Around the Petit Ballon, starting from Wasenmatten

The Petit Ballon tour starts at the Wasenmatten farmhouse inn. A challenging start (+300 m) precedes a gentle descent with superb views of the surrounding mountains - the Vosges, the Black Forest, the Jura and, for the lucky ones, the Alps.

Details

n°39030

Creation:
12 Aug 2013

Last update:
03 Nov 2018

Last review:
28 Jul 2025

Activity: Walking
Distance: 12.08 km
Average duration: 4h 40
Difficulty: Moderate
Back to start: Yes
Ascent: + 427 m
Descent: - 426 m
Highest point: 1,165 m
Lowest point: 810 m

Country: France
Area: Vosges mountains
District: Wasserbourg (68230)
Start/End: N 47.998346° / E 7.139441°
IGN map(s): Ref. 3619OT, 3619OTR, 3719OT, 3719OTR
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Description of the walk

You can park your car in the car park at the start of the path leading to the Wasenmatten farmhouse inn.

(S/E) Head towards the farmhouse inn, which you will reach after a few minutes. Pass the farm and start the climb, following the yellow signposts (towards the buildings higher up). After a few minutes, you will arrive at a building (barn)

(1) The path branches off to the left and enters the forest. Continue along the Chevalet Jaune path until you reach the Chevalet Rouge trail. Take this trail and begin the climb towards the Petit Ballon. Feel free to turn around to enjoy the superb view of the valley. Follow the Chevalet Rouge trail until you reach the carriage road.

(2) Once on the road, turn right, following the Chevalet Rouge signs. You will come to a car park.

(3) Cross the road and head towards the Rothenbrunnen farmhouse inn via the small Chevalet Rouge trail. Be careful, it is a little hidden and you will need to keep your eyes peeled to find it. (Alternatively, you can reach the farmhouse inn via the Losange Bleu trail.)

(4) Once you reach the farm, turn right at the Losange Bleu sign and begin a gentle descent. After about 15 minutes, you will come to a path marked Croix Jaune. Take this path and enjoy the view and the silence. The ridge road is far away!

(5) Caution: at altitude 981 on the map, the sign is missing . Stay on the slightly downhill path. Then continue on the path marked with a yellow cross.
200 metres after entering a slightly wooded area, you will come to a carriageway (marked with a blue cross). On the map, the location is marked 859.

(6). Opposite, slightly to the left, take the path (not very visible, to be honest) towards the Christlesgut farm - still following the yellow cross.

(7) When you arrive at Christlegut, you will be at the rear of the farm; go around to the front. From the car park, follow the path to the inn.
At the crossroads, turn right and start the final climb, following the blue round signs. When you come out onto a wider, passable road, you will see a sign on the left indicating "Ried"; take this road.

(8) Once at the Auberge du Ried, follow the road towards Wasserbourg (very little traffic) and you will arrive at the car park (S/E) after about a kilometre.

Waypoints

S/E : km 0 - alt. 825 m - Parking at altitude 827
1 : km 0.69 - alt. 862 m - Stable
2 : km 2.43 - alt. 1,103 m - Road suitable for vehicles
3 : km 3.62 - alt. 1,163 m - Col du Petit Ballon
4 : km 3.94 - alt. 1,132 m - Rothenbrunnen farmhouse inn
5 : km 6.7 - alt. 984 m - Altitude: 981
6 : km 8.25 - alt. 860 m - Altitude 859
7 : km 9.4 - alt. 810 m - Christlegut
8 : km 10.98 - alt. 895 m - Ried
S/E : km 12.08 - alt. 825 m - Parking at altitude 827

Notes

Wear good shoes and bring plenty of water in summer. Between the Rothenbrunnen and Christlegut farm inns, allow two hours with no possibility of refreshments.

You are far from the ridge road and its noise pollution.

Vosges Club trail markers link below:
https://www.club-vosgien.eu/wp-content/u...

