Country:
District:
Park after the Porte Haute, in a small car park behind the emergency services centre.
(S/E) From the car park, join the Route de Bischwiller and turn right. After about ten metres, turn left onto Berggasse, marked with a blue disc. Continue to the Chapel of Saint Sebastian and its ossuary, which most likely contains the remains of the old cemetery of the church of Oberkirch.
(1) Pass in front of the chapel and turn left onto the path marked with a red cross, which is part of the Route des Châteaux d'Alsace (specific marker), and continue to the next fork.
(2) Leave the path and continue along a Blue Disc marked trail that climbs into the forest and leads to the remarkably well-maintained Bernstein Castle. Don't miss the climb up the keep to discover a magnificent panorama (plain, Black Forest and, with luck, the Alps to the south-east).
(3) From the castle, join theGR®5, marked with a red rectangle, which you take to the left towards Ortenbourg, a wide forest path that takes you to Ortenbourg Castle, which you can also visit while enjoying the view to the south over Haut-Koenigsbourg and to the west over the Val de Villé.
(4) From the castle, take theGR®5 traildown to Ramstein Castle, which is currently undergoing renovation. You can still approach the castle, but it is not possible (in 2023) to enter the courtyard.
(5) Retrace your steps and rejoin theGR®5, which you follow down to the tarmac road.
(6) Take the road to the left to quickly reach the Huhnelmuhle inn. Recommended stop for lunch (not too heavy!).
(7) Opposite the inn, take the wide path marked with a yellow disc, which climbs to the left of the winegrower's tasting cellar, and follow it to Taennelkreuz and its chapel.
(8) At this crossroads, turn left and follow the yellow cross markings to the village of Dieffenthal, where the markings change to red triangles. Continue straight ahead, pass the church and continue along Rue de l'Église.
(9) At the end of this street, the route, still marked with red triangles, continues with a short, fairly steep climb, then along a wide vineyard path (Rue de Dieffenthal) to a fork where there is a calvary.
(10) Take the right fork, then immediately turn left (marked with a red triangle) and continue until you enter the village of Dambach. Continue to the crossroads with Rue de la Porte Haute.
(11) Turn left onto this street, marked with a yellow cross, and at the end, turn right (Berggasse) and continue to your parking spot (S/E).
Visorando member
Difficult 
Association / Club / Walk leader
Easy 
