon	GR22
35	Alençon	Studio au bord de la foret	28,32	Haus am Waldrand	GR22
36	Studio au bord de la foret	Belleme	27,21	Belleme La Dragonne	GR22
37	Belleme	Sloowli	14,42	Sloowli	GR22
38	Sloowli	Tiny House	23,85	Tiny	GR22
39	Tiny House	Dampierre	35,14	Dampierre	GR22
40	Dampierre	Crécy-Couvé	19,19	Crécy-Couvé Pferdefarm	GR22
41	Crécy-Couvé	Dreux	12,67	Dreux (ohne Bett)	GR22
42	Dreux	Gressey	37,19	Gressey	GR22
43	Gressey	Montfort l’Amaury	29,02	Montfort l’Amaury	GR22
44	Montfort l’Amaury	Versailles	34,45	Versailles Trianon Palace	GR22
45	Versailles	Paris Zentrum	21,22	Paris Zentrum	GR22
46	Paris Zentrum	Paris Süd	31,07	Villeneuve Mitbewohner	GR2
47	Paris Süd	Melun	31,69	Mee (bei Melun)	GR2
48	Melun	Bois-le-Roi	13,83	Bois-le-Roi Buchgeschäft	GR2
49	Bois-le-Roi	Montereau-fault-Yonne	32,82	Montereau-fault-Yonne	GR2
50	Montereau-fault-Yonne	Villeblevin	17,32	Villeblevin Yxie	GR2
51	Villeblevin	Évry	21,74	Évry Ferme de Flo	GR2
52	Évry	Lailly	30,5	Lailly La Merlette	GR2
53	Lailly	Estissac	32,75	Estissac	GR2
54	Estissac	Troyes	23,9	Troyes	GR2
55	Troyes	Lusigny-sur-Barse	19,79	Lusigny Monsieur Gourmet	GR2
56	Lusigny-sur-Barse	Bar-sur-Seine	26,41	Bar-sur-Seine	GR2
57	Bar-sur-Seine	Mussy-sur-Seine	26,29	Mussy-sur-Seine	GR2
58	Mussy-sur-Seine	Cunfin	17,83	Cunfin Chez MoBi	GR703
59	Cunfin	Abbaye de Clairvaux	19,43	Abbaye Clairvaux	GR703
60	Abbaye de Clairvaux	Châteauvillain	26	Châteauvillain	GR145
61	Châteauvillain	Mormant	23,9	Mormont Pilgerherberge	GR145
62	Mormant	Saint Ciergues	25,34	Saint Ciergues	GR145
63	Saint Ciergues	Le Lac du Liez	15,87	Lac du Liez	GR145
64	Le Lac du Liez	Vicq	25,7	Vicq Pferde	GR7
65	Vicq	Bourbonne-les-Bains	24,48	Bourbonne-les-Bains	GR7
66	Bourbonne-les-Bains	Monthureux-sur-Saone	29	Monthureux	GR7
67	Monthureux-sur-Saone	Grandrupt-de-Bains	24,5	Tussen de bronnen	GR7
68	Grandrupt-de-Bains	Uzemain	20,21	Uzemain Escargoterie	GR7
69	Uzemain	Remiremont	30,6	Remiremont	GR7
70	Remiremont	Kugel mit Hot Tub	13,78	Kugel mit Hot Tub	GR7
71	Kugel mit Hot Tub	Auberge Grammont	18,2	Auberge Grammont	GR7
72	Auberge Grammont	Ballon d’Alsace	23,53	Auberge Fluhr	GR7
73	Ballon d’Alsace	Burnhaupt-le-Haut	32,43	Burnhaupt-le-Haut	E5 selbst gelegt
74	Burnhaupt-le-Haut	Wahlbach	24,17	Wahlbach	E5 selbst gelegt
75	Wahlbach	Basel	28,67	Basel	E5 selbst gelegt