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Departure and car park in Jaegerthal on the small road leading from Niederbronn-les-Bains to Windstein. Parking is limited: on the left as you arrive, there is a car park near the old Forge De Dietrich, or you can ask the owner of the restaurant on the right.
(S/E) Follow the D53 north-west towards Windstein.
(1) Shortly after the restaurant, turn right onto the Blue Rectangle marked trail that follows the GR®531. At a fork, take the right-hand trail and join a forest track.
(2) Continue to the right and then stay on a relatively straight path to the northeast, between the meadow on the right and the forest on the left.
(3) Keep to the right. At the sharp right-hand bend that quickly appears, take the path on the left, following the blue rectangle markings. Head north, ignoring a path on the right, and you will reach a crossroads.
(4) Continue straight ahead (north). At a fork, veer right and reach the first blockhouse of the Maginot Line.
(5) Head straight ahead, then immediately turn right towards Guensthal onto a wide, slightly downhill path marked with a blue rectangle and labelled "Sentier de la Ligne Maginot" (Maginot Line Trail). Ignore a wide path on the right and walk past several blockhouses.
(6) Leave the hamlet of Guensthal on your left, keep right at the crossroads and continue to the junction with the Sägmühle (sawmill) blockhouse on your right.
(7) Continue straight ahead, leaving the building on your right. The path descends slightly and crosses the stream, signposted "vallon du Soultzthal".
(8) Cross a path and take the uphill trail opposite, with a few beautiful hairpin bends, still following the blue rectangle. Cut across a forest track and join another one shortly before its end.
(9) Head left, then turn right onto the path marked with a blue rectangle. Continue to the Hohwardt crossroads.
(10) Continue straight ahead towards the Katzenthal Forest House.
(11) At the fork, keep left and start the very steep descent that leads to the Katzenthal Forest House.
(12) Leave the forest ranger station on your left and continue along the path, which leads to the D3 further on. Cross carefully and take the Blue Rectangle path opposite.
(13) Follow the signs to the left, into the Welschthal valley, to reach the impressive south face of the Froensbourg Castle ruins.
(14) Climb the few steps and go around the castle on the right. Then continue west, on the left, following the red rectangle markings. You will come out onto a forest track.
(15) Cross over to pick up the path on the other side, which runs alongside the track and then rejoins it. Continue in the same direction for about 200 metres.
(16) Leave the track on the left and continue to follow the red rectangle trail to the Hichtenbach Pass and its shelter.
(17) Take the forest track on the left, still following the red rectangle.
(18) Turn right and make sure you follow the red rectangle markings on this section, where there are many intersecting paths and trails. You will reach the magnificent Zigeunerfelsen (I prefer to translate this as "gypsy" rather than "bohemian"). Be careful, as access is tricky because the ladder staircase is in poor condition.
(19) Continue in the same direction to reach the D190 at a small car park.
(20) Turn right and follow the road: Klingelfels rock is on the right. Continue to the hairpin bend, where several paths start.
(21) Take the one heading north-west, ignoring the others on either side. You will reach the ruins of Wasigenstein Castle, with its original system for collecting runoff water on the rock face on the right as you arrive.
(22) Take the hairpin bend to the left and follow the red rectangle towards Obersteinbach.
(23) Cross the Langenbach and continue on the red rectangle trail, which leaves the forest and leads to the paved road that runs to the junction with the D3 east of the village of Obersteinbach.
(24) Cross at the pedestrian crossing and continue straight ahead towards the forest. You will reach a crossroads of forest tracks not far from the Gabelfels rock, which is hidden in the vegetation.
(25) Turn right, then take the fork immediately on the left towards Col du Wineckerthal - Château du Windstein. Continue to Col de Wittschloessel.
(26) Continue straight ahead, following the red rectangle markings. Walk along a track, join it at a bend and continue to Col de Wineckertal.
(27) Take the path opposite, which quickly joins a track. Follow this track to Col du Petit Grueneberg.
(28) Cross the junction and take the path opposite. Join a track and continue to Col du Gruenthal (incorrectly positioned on IGN).
(29) Turn right, first turn left then right at the track, and continue downhill to a star-shaped crossroads at the foot of the Château du Vieux Windstein.
(30) Continue straight ahead to go around it on the right, reaching the Lodge des Deux Châteaux and its small car park.
(31) Ignore the access road and take the path on the right, climbing up to the ruins of the Château du Nouveau Windstein.
(32) Go around them on the right, turn right at the hairpin bend and follow the red rectangle with a white cross + yellow diamond markings. You will come out at the junction of the D53 and D553.
(33) Follow the signs to Niederbronn on the left until you reach the Maison du Martinet.
(34) Leave the road on the right and take the path marked with a yellow rectangle crossed with white, which runs alongside the Schwarzbachet stream and eventually joins the D53 at the fork where you started.
(1) Continue along the road to the car park (S/E).
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