Around Eppenbrunn: the Eulenfels and the Altschlosspfad

Gentle climb to Eulenfels, a spectacular but little-visited rocky site. Pass through the Wusteichelsbach peat bogs before climbing gently to the breathtaking Altschlossfelsen rock formation (very popular). Return to Eppenbrunn via the Rocher de Diane, on the French-German border, and the Teufelstisch rocks.

Details

18879937
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 18.00 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 6h 15 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Difficult

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 392 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 388 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 405 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 276 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Access to the start: from the main road in Eppenbrunn, take Neudorfstraße. The car park is on the left after the bridge over the Eppenbrunner Bach river.

(S) From the car park, walk along the river upstream. Cross the bridge on the left. Walk along the park for about 100 metres.

Eulenfels-Tour signpost

(1) Turn right at the end of the park. Walk along the park. Pass a roundabout. Turn left into an alley, then right at a wash house and join Weiherstraße.

(2) Turn left into the street, then turn right onto Obere Haardtstraße. Continue to the end of this street, ignoring the numerous streets on the left and right.

(3) Leave the street on your right and turn left onto a path. Turn right at the entrance to the forest. Ignore a path on your right and continue to a crossroads.

(4) Cross the road, turn right and immediately take the path on the left, then shortly afterwards the trail on the left. Pass the mushroom-shaped rock, then cross a bridge. Turn right onto the path. Go straight ahead at the fork and you will reach a T-junction.

(5) Turn right. Further on, turn left onto the path and, after 30 metres, go up the path on the left. Go around the Eulenfels and then climb to the top. Nice view of the forest. Cross the ridge via the path. Climb down the rock and continue along the path until you reach a road.

No markings

(6) Leave the road on your left and take the middle path on your right. At the crossroads of four paths, take the one on the left. This path is little used and may be overgrown with grass. Keep heading south-west until you reach the Chemin de Compostelle.

Chemin de Compostelle

(7) Turn right onto this path. At the next junction, turn left towards Eppenbrunn. Cross the Wüsteichelbach stream, return to the forest and reach a junction.

Eulenfels Tower signpost

(8) Turn right, then right again at the four-way junction. After a wide left-hand bend, turn right at the junction, then left onto a road and arrive at Studenbach Pond.

(9) Picnic possible. Turn right onto the path, then right again as you leave the pond. After a left turn, you will reach a fork.

Altschloßpfad signpost

(10) Turn right onto the path that climbs to the left. Turn right onto a path that leads to a crossroads in front of a house.

(11) Turn left towards Altschloßfelsen. At a fork, turn right. Continue straight ahead at the next fork. Turn left at Höhler Felsen. Viewpoint over Eppenbrunn. Continue straight ahead at the next crossroads, ignoring a path on the right, then straight ahead after the bend to a three-way junction.

(12) Turn left at the three-way junction at the rock. Cross a path and continue to a crossroads.

(13) At the crossroads, take the path on the right. Follow the rocky ridge of the Altschloßfelsen. Cross to the other side of the ridge. Enjoy the view – you are in Colorado.

(14) At the end of the rocky ridge, descend the path on the right, heading north, along the border. At the junction with a marked path, continue towards the Rocher de Diane (Dianabild), marked with a red disc.

(15) Bas-relief dating from Roman times. Return to the junction and turn left towards Eppenbrunn. Walk back about a hundred metres and turn left to a picnic area.

(16) Turn left onto the path after the picnic area. Turn left at the next crossroads. The path heads north. Cross a path and continue towards Eppenbrunn, leaving the paths on your left. Follow the signs and go down the path on the right. Turn right before the road, cross a stream and continue to a crossroads.

No markings

(17) Take thesecond path on the right. In a wide left-hand bend, leave the path on the right. Further on, at the junction after a right-hand bend, take the path on the right towards the Teufelstisch. Viewpoint. Continue along the ridge. Pass by the Devil's Rock, and the path joins a crossroads.

