Discovering the flowers in the Frankenthal-Missheimle nature reserve

A hike starting from the Route des Crêtes, via Frankenthal, to discover the flowers of the Hautes-Vosges.
Please note! This hike is not possible in winter (see practical information below)

Details

n°23079270

Creation:
16 Jun 2022

Last update:
02 Oct 2026

Last review:
30 Jun 2026

Activity: Walking
Distance: 3.39 mi
Average duration: 2h 30
Difficulty: Moderate
Back to start: Yes
Ascent: + 1,089 ft
Descent: - 1,086 ft
Highest point: 4,265 ft
Lowest point: 3,153 ft

Country: France
Area: Vosges mountains
City: Xonrupt-Longemer (88400)
Start/End: N 48.051973° / E 7.014588°
IGN map(s): Ref. 3618OT, 3618OTR
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Photos

Description of the walk

Park at the Charlemagne car park, along the Route des Crêtes (D430).

(S/E) Head towards the Trois Fours mountain refuge for approximately 300 metres.

(1) Turn right and follow the^GR®®5trail, marked with a Red Rectangle, to reach the top of the Martinswand.

(2) Enjoy the view of the imposing Martinswand cliff, then continue to the Col de Falimont.

(3) At the pass, leave the^GR®® and turn left. Descend the steep path (marked with a Yellow Disc) to the Frankenthal bog.

(4) Continue along the path to the junction with the^GR®®531, marked with a Blue Rectangle. Take this to the left towards the Sentier des Roches. After a short while, pass a path (Yellow Disc) coming from the right, then another one about 300 m further on, and shortly afterwards you’ll come to a winding path marked with a Blue Triangle, climbing to the left.

(5) This leads towards the Chaume des Trois-Fours. At the top of the climb, you’ll reach a junction just before the forest ends and the stubble fields begin.

(6) Leave the Blue Triangle path on your left, turn right and continue straight up, following the edge of the stubble field. Cross the^GR®®5and carry on straight ahead to reach the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

S/E : mi 0 - alt. 4,026 ft - Car park – Route des Crêtes. Near the source of the - Vologne (rivière)
1 : mi 0.07 - alt. 4,042 ft - Junction with the GR5
2 : mi 0.42 - alt. 4,177 ft - GR5 – Top of Martinswand
3 : mi 0.84 - alt. 4,236 ft - Col de Falimont (1295m)
4 : mi 1.33 - alt. 3,369 ft - Tourbière du Frankenthal
5 : mi 2.2 - alt. 3,366 ft - GR531 junction/Blue Triangle
6 : mi 2.87 - alt. 3,944 ft - Chaume - Trois-Fours
S/E : mi 3.39 - alt. 4,026 ft - Car park – Route des Crêtes. Near the - Jardin d'altitude du Haut Chitelet (Xonrupt-Longemer)

Notes

Warning ! This hike is not possible in winter. The path linking (3) Col de Falimont to (4) Frankenthal is closed from¹ November to 30 April each year (prefectural decree of 18 May 2022).

This route passes through a protected area, which may be subject to special regulations:

Réserve Naturelle Nationale Frankenthal Missheimle - more information

Reviews and comments

4.8 / 5

Based on 5 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.8 / 5

Ease of following the route
5 / 5

Route interest
4.6 / 5

User 29612774

30 Jun 2026 at 09:47

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 30, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk through flower-filled or wooded slopes – very pleasant

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ktombre

02 May 2026 at 19:47

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 02, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very well-written description, a magnificent hike – although the descent into Frankenthal is indeed very steep – so take the utmost care if, like us, you’re only a fairly novice hiker. But it was definitely worth it.
Depending on the time of day you do this hike, you can stop for lunch at the Frankenthal farmhouse inn, or have a meal at the end of the hike at Les Trois Fours.

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Koda52

12 Aug 2025 at 15:54

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 12, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

A pleasant hike. We even saw two chamois.
We took the path in the opposite direction to the one indicated. Between points 3 and 4, the slope is very steep. It feels like climbing a very long staircase with steps of different heights and pebbles. It seems that this section makes the hike more difficult than average.
Luckily, we did it going uphill. Going downhill, I would probably have had to slide down on my bottom a few times.
Please note that this part of the hike is impassable in winter (signs indicate this at the bottom and top of the slope)

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Emma03121995

24 Jul 2023 at 23:32

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 24, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A lovely walk that gives you the chance to admire the flowers of the Vosges. The walk is short but challenging, especially the long descent. Highly recommended!

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Ch Bach

07 Aug 2022 at 13:38

Hello. Yes, this year the flowers suffered from the early heatwave! Try again next year – it’s a real treat. As for the flowers and the view… you can see martagon lilies near the Schaeferthal Pass, towards Schiessroth, in late spring… that way you’ll get both.

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Milizou

05 Aug 2022 at 08:57

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 02, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk starting from Les Trois Fours. We’re used to hiking up to the summit of Hohneck from this starting point, but this time we headed down into the valley with our two children, aged 6½ and 10½, who are keen walkers. The descent is rather dizzying and quite difficult (there’s a significant risk of slipping – we were going at about 1.3 km/h on the way down). We were a bit “anxious” about heading so far down into the valley, already dreading the “steep” climb back up with our little ones. At the bottom of the descent, the spot is also very pretty (a bog). The climb up was ultimately straightforward via a lovely, shaded forest path that allows you to maintain a steady pace as it isn’t stony and has no major obstacles. I really enjoyed the walk; we saw a few flowers, though they must be more abundant in spring (it’s been a scorcher this summer of 2022). The children did too. My husband was more mixed in his feelings, as he prefers the views from the ridges. The circular route (completed in 2½ hours – excluding breaks and a picnic) as indicated was very easy to follow thanks to the signposts and GPS (Holiday discovery: used in flight mode, Visorando uses very little battery, even when paired with Strava and taking loads of photos!)

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