Ribeauvillé castles through the vineyards and the Schluesselstein

Personally, I think what makes this route so charming are precisely the sections through the forest and the Schlüsselstein rocks. The castles, which are very busy, aren’t my favourite part. The appeal lies precisely in the fact that it’s a route with very few visitors, right in the heart of nature.

If you read the comments, you’ll see that there are other users who think the only attraction is visiting the castles. That’s not the point of this route. Perhaps I should mention this in the guide.

Everyone is free to have their own opinion.

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I’ve done loads of other walks before, but this one’s marked as ‘easy’ when it really isn’t… I still know what a walk’s like, but this one’s just all uphill and the forest isn’t that impressive, unlike the other walks I’ve done. I’ve done walks that were just through forest before, but they were simply more impressive and more visually stunning. I’ve simply given my opinion, so there’s no point in getting everything mixed up by talking to me about tourism when I’m actually from round here anyway 😅

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Hello,

The walk is described as easy, but I found it to be more of a moderate difficulty. In the comments, people say there’s a steep climb at the start and that it’s fine after that, but that’s not true at all!! This walk is nothing but uphill; there were very few flat sections, and the few descents were far too steep. In short, it wasn’t at all enjoyable. The walk is nothing special apart from the castles, which are incredible; the rest is just forest for the loggers…

To sum up, it’s a hike, which explains why there are climbs, descents and woodland. If you just want to see the castles, you’re better off following the route recommended by the tourist office.

Visorando’s focus is on hiking, not sightseeing. That’s my opinion, at least.

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Date of your route : Oct 15, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : Yes

The walk is described as easy, but I found it to be more of a moderate difficulty. In the comments, people say there’s a steep climb at the start and that it’s fine after that, but that’s not true at all!! This walk is nothing but uphill; there were very few flat sections, and the few descents were far too steep. In short, it wasn’t at all enjoyable. The walk is nothing special apart from the castles, which are incredible; the rest is just forest for the loggers…

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Date of your route : May 01, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

We did this hike in the opposite direction and, after point 8, climbed up to "Haut Ribeaupierre" before joining the trail between points 5 and 6 (elevation 626).
This hike takes you through magnificent forests and offers beautiful views over the plain and towards the Black Forest.
The only downside: on 1 May, the car park at the top of Lutzelbach was full, as were most of the car parks in the town. We had to set off from the bottom of Ribeauvillé....

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Date of your route : Apr 06, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

A lovely route. It starts with a path through the vineyards, followed by a stunning view stretching from the villages all the way to the Black Forest, then a walk through the woods, passing by the foot of two castles, and finally a gentle descent.
The route was only very busy on the section leading to the castles.
As usual, we regret that the distance and elevation gain figures are underestimated: 20% and 15% (due to the limited number of checkpoints)

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Date of your route : Nov 09, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

We did this hike yesterday, 9 November 2025.
It was a very pleasant hike, but you have to manage the initial climb and, above all, the steep descent towards the middle of the hike.
We didn't get a very good view of the plain (due to fog), but it must be magnificent and we will return.
It was wonderful to discover the two sumptuous castles and the views they offer of each other. Reaching them feels like a reward towards the end of the route.
We will definitely plan this hike again when the sun is shining more brightly.
Angèle Emmrich

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Date of your route : Mar 09, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

No particular difficulties apart from a steep climb at the start. Lovely views and a pleasant approach to the castles.
A walk for all the family.

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Date of your route : Jul 29, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Lovely quiet walk, often shaded, with a variation to visit the Drusenbach chapel and the Haut Ribeaupierre castle, which is easy to follow using the app. A little busier around the castles (normal, holiday period).

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Hello,

I'd be very surprised to find cyanobacteria at Schlusselstein.

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Date of your route : Jul 22, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Pleasant walk in the forest, in very hot weather, I followed the river with my dog (leash required).
Be careful towards the more hilly part, some trees have fallen. You have to go over or around them.
The Lac de lauch and the waterfall are magnificent.
Concerning the dogs, no cynobacteria.

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Hello,

The time given by Visorando is based on an average of 3.5 km/h. Most hikers find this very long and take less time. But you're perfectly free to take longer, if you're having a picnic, taking photos or picking blueberries or mushrooms.

In this hyper-touristy area, there is often confusion between hiking and sightseeing. I see that you found the route from (7), i.e. the castles, interesting.

There's a circuit that's less of a hike than a tourist walk and is more in line with what you're looking for. It's only 7 km long, but it climbs as well.

https://www.visorando.com/randonnee-bala...

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Date of your route : Jun 03, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Very busy route : Yes

The route was described as an "easy" hike, which I didn't think was the case. 70% of the route is just very hard climbing, and 30% just as complicated descending. The secondary interests were only visible from point 7 onwards.
The weather was miserable today, so I spent a long time in the fog. No such luck.
In my humble opinion, you need to be in good physical condition to complete the course in the time allowed.
As far as I'm concerned, the route should be put in the Difficult category.

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Date of your route : May 03, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

What a wonderful discovery!

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Date of your route : Mar 05, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We've just completed the walk in good conditions. The route is beautiful, pleasant and very well explained. In fact, we fully understood the author-trekker's comments.
Perfect

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