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Park at the Imsthal Inn car park, Imsthal Forest Road from the D178.
(S/E) Head towards Loosthal along the Imsthal forest track, leaving the inn on your right; ignore a path coming from the right (return route) and reach a sharp right-hand bend.
(1) Turn left onto the path marked with a White Rectangle and a Red Rectangle and head towards Loosthal until you reach a multi-way junction.
(2) At the old Loosthal Forest House, turn right towards the south, following the slightly downhill tarmac Fischbaechel Forest Road for about a hundred metres.
After a wooden signpost on your left, take theGR®531path (marked with a Blue Rectangle) downhill. Further on, the path crosses the Fischbaechel Forest Road.
Continue along the road until you reach the hamlet of Johannisthal at the junction of the Fischbaechel forest roads and, directly behind you on your left, the Johannisthal forest road.
(3) Continue straight ahead, staying on the Fischbaechel Forest Road.
Walk alongside the ponds on your left until you reach the junction with the Grossnonnenkopf Forest Road on your right.
Go round the pond in front of you, staying on the Fischbaechel forest road for about 40 m.
(4) Turn right on the southern bank of the pond, following the path marked with Yellow Discs towards Rocher du Bélier. Passing behind the pond, climb the first section, which is gently sloping, and reach a path leading to the Marcel Janes Cross. Begin a second, steeper section with switchbacks until you reach the Nonnenkopf Forest Road. Turn right along the road until the left-hand bend, then turn right towards Rocher du Bélier (viewpoint and bench).
(5) Retrace your steps and turn right onto the Route Forestière du Breitschloss, following the Yellow Disc markings. Reach the Cabane du Breitschloss.
(6) Retrace your steps for about a hundred metres and turn left onto the path towards Rocher du Saut du Chien, still marked with Yellow Discs. At the 90° left-hand bend, head right for about thirty metres to reach Saut du Chien (viewpoint and bench).
(7) Retrace your steps and continue to the right on the path marked with Yellow Discs until you reach the path on the right, about 100 m before the forest road.
(8) Follow this path, still marked with a Yellow Disc, as it winds gently downhill to the hamlet of Lach.
(9) Then turn right towards Hirschfels along a forest track. Shortly after crossing the path marked with a Yellow Saltire, you will reach the Hirschfels Rock and its gazebo on the path.
(10) Continue left onto the Gorna Discovery Trail, marked with a Yellow Ring. After the junction with the path marked with a Yellow Disc, pass by the Finkenstein Rock and then the Loosthal Rock and its viewpoint. Join the Breitschloss Forest Road via a small flight of steps. Walk 30 m to the right along the tarmac forest road towards Loosthal.
(11) Take the second flight of steps on the left to rejoin the Yellow Ring nature trail, marked with a Red Cross, which runs parallel to the forest road. Follow it up to the left, away from Loosthal, to the foot of the pink sandstone cliff.
(12) Beyond the sandstone cliff, there is a short climb along the Red Cross-marked route towards the viewpoint overlooking the Château de la Petite Pierre (bench).
(13) Continue along the long, gently sloping forest path marked with a Red Cross. It skirts the Heidekoepfel in a wide circular loop to the left and joins a forest path marked with a Yellow Diamond.
(14) Turn 180° onto this forest path, which is steeper, to arrive behind the Auberge d’Imsthal, rejoining the outbound path; follow it to the left and return to the car park (S/E).
Visorando member
Difficult 
Easy 
