Trail Name : Circuit de Stromberg (AKA: Boucle de Stromberg)
Trail Type: Short distance circuit; mostly hard surfaces, to include about 100 steps, somewhat maintained, but the route itself is only intermittently marked.
Length: 7.7 kilometers/4.75 miles
Convenient to: Thionville, France; Remich or Schengen, Luxembourg; Perl, Germany
Marking: Yellow rectangle/Red and white rectangles thru town/Red dot; as well as location and directional signposts
Trail Description:
A great short trail, offering good variety of terrain, trail surface, and shade/sun mix, with great views of vineyards, the plateau of Lorraine, and the Moselle, the trail could be a bit rough (overgrown paths, rough footing) in some places, and more demanding in other places with steep steps, and narrow, uneven footing.
Trailhead: Contz les Bains: R. du Pressoir
Parking:
Contz: R. du Vin x R. de la Chapelle (by the recycle point) ; R. du Stade (by the sports fields)
Public Transportation Options:
Bus: Buses run regularly from Thionville to Sierck-les-Bains, France
Rail: SCNF (Ligne TER Perl – Thionville) and Deutsche Bahn serve Sierck-les-Bains
Suggested Stages: Not applicable
Trail Itinerary-Reference Points:
Contz les Bains: R. de St Jean x R. du Pressoir-R. du Vignoble, Chapel, Cliff and Lookout spot; Tree line above the vineyards; Dozens of stairs; Luxembourg border: old quarry site; Contz: Cross D648, through forest, then vineyards, above sports field to Rue du Stade.
Representative Trail Photos:
Restrooms:
None in Contz, but one in Sierck-les-Bains, Place Morbach (in the large parking lot)
Attractions on or near Trail:
None in Contz, per se; but several interesting buildings in nearby Sierck
Tasting along the Trail:
Contz-les-Bains: Domaine Sontag (limited hours though)
Sierck-les-Bains: Several restaurants with good wine selections, and establishments (to include the Tourist Office) which sell local bottles.
Alternative Options:
Biking: While not wine-themed, the Chemin de la Moselle from Thionville to the German border, covers all the vineyard area between Thionville and Apach, to the German and Luxembourg vineyards on the Moselle. Much of it is on dedicated cycle path.
Car: Route des Vins de Moselle, the northern section of this route begins in Petite Hettange and continues north to the French-German or alternatively, the French-Luxembourg border, from where it may continue on the designated Luxembourg or German wine routes. (The southern section of this route centers around Metz.)
Additional Information:
Regional: http://www.moselle-tourisme.com/
Trail specific: http://www.moselle-tourisme.com/itineraires-moselle-pleine-nature/F855145561_circuit-du-stromberg-contz-les-bains.html
Comments:
Bus and train arrivals will require a short walk, over the bridge to Contz-les-Bains, to begin the hike.
A short extension from the border (a couple of kilometers), will bring the adventurous into Schengen, Luxembourg, for a multi-national experience. It is well-trod and well-marked.