Pierre-Percée offers several clearly distinct themes for a discovery trip: getting active on hiking trails, activities on the lake and two historical perspectives—the medieval castle ruins and the Centre d’Interprétation 1914–1918. The focus you choose shapes the character of your stay: outdoors, trails and water-based activities take centre stage, while the castle and collection explore different historical themes.
Lake, hiking trails and outdoor activities
Lake Pierre-Percée covers more than 300 hectares. Numerous hiking trails run for nearly 35 kilometres around the lake, and you can explore them on foot or by mountain bike. This gives you a range of ways to experience the landscape on the move, without requiring every route to follow the same course.
One specifically named circular route is the Circuit pédestre - Les deux lacs. It starts at the Pierre-Percée dam car park, leads through the forest and follows blue waymarkers back to the dam. If you’re looking for a described loop, you’ll find a clear starting point and a marked route here; the other hiking trails around the lake make up a wider network.
On the lakeshore, Pôle Canoë rents out canoes, kayaks and stand-up paddleboards. Rentals are seasonal, so check whether they are available during your travel dates. Fishing is possible from the lakeshore or from non-motorised boats. The applicable licensing rules apply.
Aventure Parc offers adventure courses and activities for beginners and experienced visitors of all ages. Eligibility requirements may vary by activity. Check the rules for the specific activity in advance and choose accordingly.
Lac de la Plaine: leisure centre and swimming restrictions
Pôle Sports Nature at the Lac de la Plaine leisure centre has a children’s playground, a beach and picnic areas. These facilities offer a different focus from the hiking trails around the lake: play and picnic areas are part of the leisure centre’s offer here.
Important for planning: Since 2024, the leisure centre has no longer offered a supervised swimming area; swimming is prohibited there throughout the season. So don’t plan to use the beach for swimming.
Castle ruins and history
The ruins of Château de Pierre-Percée stand on a ridge characterised by pink sandstone rocks. From there, you can look out over the village of Pierre-Percée and the lower part of the lake. The medieval site therefore offers a historical contrast to the themes of the Centre d’Interprétation 1914–1918. Access to the Château is closed for the entire duration of the consolidation work. Check current access arrangements before planning a visit.
The Salm family took possession of the Château at the beginning of the 12th century. This dating places the castle in a different era from the interpretation centre’s collection, which is dedicated to the First World War.
The Centre d’Interprétation 1914–1918 houses an extensive collection of weapons, uniforms, equipment and documents from the First World War. It presents permanent and temporary exhibitions and offers cultural events and conferences. This allows you to distinguish between the history of the medieval castle and the First World War exhibits and events, rather than treating the two places as the same historical offering.
Discover more destinations: Pont-À-Mousson, Puxe, Crévéchamps, Tellancourt, Pulney, Saint-Clément, Laxou, Dieulouard
For the broader travel overview: Meurthe-Et-Moselle.
