After Charmes, La Voie Bleue meanders along a magnificent greenway beside the Canal des Vosges. Vestiges of the area’s industrial textile heritage are clearly visible along this stage, notably with the former Nomexy textile mill, built in red brick, and the impressive Rotonde de Thaon-les-Vosges, built for workers to relax in. A peaceful path leads to the port at Épinal, known in France as the ‘Cité de l'Image’, because of its tradition of producing popular images of French life, its museum containing the largest collection of such illustrations in the country.

La Voie Bleue’s route leads you out of Nancy along a lovely green corridor close to the Meurthe River and its parallel canal. You rejoin the Moselle via a connecting canal, going past the magnificent Château de Montaigu and its grounds. Back by the Moselle, the route continues to Charmes via an unspoilt, bucolic stretch. Riding merrily along the towpath beside the Canal des Vosges, a highlight along this portion is the canal bridge at Flavigny-sur-Moselle.