Le Val-D'esnoms offers several concrete starting points for a stay: a circular hike through three villages, buildings with different historical associations, and a history of winegrowing. You can focus on the hike’s landscape, churches and historic architectural styles, or regional products and traditions. For planning, it is worth checking trail conditions and current cultural events separately.
A circular hike through three villages
The Val d'Esnoms circular hike passes through Esnoms-au-Val, Chatoillenot and Courcelles-Val-d'Esnoms. These villages are now part of the municipality of Val d'Esnoms. The circular route thus provides a shared landscape setting for three places, each with its own points of interest in terms of architectural and cultural history. Along the way, the hike offers views of the Vezin Valley; visibility may vary depending on the season. Check local trail conditions before setting out. This lets you combine getting your bearings among the three villages with views across the Vezin Valley.
Buildings and different historical layers
The Château XVIIIe siècle de Chatoillenot is privately owned and can only be viewed from the outside; it retains some remains of the 13th-century fortress. The Colombier du Maître de Campagne is also privately owned and can only be viewed from the outside. The Colombier is a round structure; it may date from the 17th or 18th century. The buildings thus reflect different periods: preserved 13th-century fortress remains at the château and a later architectural style, with a tentative date, at the Colombier.
The Church of Saint-Michel de Courcelles-Val-d'Esnoms was built in 1875 and is freely accessible from the outside all year round. As local access information can change, check it before visiting. The Church of Saint-Vallier d'Esnoms-au-Val was built between 1779 and 1780. Its architectural features include a three-aisled nave and a polygonal, slate-covered spire. “Three-aisled” describes a nave with three aisles; “polygonal” describes the spire’s many-sided shape. This makes it possible to understand not only the construction date but also the layout of the nave and the shape of the spire.
The painting “Le Reniement de saint Pierre” is also housed in the church of Esnoms-en-Val.
Winegrowing and regional products
Esnoms-au-Val is one of the villages on the circular hike and is also linked to the history of winegrowing. Winegrowing was revived there in 1980 under the name Muid Montsaugeonnais. The date therefore marks the revival of winegrowing, not its beginning; as a historical development, this period adds to the architectural history and landscape of the route.
At La Cabane des Secrets, themed workshops exploring the terroir products of the Pays de Langres are held every weekend, on Saturdays and Sundays from 2 to 6 p.m. These include truffles, blackcurrants, honey, cheese and alcohol. The different product groups give the workshops a focus of their own alongside hiking and architectural heritage. Exhibitions by local artists and film screenings about local know-how and traditions are also held there. As the visitor programme may change, confirm the current availability of the workshops in advance and check which exhibitions are currently on display.
Discover more destinations: Villiers-Sur-Suize, Aujeurres, Semoutiers-Montsaon, Lafauche, Vitry-Lès-Nogent, Andelot-Blancheville, Villegusien-Le-Lac, Ceffonds.
For the broader travel overview: Haute-Marne.
