Balschwiller walks

For geologists, this part of the Sundgau facing the Porte de Bourgogne is called the Fossé de Dannemarie. The landscape is gently undulating, with only one wooded hill emerging. At its summit stands the church of Gildwiller, where gazes and prayers converge.

This route invites you to discover the village of Bernwiller and its surroundings, with a quick detour into the forest to sit for a moment in front of the small Notre-Dame de l'Unterholz Chapel and admire it.

It is in late February and early March that you should go to meet spring in the forest of Saint-Bernard. This is where the snowdrops appear, signalling the end of winter.

Along this trail of bunkers, explore fortifications dating back to the First World War, built by the German army. After the fighting in the summer and autumn of 1914, the Haute-Alsace front stabilised on along the line of Cernay-Dannemarie. The commune of Burnhaupt-le-Bas remains on the German side. In December 1914 and January 1915, the French offensive in this sector regularly broke the German lines at the cost of many lives.

The fighting of the First World War raged in the Sundgau region from August 1914 onwards. The French blew up the Dannemarie viaduct and the front stabilised and extended from the Vosges to the Swiss border. The front line ran a few kilometres from Illfurth, near Heidwiller. During this tour, you will discover several bunkers that served a variety of purposes, including ammunition depots, observation posts and artillery emplacements, as well as several casemates.

This forest route allows you to discover the Chapel of Notre-Dame du Chêne, the Steinbaechlein and hundred-year-old oak trees.

Hirtzbach is well worth a visit. The castle, English park and opulent residences of Unterdorf are neatly lined up on either side of the stream, whose banks are beautifully flowered in summer. Along the way, a rural and wooded detour leads to the site of the vanished village of Sankt-Glückern and the Landfürstenweyer, the Princes' Pond, with its still waters.

A wooded hill separates the Ill and Thalbach valleys. As you walk along it, you will discover an old vineyard, a quarry marked by tragedy, a botanical trail and the story of an unfortunate general. When you reach the Emlingen lime kilns, the 19th century suddenly springs to life, frozen in stone and iron.

The "Au fil de l'eau" circuit, between the Doller and Leimbach rivers, crosses a magnificent oak-lined avenue before entering the Vorwald oak forest, passes by two series of blockhouses, then the Müatergottesgartla Chapel, and reaches the banks of the Doller via farmland north of Reiningue. The entire route is marked with the Anneau Vert (Green Ring) sign by the Club Vosgien de Guewenheim

A very beautiful walk around a lake with views of the Vosges mountains and a bird observation post.

A circular walk around Michelbach dam with views over the Swiss Alps and 'Le Grand Ballon d'Alsace' on a clear day. Perfect spot for wildlife spotting. Along the way there are many signs giving some information about what to see and the history.

A short hike in the foothills of the Jura to discover the renovated Grand Canyon in Zillisheim, passing by the German cemetery from World War I and the Saint-Brice Chapel in Illfurth.

Friesen boasts an exceptional array of half-timbered houses built between 1499 and 1876. Thanks to meticulous inventory work, the walk allows you to see many reminders of a rural world that disappeared forever after the Second World War. A country lane then leads to the Notre-Dame de Grünenwald chapel and Ueberstrass, following in the footsteps of the Knights of Malta.

A superb hike on the border between Belfort and Haut Rhin. You will discover a landscape of countryside and forests with magnificent ponds. As a bonus, there is a discovery trail with information panels about the trees of our region.

A beautiful discovery of the region around the village of Larivière. In the clearing 10 km north-east of Belfort, this walk will introduce you to a varied landscape of forests, ponds, cultivated fields and pastures.

This hike takes you mainly through forest from Sentheim to Masevaux via the Wolflenloch discovery trail. The return route follows the Doller river, passing the Hohenstein Cave and Sainte-Anne Chapel.

The route allows you to discover part of the town of Wittelsheim, its historical and natural heritage, and above all its mining past, thanks to the Potash Mine Memory Circuit. The route partly follows the Wittelsheim Discovery Route and the new Anneau Bleu route, marked by the Club Vosgien.

