Neuweiher – Lac des Perches circular loop starting from Oberbruck

Park at the Oberbruck stadium car park.

(S/E) Cross the road carefully and follow the path marked ‘Blue Cross’ opposite. It climbs a little. Join a forest track and head for the nearby three-way junction on the left.

(1) Keep to the right towards Gresson Bas. Before reaching the buildings in the hamlet, turn left, following the signposting, and you’ll come out onto a forest track. Follow it to the right, keeping to the ‘Blue Cross’ signposting. The path heads north and climbs to a junction with the^GR®531(Blue Rectangle), which leads off to the right towards Grand Neuweiher.

(2) Ignore the^GR®, turn left following the Red Ring signpost marked “Tour du Lac”. This stony path is crossed by numerous springs. After a viewpoint overlooking the lake, the path descends towards a junction with another path (a variant of^{the GR®531}Blue Rectangle and White Rectangle).

(3) Turn right, following the Red Ring markings. Walk past the viewpoint and continue to a fork in the path.

(4) Leave the Red Ring trail and head straight on towards Lac des Perches on the^GR®531path (marked with a Blue Rectangle). You’ll reach a junction as you emerge from the forest.

(5) At the edge of the forest, veer right onto the^GR® and cross the Haute Bers. Continue to Lac des Perches.

(6) Return by taking the path marked with a Red Triangle on the right. Walk past the Rocher du Corbeau and reach the three-way junction at Basse Bers.

(7) Carry on straight ahead towards Rimbach, following the Yellow Ring markings. You’ll come to a wide path.

(8) Keep to the left, following the signposts, join the path marked with a Blue Triangle and carry on straight on to Rimbach-près-Masevaux, which you reach via Rue du Sternsee then Rue du Belacker, and at the junction in front of the Auberge du Touriste.

(9) Once you reach the hills above Rimbach, turn left after the Auberge into Rue des Sapins. Continue for 100 m and turn right between the houses: the Blue Triangle signposting is subtle, so pay close attention. You’ll come out onto Rue du Riedelsbourg.

(10) Follow it to the left, keeping to the signposts. Continue along the path which joins Rue du Buhl; follow this in the same direction until you reach a junction opposite the cemetery entrance.

(11) Carry on straight ahead, skirting the cemetery on your left, and head downhill to the D466 (Rue Principale). Follow this road to the right for about fifty metres.

(12) Turn left towards the aerodrome via Rue de la Renardière, then turn right onto the cycle path to reach the car park (S/E).

A pleasant walk, completed in mid-February 2022.
Make sure you have waterproof boots and crampons at this time of year, as there is snow and ice on the upper part of the route.
You’ll need to be in good physical condition, even though the elevation gain isn’t very significant, as some sections are quite rugged.