Discover Sampigny through its distinctive focus on gardens and culture, as well as a marked hiking route. The Musée Raymond Poincaré, the Jardin du Clos Poincaré and the historic religious buildings offer a different experience from the 20.8-kilometre GS 9. You can choose between exploring the gardens and architectural history or embarking on a long hike.
Poincaré’s Summer Residence and Garden
The Musée Raymond Poincaré is on the ground floor of Raymond Poincaré’s former summer residence. The building’s former use as a summer residence gives the museum a clear connection to Sampigny’s history.
The Jardin du Clos Poincaré is laid out on terraces. Its features include Italian-style parterres, picturesque rock gardens and plants from the École de Nancy. These elements showcase different design accents within the garden. The Clos Poincaré also includes flower meadows that serve as biodiversity reservoirs. Behind the Clos, visitors can see Monsieur Poincaré’s orchard and apiary.
When deciding what to visit, it makes a difference whether you are mainly interested in the landscaped garden areas or also want to explore the other parts of the Clos: the parterres and rock gardens define the character of the garden, while the flower meadows, orchard and apiary offer further insights into the site.
Church, Chapel and Lavoir
The Église Saint-Pierre et Sainte-Lucie dates from the 13th century and was extended in the Gothic style in the 15th century. The church contains objects classified as Monuments historiques. The Chapelle Sainte-Lucie is in the parish cemetery. It was rebuilt in the Gothic style in the 19th century, and there is a crypt beneath the building.
The dates provide a concise comparison of the two buildings’ histories: the church is notable for its origins in the 13th century and its extension in the 15th century, while the chapel was rebuilt in the 19th century. A lavoir is also among Sampigny’s historic buildings. It is located on the Mont River near the railway station and is of the «au fil de l’eau» type.
Sampigny therefore offers several ways to explore its cultural history: the former summer residence, a church with several building phases, a rebuilt chapel with a crypt and a lavoir beside a river. The differences between the sites and their architectural histories help ensure that the town’s cultural heritage is not reduced to a single building.
Hiking the GS 9
The «GS 9 Sainte Lucie – Les Hauts Jours» hiking route starts at Sampigny’s former railway station. It runs for 20.8 kilometres through hilly terrain and is shaded for half its length. It is marked by La Grolle Sammielloise. The route leads to the Chapelle Sainte-Lucie and the Fontaine des Hauts-Jours; the fountain is a good place to stop for a picnic.
For planning purposes, the route’s length and hilly terrain are particularly useful points of reference. The amount of shade is also clearly described: half the route is shaded. This makes the route easy to distinguish as a longer hiking option from the garden and architectural history attractions, without needing to estimate a specific walking time. If you would like to include a longer route as well as sightseeing in your plans, the GS 9 offers a clearly defined trail with a chapel and a picnic spot.
Discover More Destinations
Discover more destinations: Velosnes, Azannes-Et-Soumazannes, Beausite, Naix-aux-Forges, Montmédy, Horville-en-Ornois, Houdelaincourt, Ligny-En-Barrois.
Return to the main travel overview: Meuse.