A pleasant hike near Petitefontaine, 20 km north-east of Belfort. You will discover a charming little village and countryside landscapes of forests with numerous ponds. You can take a short detour to admire Lac de la Seigneurie. The hike is marked with a Green Ring.

When you think of hiking in Alsace, the Vosges mountains spring to mind. But the Alsace plain also offers some very pleasant walks. This is the case with this short, family-friendly circular in the Bois de Lutterbach, on the outskirts of Mulhouse. This walk is completely safe and accessible to almost everyone. Most of the route is through forest. The highlight of the hike is halfway along the route: the Gros Chêne de Pfastatt (Pfastatt Great Oak).

Between unspoilt nature and the pretty villages of Roderen and Rammersmatt, enjoy the beautiful panoramic views and wide open spaces offered by this part of Alsace. A varied walk through fields, orchards, farm animals, etc.

A beautiful hike through forests and fields with, depending on the weather, a beautiful view of the Alps as a bonus.

This is an undemanding hike, ideal for a Sunday stroll with the family. This circular runs along the banks of the Ill and allows you to discover the "Japanese Bridge" behind the Mulhouse swimming pool, as well as the "Bois des Philosophes" near the University.

Enjoy the omnipresent greenery along this route, the forest and views of four mountain ranges.

A very accessible circuit starting from the Rammersmatt farm towards Bourbach-le-Haut, passing by the Hochburg chalet. A hike that everyone can follow at their own pace.

The municipality of Richwiller is launching a series of historical discovery trails to help residents learn more about their village. First loop: "Richwiller, its industrial past" with 18 stops.

Speaking of this part of the Sundgau, André Gide wrote:"One is constantly surprised, as one crosses the forest, to find oneself in the presence of an unsuspected sheet of water, mysteriously asleep in the shelter of the beech forests; rushes adorn narrow sandy beaches at the edge of large fields of water lilies. There are also several reminders of the First World War and the front line that separated Largitzen from Bisel.

An easy hike that can be done with children.

Le Molkenrain from Thann, via Camp de Turenne and the pyramids, with a superb view from the summit.

A beautiful, shaded hike in a stunning forest that will take you to the heights of Thann.From there, an impressive panorama stretches towards the Alsace plain and the Swiss Jura.

According to Marc Glotz, "The Sundgau has only two Romanesque churches, both founded by the dynasties that shared the region in the Middle Ages: the Habsburgs and the Ferrettes. While Ottmarsheim evokes Carolingian grandeur, Feldbach recalls monastic simplicity. You leave it as if returning from a pilgrimage, with a renewed sense of serenity and the impression of having encountered the fleeting shadows of the counts."

A pleasant discovery trail that takes you into the heart of nature around Masevaux. Along the way, you will enjoy some beautiful views of the Doller valley. A hilly circuit in the heart of the forest.

A beautiful walk that will first take you along wide forest paths before the final climb to Rossberg and its magnificent views.

This beautiful hike takes you from Masevaux to the summit of Rossberg at an altitude of 1,191 metres. From the top, you can enjoy magnificent views of the Vosges, the Alsace plain, the Black Forest, the Jura and the Alps. The elevation gain is significant, but the route is otherwise easy.

The protected Rossberg massif boasts some of the most beautiful pastoral pastures in the Vosges mountains. They were once home to numerous marcairies(1), of which several farmhouse inns(2) remain today. With their magnificent views of the neighbouring valleys, the southern Alsace plain, the Jura, the Black Forest and the Alps, they are sure to delight hikers.

A lovely family walk that allows you to discover the potash villages from a different angle, along the Ill and Dollerbaechlein streams.

In warm weather, this is a pleasant walk from the Ill valley to the old bed of the Rhine at the foot of the Jura mountains. The well-marked path offers plenty of opportunities to rest and leads to a strange crypt, the last vestige of a convent destroyed during the Revolution, where the shadow of an exiled poet still lingers.