(18) At the crossroads, take the path opposite downhill. Turn left and continue downhill to the road. Turn right onto the road, cross it (take care) and then take the path on the left to return to the crossroads before the bridge you came across on the way up. Turn left towards the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 276 m - Car park
  2. 1 : km 0.12 - alt. 277 m - Right turn
  3. 2 : km 0.5 - alt. 282 m - Weiherstraße
  4. 3 : km 1.35 - alt. 317 m - Path
  5. 4 : km 2.1 - alt. 336 m - Crossroads of roads and paths
  6. 5 : km 2.36 - alt. 343 m - T-junction
  7. 6 : km 3.72 - alt. 363 m - Middle path
  8. 7 : km 4.95 - alt. 296 m - Fork
  9. 8 : km 5.4 - alt. 294 m - Fork
  10. 9 : km 6.07 - alt. 299 m - Stüdenbach Weiher
  11. 10 : km 6.35 - alt. 301 m - Fork
  12. 11 : km 6.8 - alt. 306 m - Turn left in front of a house
  13. 12 : km 9.34 - alt. 342 m - Three-way junction in the rock
  14. 13 : km 9.63 - alt. 340 m - Altschloßfelsen junction
  15. 14 : km 11.18 - alt. 371 m - Path to Diane rock
  16. 15 : km 11.91 - alt. 350 m - Diane's Rock
  17. 16 : km 12.38 - alt. 324 m - Picnic area.
  18. 17 : km 14.75 - alt. 288 m - Crossroads
  19. 18 : km 15.99 - alt. 345 m - Downhill path
  20. S/E : km 18 - alt. 276 m - Car park by the Eppenbrunner Bach river.

Notes

No water sources on the route.
Shelter under the rocks of the Altschloßfelsen.

Reviews and comments

4.9 / 5
Based on 11 reviews

Reliability of the description
5 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.8 / 5
Route interest
4.8 / 5
RegineBelfort
RegineBelfort

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 04, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful route. As we did it on a Thursday in September, the Altschlosspfad section was relatively quiet.

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Anne Jo
Anne Jo

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 23, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant hike in warm weather as it is well shaded.
I loved the choice of route because it was all trails and no forest paths! The section along several very quiet trails was a bonus because the flora was beautiful, a real treat!
Be careful on the last part of the climb, it's quite steep and tough!
Well done for this route!

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RafRuns
RafRuns

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 22, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Many thanks to the author of this magnificent ride.
Very little tarmac, and magnificent scenery.
I had a bit of trouble following the track, but on the whole it was fine.
For a few more kilometres, I took the other track from another hike on the site at the level of the Rocher de Diane, and caught up with the route at the same point to return to Eppenbrunn.
I was delighted with my outing!

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cricri68
cricri68

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 11, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

We set off from Roppeviller, which made the walk about 2 km longer. We visited the Altschlosfelsen at the end of the hike, but unfortunately it's very busy, as it's only about 10 minutes from the Roppeviller car park... The hike on the German side was pleasant, with a beautiful view from the Eulenfels.

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biache.pascal@orange .fr
biache.pascal@orange .fr

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 19, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

This route is certainly not lacking in interest, but it is very busy for around 3km. Avoid it at weekends.

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Navajo
Navajo

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 23, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very nice ride!
A really pleasant route!

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touareg7122
touareg7122
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 21, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

superb ride before heading back to Belgium to see some Magnificent sites :mdr(mdr)mdr:
Thank you for this discovery aid

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vince M
vince M

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 07, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Lovely quiet walk (we even came across a couple walking their donkey ). Great for the eyes.
Not many people on this working day, but I can't imagine how many there must be on summer weekends...
A must!

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alsaco2
alsaco2

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 03, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike in the Vosges du Nord, straddling the Franco-German border. Magnificent rocks and beautiful trails. Top of the Vosges catalogue!
Easy, it can be done by the vast majority of walkers.
Carried out on a Wednesday in March 2023 by the Branquignols (a group of epicurean hiker friends).

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philiron
philiron

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 03, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Thank you

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bonjean bruno
bonjean bruno

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 10, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Great hike, a place I'd never heard of. It's true that it was crowded, but not too crowded. The place deserves to be discovered.

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