Discover the Haguenau Forest of Exceptional Beauty®

Access

The route starts from Haguenau train station. If arriving by car, park in the Parc des Sports car park (free) on Rue du Moulin Neuf, behind the station, then cross the station to reach the forecourt.

Route No. 1 towards Porte de Wissembourg

(S/E) Cross the station forecourt. Take cycle route no. 1 towards Porte de Wissembourg, which starts on the left, Boulevard Nessel, behind the bike rental agency. Continue straight on Boulevard de l'Europe.

(1) At the crossroads, turn left onto Route de Bitche to cross the Canal de la Moder bridge, then immediately turn right onto the cycle path parallel to Boulevard Pasteur to follow the canal northwards for just over 100 metres.

Route No. 9 towards Walbourg/Hundshof

(2) At the first intersection, where there is a sign indicating the direction of the Centre Technique Intercommunal, leave the cycle path on the left to follow Route No. 9 towards Walbourg/Hundshof. Continue straight ahead on Chemin Long to take the cycle path that starts at the first intersection. Follow the path that branches off to the left, pass under the railway line and continue straight ahead to the crossroads. At the traffic lights, turn right onto Chemin Mittelfeld, which leads through the fields, and continue straight ahead. At the T-junction with a path, turn left and after about 300 m, join the new section of greenway on the right. Continue straight ahead.

Route No. 20 towards Walbourg

(3) At the junction with Route de Forstheim at the end of the street, turn left. Stay on this road and cross the railway line. A few metres after the left-hand bend, turn right into Rue de la Ferme Hund to cross the hamlet of Hundshof. At the end of the hamlet, continue straight ahead on the tarmac cycle route no. 20 towards Walbourg, which passes over the D1063 departmental road.

(4) At the Hundshof wash house, the route enters the undivided forest. Continue straight ahead in the same direction. After about 700 m, the track leads to the D27 departmental road and turns left to follow the road for 800 m. Cross carefully and continue straight ahead, still following the departmental road towards the north-west.

(5) The route veers slightly to the right before turning 90° onto the Route Forestière du Rohrlach. Keep going straight ahead, ignoring the paths to the left and right.

(6) At the intersection with a forest path, turn left and continue straight ahead for about 2 km. This part of the path is almost perfectly straight.

(7) The road veers to the left before turning right a few metres further on, leading out of the forest. Cross the meadows, then at the intersection, continue straight ahead up Rue de l'Église to the village centre.

(8) At the junction with Grand'Rue, head left first before turning immediately right into Rue de Biblisheim, which starts at the cycle route signs. Stay on route 20 towards Biblisheim and Betschdorf.
Follow the road up to Biblisheim, ignoring the streets and paths on the left and right. Then follow route 52 towards Betschdorf.

Route 52 towards Surbourg/Betschdorf

(9) At the entrance to Biblisheim, continue straight ahead. Just before the school and town hall, turn right onto the cycle path that runs alongside a playground and a few gardens. After 300 m, cross the road and continue straight ahead. At the end of the path, turn left onto Rue de la Forêt and at the stop sign, turn right to enter the forest. Continue straight ahead on Route de l'Oberstritten. Stay on this road for about 2.7 km.

(10) Just before Route de l'Oberstritten joins the D263 departmental road, take the cycle path on the left. After 350 m, cross the D264 departmental road with caution to continue in the correct direction of traffic and continue straight ahead to Surbourg.

(11) Cross the Sauer river and continue straight ahead. Immediately after the sign indicating the entrance to Surbourg, turn right to stay on cycle route 52 towards Betschdorf. After about 800 m, the route passes under the D263 departmental road. Continue straight ahead for about 1.7 km, and the track leads to Rue du Moulin in Schwabwiller.

(12) Cross the street and continue straight ahead towards Betschdorf and Haguenau via Gros Chêne.

Route No. 24 towards Haguenau

(13) In Betschdorf, at the end of the cycle path after 2 km, turn right onto route no. 24 towards Haguenau via Gros Chêne and go down Rue de la Sauer. Cross the Sauer river and enter the undivided forest. Continue straight ahead until you reach the intersection where the Heuscheuer Forest House is located. Continue straight ahead to stay on the tarmac road.

(14) At the Carrefour Parade junction, stay on route 24 towards Haguenau by turning right onto the Route Forestière de Heuscheuer.

