Guirbaden Castle from Heiligenberg-Mollkirch railway station

Guirbaden is a ruined castle built on the Mollberg hill above Mollkirch. Its ruins are considered the most important in Alsace.

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 12.80 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 45 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 377 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 368 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 577 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 220 m
  • ⚐ Country: France
  • ⚐
  • ⚐ District: Mollkirch (67190)
  • ⚑
    Start/End: N 48.527334° / E 7.381651°
  • Accessible from the train station Gare de Heiligenberg-Mollkirch.
  • ❏
    IGN map(s): Ref. 3716ET, 3716ETR
  • Hour-by-hour weather

Photos

Description of the walk

Park in the Heiligenberg - Mollkirch SNCF train station car park on the D704, heading towards Mollkirch from the roundabout on the Bruche Valley expressway.

(S/E) Walk to the bend towards Mollkirch and take the path that climbs into the forest, marked with a red rectangle crossed by a white line. This sign will remain the same until you reach the castle. Once there, take a short detour of a few metres to the Rocher Grauschlag rock, which offers a magnificent view of Urmatt.

(1) Retrace your steps and continue right on the red rectangle crossed with white path heading south. You will reach a crossroads of trails, which is the loop.

(2) Continue straight ahead and you will soon come to some remarkable trees. These are old chestnut trees whose age cannot be determined.

(3) Continue along the red rectangle crossed with white path heading south-west, passing by the ruins of houses. Continue along the red rectangle crossed with white path heading south-west.
When you reach Guirbaden Castle, take the opportunity to visit it.

(4) Continue towards the Saint-Valentin Chapel to the west. When you reach it, take a look around. Keep heading west to reach the Tour de la Faim (Tower of Hunger) and walk around it.

(5) Return along the same route to the crossroads at the end of the loop.

(2) Take the path on the left and descend into the valley heading west, then north, following the blue disc to the end. After two hairpin bends, follow the Buschbrannenthal valley and you will reach Floessplatz.

(6) Continue along the blue disc and blue signpost in a north-easterly direction until you reach the Heiligenberg - Mollkirch SNCF car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 220 m - Start at the Mollkirch SNCF car park - Magel (rivière)
  2. 1 : km 1.84 - alt. 453 m - Grauschlag Rock
  3. 2 : km 4.01 - alt. 476 m - Crossroads of the loop
  4. 3 : km 4.23 - alt. 490 m - Notable trees: chestnut trees
  5. 4 : km 4.99 - alt. 564 m - Guirbaden Castle
  6. 5 : km 5.64 - alt. 566 m - Tour de la Faim
  7. 6 : km 11.17 - alt. 229 m - Floessplatz - Bruche (rivière)
  8. S/E : km 12.8 - alt. 220 m - Arrival at the Mollkirch SNCF car park

Notes

There are no water sources. Remember to bring some with you.
90% of the route is covered by forest.
This is a forest trail suitable for mountain bikes.

Reviews and comments

4.7 / 5
Based on 33 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.8 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.7 / 5
Route interest
4.7 / 5
User 5196722

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 09, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

high traffic due to a community event (construction work, animal blessing, Mollkirch hunting horn festival)

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C67
C67

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 12, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant and interesting hike.

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Esservel
Esservel

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 30, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely, fairly easy walk. Stop at the castle about halfway, perfect for a picnic. Just a forest track, no footpath, but still very pretty.

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Tenlock
Tenlock
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 25, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

The walk to the castle is very pleasant and has the advantage of staying in the shade. We did the hike in summer without suffering too much from the heat.
The views are superb, the restoration work carried out by volunteers is colossal, and the castle, the tower of hunger and the chapel are all must-sees. We particularly liked the tables where you can sit down for a quiet picnic.
The area is very popular as it is a well-known walk, but it is still reasonably quiet. We came across two or three groups on the way there and about the same number on the way back.
I particularly like being able to sit in the part of the castle with a large lawn surrounded by a wall: you can take the time to admire the stones and imagine what it might have been like when everything was still standing...
The walk is about twelve kilometres long, as indicated. It's quite steep for the first hour, but after that it becomes more pleasant. There are no nasty surprises and the signposting is easy to follow. There are even small signs pointing directly to the castle, which have been added recently to help you find your way around.
I'd love to go back!

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sandyprune
sandyprune

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 27, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hike completed yesterday. Departure and return by train, which is very convenient when coming from Strasbourg.
Quite a climb for a Sunday hiker, I must admit it wasn't easy! But the effort is well rewarded by the view from the rock and the discovery of the remarkable trees, which are majestic. The castle is magnificent, partly closed due to the risk of rockfalls, but you can still enjoy a nice visit.
The descent is a little monotonous for my taste, but pleasant because it is shaded. You walk along a small stream for several hundred metres before arriving at Floessplatz, which is very pleasant for dipping your feet or cooling off the dogs.
In total, I had an elevation gain of 501 m and a loss of 510 m following the route.
Thank you for sharing this beautiful hike

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Blackpanther60
Blackpanther60

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 11, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

Very beautiful hike, clear and easy-to-follow instructions. A sunny day was perfect for this hike!

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gizmo
gizmo

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 08, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

a very pretty walk, mostly in the shade. The planned route is currently closed (steep slope climbing to the left shortly after the start) due to forestry work in progress. You can continue straight ahead (no signposts) and after a while you will rejoin the original route (red, white, red rectangle). It's just a short detour. We didn't see any mention of the remarkable chestnut trees, even though we passed this spot twice, on the way to and from the castle. The considerable work carried out by the volunteers restoring the castle is worth noting. I was there two years ago and there has been a noticeable improvement in the work, including the creation of small, well-maintained "monastery gardens" containing lots of different plants, all labelled with their names. Congratulations to all those enthusiasts who are actively involved in restoring these old buildings

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cricriost
cricriost
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 08, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A lovely walk when you don't want to do anything too strenuous.
Not too much elevation gain, and the work done by the volunteers at the castle is impressive. We had a very interesting chat with one of them. They are passionate people who share their love with us!
The walk is mainly in the forest, which is very pleasant in warm weather

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Catgl
Catgl

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 24, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We chose this walk so as not to travel too far from Strasbourg. It was very interesting and when we arrived at the castle, we learned that it was the largest castle in Alsace. It's a beautiful place that isn't very busy during the week. The walk is well explained using the app. We've never been disappointed by the descriptions or itineraries.

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colinezen
colinezen

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 18, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

I was impressed by the work of the volunteers who, every Saturday and Monday since 2015, have dedicated thousands of hours to restoring Guirbaden Castle.

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ZADIG
ZADIG

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 18, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Very beautiful hike completed in 3 hours
be careful at the start to head in the direction of the castle
the signs on the trees are no longer very visible
otherwise, there is a short climb at the start to warm up
Visit the castle during Heritage Days

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randotps67
randotps67

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 28, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

On part of the route, the markings are simply painted on tree trunks, and as the paint is old, they are often no longer visible.
An easy and enjoyable route

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cricriost
cricriost

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 23, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A beautiful walk, not too long, perfect for an afternoon, with a stop at the magnificent castle!

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xerocrete
xerocrete

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 05, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

A beautiful hike in sunny weather.
The most interesting part is the route to the castle and its outbuildings.
The return leg of the loop is long (forest road only) and ends up being boring.
The end of the route along the railway line is very busy with cars, even though it is prohibited!

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BenitoPepito
BenitoPepito

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 30, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A beautiful, shaded hike. The climb at the beginning is a little tough, but it quickly becomes very pleasant, and the castle is magnificent.

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