Reviews and comments

4.6 / 5

Based on 55 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.5 / 5

Ease of following the route
4.5 / 5

Route interest
4.7 / 5

User 26758745

28 Jul 2025 at 22:19 7200

Overall rating : 3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 26, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Hello,
It would be helpful to specify the direction. For example, in some places, the "red signpost" points in two directions in addition to the direction from which you are coming.
The concept of a "carriageway" is a little too vague.
Have a good evening

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8500633301

14 Aug 2023 at 20:52 7200

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 11, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

circuit without major difficulty, pleasant to do with many points of view, we cut by the Steinberg which is not without interest. many farm inns, so for resourcer, no problem, we stopped at the Rothenberg to do a little advertising. not disappointed.

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Planeu

17 Jul 2023 at 08:37 7200

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 17, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

I found this tour very enjoyable, with beautiful views and a good farmhouse inn.

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severine67

12 Jun 2023 at 13:28 7200

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 12, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Magnificent hike despite a route that wasn't always easy to follow.
I highly recommend it!

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HANTZH2

26 Sep 2022 at 09:34 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 26, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A parish specific to Brittany with some great mushroom picking

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Inspecteur Monk

30 Jul 2022 at 18:46 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 30, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Superb hike with very pretty scenery and passing through many farm inns.
All the ascent is at the beginning to get to the small balloon (a little diversions on our part to reach the summit rather than going over the pass), but the view is superb.
At a leisurely pace, allow 3 hours to reach the Christlesgut farmhouse inn (excellent fleischnakas) and then 45 minutes to descend.

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tendem

20 Jun 2022 at 10:46 7200

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 20, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

pleasant and easy walk, the duration is exaggerated, 3h 30 is closer to reality

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jackybois

16 May 2022 at 21:29 7200

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : May 14, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant walk. A little steep at the start but beautiful scenery. The second half much easier. It's a shame that the end is 2km of road.

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Gofi

24 Aug 2021 at 16:49 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 12, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pretty walk.
Beautiful, open views.
We included the Steinberg megaliths in the short diversions loop.
A good climb at the start.
Thanks to the author.
Gofi

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Tinemau

21 Apr 2021 at 00:49 7200 • Edited: 21 Apr 2021 at 01:01 7200

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 07, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very pretty walk. Magnificent ascent through dreamy scenery, making you forget that you're climbing. Then a gentle descent for 2/3 of the way. Some beautiful trees along the way. Numerous farm inns made us want to come back as soon as they were open again.
The views are often unobstructed. Well suited to early spring.
Using the GPS: You can't get lost any more...

Thanks to the author :-)

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ludo54133

21 Sep 2020 at 11:35 7200

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 20, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

What a great hike! All the more beautiful as the Vosges have become slightly less crowded again... it's about time!

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Helmut68

17 Aug 2020 at 19:50 7200

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 15, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : Not used / Not applicable
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Very nice parish specific to Brittany. We'll definitely be doing it again.

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Daods

13 Jul 2020 at 14:47 7200

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 13, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

It was a pleasant walk, but I'd like to make a few comments:

1) Almost all the positive ascent is at the beginning of the route. This means that the effort is very concentrated at the beginning and may not be suitable for people who enjoy medium-level hikes (basically, if you remove the first section, the hike is easy). One solution might be to do the route in reverse so that you have a long, gentle climb and a big descent at the end.

2) "Carrossable" should really be understood as tracks where there may be traffic/roads. We came across a number of more modest carriageways along the way and each time we wondered if we'd actually arrived at the planned point.

3) There were three of us, one of whom had to take short breaks during the climb, and we're not big hikers. Nevertheless, we finished the hike in 3h30, counting a few short stops and without particularly trying to go fast.

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alouette68

29 Jun 2020 at 16:27 7200

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 29, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Start at point 3 (Petit Ballon car park), a leisurely downhill walk of around 2 hours 30 minutes to the Auberge de la Wassmatt farm, a local meal and a climb to Petit Ballon to finish (a little steep) of around 1 hour 1 hour 15 minutes.

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Clothilde.C

17 Mar 2020 at 13:06 3600

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 15, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Excellent directions, very pleasant walk

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