Head to Mittlach, a charming and peaceful little village at the bottom of the Munster Valley, an Alsatian town west of Colmar (68), whose name is inextricably linked to the famous cheese.
You can park your car in the car park opposite the Valneige hotel (or, if there are no spaces, further up, between the church and the village hall).
(S/E) Opposite the Valneige hotel, cross the small bridge and take the street immediately on the right.
(1) After the last houses, less than 500 m from our starting point, take the path on the left (heading north, marked by a red rectangle) leading to the Wormsa valley.
After 500 m, you will reach the start of the climb to the Fischboedle lake, marked by a small wooden memorial. Take the path overlooking the Wormsa valley, following the Club Vosgien markings ( red rectangle).
Cross a series of rocky scree (glacial moraines) and two small wooden bridges over the stream flowing from the Fischboedle before reaching a forest road. Follow this road to the left for 200 m to reach the first lake on the circuit.
(2) Cross the dam and, to the right of the kiosk, take the red rectangle-marked trail, which winds its way up to the Schiessrothried in 20 minutes.
(3) Do not cross the dam. The Wormspel trail, marked with a blue triangle, starts to the right of the small building, to the left of the dam. Although the slope of the trail is gentle at first, it becomes much steeper as you move away from the lake and reach the bottom of the valley.
Then, as you emerge from the forest, the route takes on a much more alpine character, offering superb views of the slopes of the glacial cirque, the stumps of the Petit Hohneck and the Lac du Schiessrothried below.
(4) Once you reach the ridge (Wormspel small pass), head west for about 200 metres to join the Route des Crêtes (D430), which you will follow for the same distance in a southerly direction.
There, a forest road (Chemin du Schmargult) marked with a blue ring branches off to the right of the road. Heading west, it passes under several ski lifts, runs alongside the Auberge du Schmargult farm, and then reaches the shores of the lake about 1.5 km from the farm.
(5) From the lake shore, retrace your steps for about 100 metres to reach the start of the ski lift.
(6) Cross the Moselotte, then 250 m further south and 40 m higher, you will find the Artimont forest road overlooking the southern slope of the lake.
Stay on this road marked with a yellow ring, continuing south.
Be careful, after 500 m the road bends to the left, while a wide forest path joins the road. Stay on this road, which 200 m below crosses a second forest road. Keep heading south, staying on the right-hand lane marked with a yellow ring. 500 m from this crossroads, a path (yellow disc) branches off to the left of the road, leading in a few steps to the shores of Lake Blanchemer.
(7) Follow the eastern shore of the lake for about 300 m before taking a path marked with a blue triangle. Heading south, this path joins the wide Chemin du Grand Bougre 90 m higher up. Turn left towards the north and 500 m after this junction, the path (blue triangle) branches off to the right, leading in a few tight bends to the Route des Crêtes, a few steps from the Ferschmuss farmhouse inn.
Cross the road, continuing eastwards, and a few steps higher up you will reach the Collet du Rainkopf.
(8) Take the Altenweiher trail, the last lake on the route (yellow signpost).
At first, the trail climbs gently, but after about 1,000 metres, a series of sharp bends leads to the bottom of the glacial cirque and the Altenweiher reservoir. Please note: shortly before reaching the lake shore, you will come across a trail marked with a yellow disc, which you should keep on your right.
(9) Cross the lake dam and take the path marked with a yellow cross below the northern end of the dam. Follow this track for 1.5 km until you reach the Kolbenwasen crossroads, a few steps from the small chapel of the same name.
There, a road marked with a yellow cross will take you 2 km along a tarmac road back to your starting point (S/E).