Around the castles of Bernstein, Ramstein and Ortenbourg

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A beautiful hike around the three castles (Bernstein, Ramstein and Ortenbourg) via the Brischbach valley and its magnificent views.

Details

n°1170106
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 16.80 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 6h 55 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Difficult
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 744 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 746 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 648 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 212 m
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Photos

Bernstein Castle
Falkenstein Rock
Ortenbourg Castle
Ortenbourg Castle

Description of the walk

Park near the Saint-Sebastien Chapel in Dambach-la-Ville.

(S/E) Take the path through the vineyards, following the Blue Disc signpost westwards. You will reach the Bibelefelsen rock.

(1) Continue climbing the path. You’ll reach the ruins of Bernstein Castle. You can visit them.

(2) Continue along the path, climbing through the forest towards the west (marker 547). The path follows a circular route south-west before heading towards the Rocher de Bellevue. Take a short detour of a few metres to enjoy the view.

(3) Retrace your steps and continue along the path, heading north-west then west, following the ridge of the mountain range. You will reach the Stangenberg junction.

(4) Take the path straight ahead, marked with a Yellow Disc, heading south-west, and continue along the ridge to reach the Rocher du Hagelstein.

(5) Continue along the path, which begins to descend south-westwards. You will reach the Falkenstein rock. There is a climbing route on this rock. Continue down the path to reach the Gallienstein rock.

(6) Continue the descent in a steady south-westerly direction to reach the Brischbach junction.

(7) Turn left onto the tarmac road; this is the Ancienne Route du Sel, and the markings are still Yellow Discs. You will come to a large crossroads of paths.

(8) Turn left onto the path towards the castles, climbing through the forest (Red Disc, heading north-west then north-east). You will reach the ruins of Ramstein Castle (not open to visitors).

(9) Continue along the path towards Ortenburg Castle, heading north-east. You will reach the ruins of Ortenburg Castle. Visit the castle ruins.

(10) Continue along the path (Red Rectangle: this is theGR®®5heading north). Reach the Kriegshurst junction.

(11) Take the path on the right downhill (Yellow Disc signposted east).

(12) Pass through Kaltenberg, a small viewpoint. Continue along the path heading north. Reach the Wiebach crossroads.

(13) Continue along the path eastwards, then turn left at the next junction heading north to the chapel (Yellow Disc – Yellow Cross) (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 257 m - Chapelle Saint-Sébastien
  2. 1 : km 0.8 - alt. 361 m - Bibelefelsen Rock
  3. 2 : km 1.94 - alt. 546 m - Ruins of Bernstein Castle
  4. 3 : km 3.06 - alt. 643 m - Bellevue Rock
  5. 4 : km 3.86 - alt. 573 m - Stangenberg crossroads
  6. 5 : km 4.52 - alt. 584 m - Hagelstein Rock
  7. 6 : km 5.86 - alt. 404 m - Gallienstein Rock
  8. 7 : km 7.39 - alt. 238 m - Brischbach crossroads. Near the - Giessen (rivière)
  9. 8 : km 9.59 - alt. 232 m - Change of direction and landmarks
  10. 9 : km 10.68 - alt. 384 m - Ruins of the - Château de Ramstein
  11. 10 : km 10.94 - alt. 427 m - Ruins of the - Château de l'Ortenbourg
  12. 11 : km 13.62 - alt. 524 m - Kriegshurst crossroads
  13. 12 : km 15.19 - alt. 318 m - Kaltenberg
  14. 13 : km 15.54 - alt. 281 m - Wiebach crossroads
  15. S/E : km 16.8 - alt. 257 m - Chapelle Saint-Sébastien

Notes

There are no water points along the route...
Bring a packed lunch...
70% of the hike takes place in the shade of the forest.

Worth a visit

Viewpoint over Val-de-Villé and Haut-Koenigsbourg Castle.

