Hartmannswillerkopf - Molkenrain - Freundstein circular from Wattwiller

The walk starts at the car park opposite the church in Wattwiller.

(S/E) Take Rue de la Première Armée, which climbs for 200 metres towards the art museum.

(1) At the calvary, turn onto the path just behind it, marked with a yellow disc, towards Hirtzenstein. After 200 metres, the path crosses a road. Continue on the path opposite until you reach Domaine du Hirtz.

(2) At the hotel-restaurant, go around to the right, towards the spa, and arrive at the Chemin des Dames, marked with a blue ring and yellow disc, towards Silberloch. Follow it for 300 metres until you reach a fork.

(3) Take the path that continues straight ahead, marked with a blue ring and yellow disc, and you will arrive at a crossroads with several paths.

(4) Turn left onto the footbridge and, immediately afterwards, follow the path that climbs to the right, marked with a yellow disc, towards Silberloch. At the edge of the forest, you will arrive at the Hartmannswillerkopf Necropolis.

(5) Turn left onto the path marked with a red rectangle and pass in front of the museum. Cross the D431 with caution and follow the path opposite towards Thann, following the same markings. After 100 m, take the path on the right, still marked in the same way, and continue to the next fork about 600 m away.

(6) Take the small path on the left towards the Cernay ski club chalet and walk along a meadow to a car park. Continue along the road towards the Molkenrain farmhouse inn and pass it.

(7) A few metres further on, follow a path that branches off to the right into the pastures, towards the Freundstein, marked with a red-white-red rectangle. After the long descent and at the entrance to the forest, you will come to a small clearing where two paths branch off (straight ahead or to the right), both leading to the same place.

(8) Take the path that goes straight ahead to reach a carriage road and continue downhill towards the Freundstein farmhouse inn.

(9) Continue to the Route des Crêtes (D431). Cross it carefully and take the path opposite, in the middle of the hairpin bend, through the pastures, marked with a yellow ring signpost towards Freundstein. After 400 m, you will come to a multiple crossroads.

(10) Turn left, go onto the Route des Crêtes and follow it for 50 m. Take the path that climbs up to the right, marked with a red rectangle, to the ruins of Freundstein.

(11) Continue on the same path, which descends gently to the D431.

(12) Follow it for 50 metres and take the path on the right, marked with a yellow triangle, towards Croix Zimmermann and Chapelle Sicurani.
Cross a carriage road and continue for another 150 m until you reach a fork.

(13) Take the path marked with a blue triangle to reach the Sicurani Chapel, where there are a few benches.

(14) Continue straight ahead on the yellow triangle and yellow disc for 50 metres, then turn right onto the yellow disc trail towards Croix Zimmerman. Stay on this trail until you reach the bottom of the mountain and then join a road.

(15) Descend this road for 100 metres and turn right onto the path that crosses a footbridge, marked with a Yellow Triangle. It makes six hairpin bends and then begins to pass in front of the bunkers.

(16) Continue along this path and, halfway up the hill, cross a carriage road and continue along the yellow triangle path that climbs between the trenches and bunkers.

(17) Cut across a carriage road and continue between the bunkers to arrive in front of a large bunker with a small steep staircase on the right.

(18) Continue along the path to reach Roche Sermet, where the trenches have been maintained (there are some very interesting information panels).

(19) Continue along the ridge in the trenches towards the Hartmannswillerkopf Cross, then towards the Monument to the^152nd Infantry Regiment of the Red Devils.

(20) At the monument, follow the Red-White-Red Rectangle marked trail downhill towards Wunheim/Hartmannswiller for 300 metres.

(21) Turn right onto the path marked with a red easel. The markings on the IGN map are no longer up to date. You will come to another junction marked with a red easel and a yellow triangle.

(22) Take the Yellow Triangle marked trail to the left to reach Unter Rehfelsen, a bunker in a large rock.

(23) You can continue on the path by going around the rock, following the Yellow Triangle markings towards La Suisse Lippique, or turn left in front of the rock (trail). The path is longer but less steep. Continue to a fork about 800 m away.

(24) Turn right onto the path marked with a blue disc towards Hirtzenstein. The Lippische Schweiz trail rejoins the path.

(25) Continue along this path for 250 m until you reach the crossroads.

(26) Continue along the path that descends to the left, still marked with blue discs, for 100 m, then take the path on the right to shorten the route and rejoin the path just after.
Continue along this path to the Domaine du Hirtz car park.

(27) Walk past the hotel and take the same path you took on the way there, but in the opposite direction.

(2) Continue in the opposite direction along the route you took on the way there until you reach the church car park (S/E).

You can eat at Domaine du Hirtz and (27), and there is even a 24-hour vending machine at the Molkenrain farmhouse inn (7) and Freundstein (9), as well as at the Hartmannswillerkopf Memorial (5).

You can picnic on the Molkenrain heights, just before entering the forest, where there are rocks to sit on and a great view.