Circular at Mummelsee and Hornisgrinde

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A hike in the Black Forest mountains, culminating in the glacial lake of Mummelsee and, on a clear day, a breathtaking view from the summit of Hornisgrinde over the Rhine Valley, Strasbourg and the Vosges mountains.

Details

n°3824658
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 11.34 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 05 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 298 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 295 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 1,161 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 890 m
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Photos

Around the lake
Panoramic view of the Alsace plain
In the heart of nature
Mummelsee lake

Description of the walk

Parking at Lake Mummelsee.

(S/E) From the car park, start the tour of the lake in a clockwise direction, then head towards the chapel.

(1) Turn left, pass under the archway: Mummelseetor, and continue straight on to Seibelseckle.

(2) After the inn, turn left towards Ochsenstall.

(3) Head left towards the yellow Ochsenstall sign.

(4) Keep left and walk to Ochsenstall.

(5) Turn left twice and follow the red diamond sign towards Hornisgrinde.

(6) After the wind turbine, turn right towards Bismarckturm. 360° view from the top of the tower.

(7) Turn left to reach the wooden footbridge over the bog and continue to Drei Fürstenstein.

(8) Head up to the right and reach the Hornisgrinde plateau.

(9) At the next intersection, keep right towards the Hornisgrindeturm tower, then the viewpoint over the plain. Head back down below the restaurant to enjoy the view of the lake, then turn right onto the path that descends to the lake.

(10) Continue west after the viewpoint.

(11) At the intersection, head left, then keep right after 30 metres.

(12) At the crossroads, keep to the left to reach Lake Mummelsee and its car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 1,027 m - Mummelsee car park
  2. 1 : km 0.77 - alt. 1,034 m - St Michael's Chapel
  3. 2 : km 1.96 - alt. 957 m - Seibelseckle
  4. 3 : km 4.4 - alt. 933 m - Fork in the road to the left
  5. 4 : km 5.27 - alt. 947 m - Crossroads
  6. 5 : km 6.8 - alt. 1,040 m - Ochsenstall Inn
  7. 6 : km 8.38 - alt. 1,158 m - Bismarck Tower
  8. 7 : km 8.53 - alt. 1,155 m - Fork in the road
  9. 8 : km 9.09 - alt. 1,155 m - Drei Fürstenstein (Three Princes' Stone)
  10. 9 : km 9.51 - alt. 1,148 m - Fork in the tarmac road
  11. 10 : km 10.06 - alt. 1,121 m - Viewpoint over the lake
  12. 11 : km 10.35 - alt. 1,110 m - Three-way junction
  13. 12 : km 10.7 - alt. 1,085 m - Fork in the road
  14. S/E : km 11.33 - alt. 1,027 m - Mummelsee car park

Notes

There is no shortage of inns and restaurants in this popular tourist destination:
- Mummelsee - Seibelseckle - Ochsenstall - Hornisgrinde.

Worth a visit

Lake Mummelsee: natural glacial lake at an altitude of 950 metres.
Mummelsee Chapel with its superb stained glass windows.
Bismarckturm: 360° view from the top of the tower.
High-altitude bog.
Dreifürstenstein (Three Princes' Stone): former border marker.
Hornisgrinde: on a clear day, splendid panorama of the surrounding peaks, the Rhine Plain, Strasbourg and the Vosges.

Reviews and comments

4.7 / 5
Based on 16 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.8 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.8 / 5
Route interest
4.4 / 5
Twenty131
Twenty131

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 13, 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 walk with ample parking at the start and places to eat during or after the walk.

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User 10647154

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 03, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Very busy route : No

Too easy a route for the first 7 km to reach the summit on a wide path that I would call a "motorway", of no interest to hikers. Only the route to the summit is interesting, as it takes you back to the Mumelsee lake.

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randonneur alsacien
randonneur alsacien

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 09, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very nice walk, perhaps a little short, but according to the map it could be made longer while still retaining its interest. There are plenty of good places to eat along the way. At Mummelsee, there is a grocery-bakery selling bread baked over a wood fire; the oven is outside and you can see the baker putting it in the oven.

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JimmyAce
JimmyAce

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 08, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

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Ange67117
Ange67117

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 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 walk with pretty viewpoints 🤗. Possibility of eating at various places . There were quite a few people around the lake but during the hike we didn't come across many people .

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Walter67
Walter67

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 : No

A very pleasant route, not as "average" in terms of difficulty as people think, rather easy (many sections on forest paths, fairly gradual gradients, only the section between 5 and 6 requires a good effort).
Very nice views of the Black Forest, the proposed route is varied and combines the difference in altitude - length - duration well.
Thank you Visorando 👍✨🙏

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Claudio67
Claudio67

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 09, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

This is a very pleasant hike with no difficulties whatsoever.
The first few kilometres are on a pleasant forest track, then a rocky path leads to the summit.
Possibility of enjoying a beer (or something else :p ) with a panoramic view over the plain and the lake.

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Tom2424
Tom2424

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 10, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Super hike

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Itoupitou
Itoupitou

Overall rating : 5 / 5

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

I enjoyed the walk with my friends and we had a nice meal at the restaurant along the way.
We were able to complete our walk in complete peace and quiet. At the start of the route, you have to walk along the road from the car park, so you need to pay close attention.
I recommend this route and to round off the hike we can have a drink at the Hornisgrinde-Hütte.

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tchequemat
tchequemat

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 08, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A very nice walk in our neighbouring region.
Exceptional view of the Alsace plain

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Stelli
Stelli

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 02, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

It was a very pleasant walk, with very few people on the paths and more on the higher ground, who would have done the short circuit from the lake.
The signs are very clear and it's not difficult to find your way around, even for occasional hikers.
Highly recommended.

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PARUSSOM
PARUSSOM

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 27, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

easy and pleasant circuit, some parts on tarmac road but on the summit beautiful mountain paths with views of the Black Forest, the Vosges and the Rhine plain.

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Ghassen
Ghassen

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 13, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : Yes

In my opinion, the level of difficulty of the route was "easy", not intermediate.
I did the walk on Sunday, and it was packed!
Fortunately, the map mapped out all the paths, which allowed me to customise the route, avoid the crowds and have more of a challenge.

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richard-jean-marie
richard-jean-marie

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 26, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

easy circuit, wide paths, arrival at hornisgrinde quite a few walkers,

to be recommended

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Esalen
Esalen

Overall rating : 5 / 5

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

Avoid weekends, as the Mummelsee is very busy - parking is virtually impossible (car parks all full ~ 200 spaces and cars parked on both sides of the road up to ~ 500 metres from the site).
Alternatively, start the tour at point 2 of the route (Seibelseckle).
This route is often exposed to the sun, but the good thing is that the entire circuit, except between points 6 & 7, then between 9 & 10, has very gentle slopes.
Breathtaking panoramas.
Two "magical" options that are well worth the effort:
- either start the tour quite late and enjoy the sunset over the Alsace plain from point 12
- start very early (but really very early) and do it in the opposite direction to enjoy the sunrise (still at point 12).

Eating at the Grinde-Hütte (with a splendid panorama) or at the Berghotel Mummelsee: tasty and generous dishes (but... no reservations possible at the Grinde-Hütte)

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