Always be cautious and plan ahead when you're outdoors. Visorando and the author of this route cannot be held responsible for any accidents occurring on this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

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Reviews and comments

4.6 / 5
Based on 22 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.6 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.5 / 5
Route interest
4.8 / 5
Denis26
Denis26 ★

Thank you, abbamoin68, for pointing that out; I’ve updated the description accordingly.

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abbamoin68
abbamoin68

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 06, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A lovely walk, with beautiful paths and stunning views. Interesting castle tours and descriptions.

We came across quite a few trail runners, and there were lots of people at Ortenbourg, but it was Easter Monday...
There were also plenty of cyclists on the Salt Road.
A slight doubt at point 7: the tarmac road is indeed on the left, but at the same time the signpost indicated Ramstein on the right, so a brief hesitation...
Point 11: the path on the right does indeed go down, not up. Otherwise, the description is spot on.

You do need to be in good physical shape given the elevation gain, though the trails themselves are not difficult.6

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papa rôles
papa rôles

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 24, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Superb hike with a good elevation gain, the weather was perfect. The signage was very good.
Papa rôles

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User 8847421

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 04, 2025
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike with varied landscapes.
We didn't use the description, we relied on the map and the Vosges Club's landmarks.
No major difficulties except for the climb to Bernstein Castle, but it's steady, so you just need to find your pace.
We didn't meet many people on the trails

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Sabrina BONNARD
Sabrina BONNARD

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 26, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A magnificent hike with superb views. The castles are magnificent, especially Bernstein Castle. The trails are excellent, and the 2 km on the paved road didn't bother us. It's a bike path, so there are no cars. I highly recommend this hike.

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corinnedgd
corinnedgd

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 25, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike with stunning views, but a little physically demanding (see elevation profile). At point 11, I took the wrong path because the sign was poorly placed. Fortunately, the app alerts you quickly enough. Also, there is a small error in the description: you have to take the path that goes downhill, not the one that goes uphill... At the start of the route, I saw a few mountain bikes but not many people overall. So, a great hike.

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Charlotte Mary
Charlotte Mary

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 16, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

This hike is magnificent, with a great elevation gain, superb views, a real pleasure

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pastuyy
pastuyy

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 16, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

very beautiful hike, shame that part of it is
on the salt road, which is tarmaced. The only downside

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gpixa
gpixa

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 15, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Lovely walk

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Luce67
Luce67

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 25, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Beautiful hike, accurate description up to point 11 where it descends but does not ascend.
It is rated as difficult, which is how my 28- and 30-year-old children felt, but not me or my husband.
A very beautiful hike with lovely views.
We will definitely do it again.

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Camille Juju
Camille Juju

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 22, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike with few people. Arriving at Ortenbourg Castle is a magical moment, and we stayed to rest inside the ruins after the climb. Superb views over the plain and vineyards. But be careful, avoid this hike in very hot weather. We shortened the route a little to avoid too many paths through the vineyards (it was almost 30 degrees): we parked at the Hühnelmühle inn after point 1. Then after point 5, we cut across the vineyards (at a chapel) to return to point 1. I would classify this hike as moderate because the climb is steep.

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

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 27, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very beautiful hike with an interesting elevation gain.
Visits to Ramstein Castle are usually possible on Saturdays with the castle wardens (allow an hour).
The only downside is the section on the cycle path mentioned above (some cyclists ride aggressively...).
A hike that is well worth doing.

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mixolidien
mixolidien

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 07, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

beautiful hike to recommend

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Nature57
Nature57

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 19, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant walk offering beautiful scenery (including a magnificent view of Falkenstein Rock) and a visit to the ruins of two beautiful castles, all along a well-shaded forest path before ending in the middle of the Dambach vineyard. Excellent description, route and signposting. Thank you to the author for this wonderful day!

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eliedumas
eliedumas

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 24, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful forest trail surrounded by stunning nature. The three castles are interesting. It took us about 6.5 hours in total to complete the tour (including a picnic and photos).

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