Gueu du Saut waterfall via the high plateaus, starting from Xertigny

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Walk on the high plateaus of Xertigny. Path mainly through woodland. Very quiet and peaceful area.
You can stop for a meal by the water. Numerous views over the plain and the Vosges mountains.

Details

n°25005372
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 11.43 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 6h 00 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 830 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 810 ft
  • ▲
    Highest point: 1,959 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 1,444 ft
  • ⚐ Country: France
  • ⚐ City: Xertigny (88220)
  • ⚑
    Start/End: N 48.043857° / E 6.400643°
  • ❏
    IGN map(s): Ref. 3419O, 3519OT
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Photos

Small wooden bridge in the forest
Gueu du Saut waterfall
Gueu du Saut Waterfall
In the middle of the fields

Description of the walk

Park in the Fontaine du Bicentenaire car park near the church and Xertigny town hall.

(S/E) Turn left then right to pass in front of Xertigny Town Hall. Follow signpost no. 5 Granges Richard and climb the steps on the left, then cross the arboretum.

(1) Take the wooden footbridge on the right. Continue through the woods to reach a wash house at Source Valburge, almost at the edge of the woods

(2) Take the path on the left and continue along the edge of the fields. Turn left onto a wider path and you will soon come to a Y-junction.

(3) Turn right and follow the edge of the woods until you reach a T-junction.

(4) Turn left onto the Parcours Sportif. Make a wide circular loop to the right to reach the Étang des Noëls car park; please note that this lake is private.

(5) Leave the Parcours Sportif and take the road on the left; at the next junction, stay on the left-hand road, the Route des Granges Richard. You will reach a hamlet as soon as you leave the woods.

(6) Take the wide track on the right and you’ll come to a gate.

(7) Turn left, leave the woods and reach the hamlet of Rupt Guené.

(8) Take the path on the right and enter the Rechentreux Forest again. Stay on this track, ignoring all junctions to the right or left, to reach the picnic area at the Gueu du Saut waterfall.

(9) Follow circular route no. 1 here; back at the waterfall, turn left, walk past the hamlet of Gueu du Saut and then along the left bank of the Rechentreux Stream.

(10) At the roadside, take the path on the right that climbs into the forest and leads back to the waterfall. Keep left and head for the Moulin de la Semoule junction.

(11) Turn left, follow the tributary of the Ruisseau de Rechentreux to reach the hamlet of Les Granges Richard.

(12) Turn left onto the road; you will soon come to another junction

(13) Take the road on the right, which continues as a track, to reach the Croix de Boubot.

(14) Head off to the right, turn left and reach the Vierge des Neiges crossroads.

(15) Continue straight ahead to reach the Fontaine du Bicentenaire car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 1,594 ft - Fontaine du Bicentenaire car park
  2. 1 : mi 0.26 - alt. 1,617 ft - Footbridge. Near the source of the - Aitre
  3. 2 : mi 0.53 - alt. 1,778 ft - Valburge Spring
  4. 3 : mi 0.87 - alt. 1,877 ft - Y-junction
  5. 4 : mi 1.09 - alt. 1,936 ft - Former fitness trail
  6. 5 : mi 2.01 - alt. 1,811 ft - Étang des Noëls
  7. 6 : mi 2.9 - alt. 1,778 ft - Hamlet
  8. 7 : mi 3.25 - alt. 1,745 ft - Barrier
  9. 8 : mi 4 - alt. 1,693 ft - Le Rupt Guené
  10. 9 : mi 5.6 - alt. 1,585 ft - Cascade du Gueu du Saut
  11. 10 : mi 6 - alt. 1,444 ft - Semouse (rivière)
  12. 11 : mi 7.85 - alt. 1,637 ft - La Semoule Mill
  13. 12 : mi 8.94 - alt. 1,788 ft - Les Granges Richard
  14. 13 : mi 9.49 - alt. 1,804 ft - Crossroads
  15. 14 : mi 10.23 - alt. 1,926 ft - Croix du Boubot (Xertigny)
  16. 15 : mi 10.81 - alt. 1,870 ft - La Vierge des Neiges
  17. S/E : mi 11.43 - alt. 1,591 ft - Fontaine du Bicentenaire car park

Notes

The numerous ponds along the route are private.
Picnic area near the waterfall.

Reviews and comments

4.3 / 5
Based on 4 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.3 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.3 / 5
Route interest
4.3 / 5
balade en famille
balade en famille

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 13, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

To avoid continuing straight into the woods at GPS coordinates 48.04385, 6.405118 (we went as far as the pond before turning back), I will amend paragraph (1) as follows
"After crossing the wooden footbridge, continue to follow marker 5 'Grange Richard', heading uphill to the right to reach a wash house at Source Valburge, almost at the edge of the woods"
To avoid continuing along the path to a dead end (we continued along the path as indicated at the Y-junction – GPS coordinates 47.99957, 6.403828 – to the end at GPS coordinates 47.99443, 6.405078), I will amend paragraph (8) as follows
(8) Take the path on the right, entering the Rechentreux Forest once more. Stay on this track, ignoring all junctions to the right or left, to reach the designated area at the Gueu du Saut Waterfall.

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Elo01
Elo01

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 19, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk with some beautiful views. The final stretch along the road isn’t very pleasant. We followed the route and covered 19km with 395m of elevation gain
Very few people around, and we had a picnic at the waterfall on a table

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randonneurhoudemontais
randonneurhoudemontais

My fellow hikers really enjoyed this walk. None of us were really familiar with this part of the Vôge valley, and we were particularly impressed by the history of the Brewers’ Castle in Xertigny, the arboretum and the waterfall. The return journey, part of which was on tarmac, was a little less pleasant.

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fanfan
fanfan

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 21, 2023
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Given the heat, we decided to cut down a bit on the sections in the open and/or on tarmac.
We set off from the car park at Étang des Noels and followed the route to point 14, from where we headed directly east to point 3, then to point 4, and directly south-west to point 5 to return to the car park. Our walk was therefore 16km long.
It’s a lovely route, with beautiful views and very pleasant forest paths.
The waterfall site is perfect for a picnic, relaxing, taking photos...
The short circular loop from point 9, which is a bit more challenging, is also very pleasant.
It’s a shame that after the Moulin de la Semoule at the edge of the woods, the route continues completely in the open along sections of tarmac road; in the sun, it’s really tough going. Fortunately, the bus shelter at point 12 allowed us to cool off a bit.

Thank you for introducing us to this lovely route. It’s very well signposted.

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randonneurhoudemontais
randonneurhoudemontais

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 02, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

The weather was lovely for showing some friends around the Vôge. The waterfall is well worth a detour and the woods are beautiful. There were just a few fallen trees on the path. The return journey took a while as there are lots of small tarmac roads.

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