(15) At the T-junction with the Route Forestière de Schwabwiller, turn left onto the latter. Continue straight ahead on the tarmac road for 2.8 km, ignoring the paths on the left and right, until you reach the Gros Chêne.

(16) Cross the Eberbach stream and arrive at the Gros Chêne. Cross the area heading south to continue on the Route Forestière de Schwabwiller.

Route No. 2 towards the town centre

(17) At the first intersection, turn right onto Route Forestière du Krummstein. Stay on this tarmac road for about 4 km, ignoring the paths on the left and right. At the edge of the forest, continue straight ahead and cross over the D1063 departmental road.

(18) At the end of the road, at the T-junction with Oberer Hirtspierch and Krummerstegweg, turn left onto Chemin Krummerstegweg, continuing towards the town centre.

(19) Turn right onto Chemin du Parcage. At the second intersection, turn left onto Rue de l'Ours.

(20) Turn left onto Rue du Busard and keep right at the fork. The street leads to Route de Soufflenheim, then turn right and follow the cycle path on the right-hand side of the road. After 60 metres, use the pedestrian crossing to cross the road and join the two-way cycle path opposite. Continue towards the town centre and Parc des Berges.

(21) At the next intersection, turn left onto Rue des Vélos. At the end of the street, turn right onto Rue des Chasseurs. At the second intersection, turn left onto Rue du Faisan and continue for a few metres.

(22) At the^third intersection, turn right onto Rue Centrale. Continue straight ahead, ignoring the streets on your left and right.

(23) Shortly before the end of the street, at the pedestrian crossing before the give way sign, turn left to cross Route de Schirrhein and reach Parc des Berges de la Moder. Continue straight ahead towards the south to cross the park.

(24) Behind the playground, turn right to walk along the Canal de la Moder. Keep to the left to pass under the two bridges.

(2) Finally, reach the intersection at the start of the route at Boulevard Pasteur. Reach the crossroads at the end of the stage.
(1) Turn right and return to Haguenau station (S/E).

Don't forget to pick up a tourist map of the Haguenau Forêt d'Exception®, available at the Haguenau Tourist Office, which shows the plot numbers marked on the trees at the intersections. This makes it very easy to find your way around the undivided forest!

Discovering the Forêt d'Exception®, Tourist Office information sheet.

The Vélo Ritmo agency, located on the left as you leave the station, offers a bicycle rental service (standard or electric), by reservation: 03 88 93 60 35

The route is exclusively on tarmac roads, even for the sections in the forest.

Contact

Pays de Haguenau Tourist Office
+33 (0)3 88 06 59 99
tourisme@agglo-haguenau.fr
More information at visithaguenau.alsace

The Hundshof wash house (6) is the only^19th-century wash house still standing in the municipality of Haguenau. While the last washerwoman regularly washed her laundry there until the early 1990s, residents of the hamlet of Hundshof still went there to wash rugs, jackets and other bulky fabrics in the summer until the early 2000s. The water from the wash house is discharged into the local stream, the Brunnbach.

Halfway between stages (8) and (9), the Gründel ponds, considered a jewel of the forest, are the perfect place to stop and rest by the water.

Fancy a drink or lunch? Take a short detour to Schwabwiller by turning left onto Rue du Moulin Schwabwiller on route no. 54. Continue to Rue Principale, then turn right and continue straight on for 150 metres. The Restaurant de la Poste offers traditional, hearty dishes typical of Alsace. Return to route no. 52 and continue towards Betschdorf.

Discover the bird observatory: between stages (15) and (16), turn left at the Heuscheuer forest house and follow the Allée Forestière du Brunnwald (unpaved path) for 500 m. The bird observatory, indicated by a sign on your left, was built in 2011 on the site of a former clay quarry that has been renaturalised. Take the time to enjoy the birdsong before returning to the forest house and continuing on route no. 24.

At Gros Chêne, enjoy the friendly atmosphere of the inn or one of the many picnic tables available. You can also take a moment to relax on the grass by the Eberbach stream, or, for the more curious, visit the chapel and discover the legend of Saint Arbogast.

Detour to the Oak Monument: from the Krummstein Forest Road, a sign on your right points to the Oak Monument. Through her contemporary artwork, artist Gloria Friedmann invites you on an initiatory journey of seven steles and then the monument itself, questioning the fragility of life and the impact of humans on nature.