Three Fours Circular via Le Gaschney and Lac de Schiessrothried

Park at the Trois Fours car park near the Refuge des Crêtes on the Route des Crêtes.

(S/E) Head south towards the bend, cross carefully and take the road leading to Trois Fours. Leave this road and take a path on the right towards a viewpoint: a great spot for watching chamois, mainly early in the morning or at the end of the day on the ridge between Col de Falimont and Trois Fours.

(1) Continue, join the Blue Triangle marked trail and descend the tight hairpin bends towards the Sentier des Roches to reach the GR®531: walking poles are recommended.

(2) Turn right onto the Blue Rectangle marked path to reach the Frankenthal mountain hut: lovely view of the Étang Noir lake.

(3) Continue straight ahead until the next intersection.

(4) Take the path on the right (red triangle) towards the Col du Schaeferthal. Please note: there are footbridges and steps which can be slippery in wet weather.

(5) Once at the Col du Schaeferthal, take the left-hand path (red triangle) towards Gaschney, as the Blaufels path is closed from 1 November to 30 April each year (prefectural decree of 18 May 2022). Reach Schallern: possibility of stopping (food, overnight stay), accessible on foot only.

(6) Continue along the Red Triangle marked trail.

(7) Take the Red Rectangle with White stripe trail on the right towards the Schiessroth car park: lake accessible on foot only.

(8) Turn onto the path on the left (red rectangle) and continue down the winding path to Lac du Schiessrothried. Once at the lake, cross the dam.

(9) Take the path on the right (blue rectangle), then turn right to follow the blue triangle marked path and reach the ridges via the Col du Wormspel. Allow a good hour for the steep and technical climb (scree, small streams) before reaching the ridges. It is not advisable to take this route in winter due to the risk of falling and the presence of snow (sometimes until May) just before the ridges.

(10) Once you reach the ridges, continue on the path to the right towards Hohneck, the highest point in the Vosges at 1,363 metres (marked with a red rectangle crossed out in white).

(11) Go around the Hohneck summit inn on the right and rejoin the Red Rectangle marked trail, crossing the car park.

(12) Follow the GR®5 (red rectangle) towards the Col de Falimont (north-west): there is a viewpoint from the pass over the Frankenthal-Missheimle nature reserve.

(S/E) Continue on the GR®5, still following the red rectangle, to the starting point (S/E).

Always set off with a fully charged mobile phone.
Bring equipment for a medium-altitude hike, with some technical sections: hiking poles are recommended.
Water sources + shelters: Frankenthal, Le Gaschney, Lac de Schiessrothried.
Inns: Schallern, Gaschney, Hohneck (check opening hours in advance).

Numerous viewpoints.
Chance to spot chamois in several places.
This hike is not very popular in winter, and for good reason, as it requires knowledge of the terrain and good physical condition (in addition to suitable equipment).