Sentier De Grande Randonnee Gr © Pixabay

GR 654 - On the route to

Santiago de Compostela

The GR 654 follows the Voie de Vézelay from Namur to Vézelay and then, the Via Lemovicensis to Montréal-du-Gers. Châlons-en-Champagne is on the ‘Grande Randonnée’ route. It then joins the GR 65 which continues towards Spain to reach the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela.

A route dotted with

some exceptional sites

This route is dotted with prestigious UNESCO World Heritage sites such as:

The belfry in Namur

Notre-Dame Cathedral, the ancient Basilica of Saint-Rémi and the Palais du Tau in Reims.

Notre-Dame-en-Vaux Collegiate Church in Châlons-en-Champagne

The Basilica of Sainte-Marie-Madeleine in Vézelay

The Saint-Léonard Collegiate Church in Saint-Léonard-de-Noblat

Saint-Front Cathedral in Périgueux

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The GR 654 in Champagne

After crossing the Ardennes countryside, you will reach the Champagne plain with the Montagne de Reims in its midst. You then follow the great lakes of Champagne (Lac du Der and the lakes of the Forêt d’Orient) before leaving the region.

The stages around Châlons-en-Champagne

If you are coming from the north, you can reach Châlons-en-Champagne from Reims in 3 days. You first follow the Aisne and then the Marne, cradled by the sound of the water and two formidable ladies: Notre-Dame de Reims and Notre-Dame-en-Vaux in Châlons-en-Champagne.

Day 1: Reims (Pont de la Neuvilette) to Verzenay – 22km – 5 hours 40 mins
Day 2: Verzenay to Condé-sur-Marne – 22.5km – 5 hours 55 mins
Day 3: Condé-sur-Marne to Châlons-en-Champagne – 20km – 5 hours

Once in Châlons-en-Champagne, you can reach Vitry-le-François in 2 days.

Day 4: Châlons-en-Champagne to La Chaussée sur Marne – 24km – 6 hours 30 mins
Day 5: La Chaussée sur Marne to Vitry-le-François – 22km – 5 hours 30 mins