Bacchus Route Le Loejele

This route takes you through the vineyards of Alsace's "Suisse d'Alsace" region, along the Alsace Wine Route, passing through villages near Balbronn. Winegrowers line the route, offering visitors the chance to stop for a quick tour of their cellars and, why not, a tasting.

The Loejele is a wooden barrel used to carry drinks to the fields, vineyards and forests.

A third of the hike is on tracks or tarmac roads.

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 14.80 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 5h 10 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 320 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 317 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 362 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 184 m
  • ⚐ Country: France
  • ⚐ District: Balbronn (67310)
  • ⚑
    Start/End: N 48.584421° / E 7.43734°
  • ❏
    IGN map(s): Ref. 3715ET, 3715OT, 3716ET, 3716ETR
  • Hour-by-hour weather

Photos

Description of the walk

(S/E) From the small square in front of Balbronn Town Hall, with your back to the building, walk up Rue Neuve to the left. Continue for a while until you reach the third street on the left, after the church.

(1) Turn left onto Rue de l'Église. Further on, the street turns into a path. Follow it, continuing straight ahead. At the crossroads, continue straight ahead. Keep right at the first crossroads, then left at the second, and finally right at the third. At the crossroads, head straight ahead until you can join and follow the street on the right that crosses the Kohbach (stream).

(2) At the crossroads, continue along Rue du Buhlweg on the right to enter the village of Westhoffen. Stay on this street, which becomes Rue Neuve, and turn left onto Rue de l'Église. Cross the crossroads, taking care with the traffic, and continue straight ahead along Rue de l'Eau. Continue straight ahead to reach Petite Rue de l'Eau.

(3) Turn left onto Rue du Westerend. Continue along this street until you reach the second street on the right, Rue des Vignes, and follow it to the end, ignoring Rue de la Gloriette on the right, to reach the vineyard.

(4) You will come to a crossroads with four possible choices. Take the second path on the right, almost opposite you. Follow this path for a while, keeping to the right at the first fork and to the left at the second.

(5) Take a sharp right turn at the third fork. Keep left towards La Gloriette.

(6) Pass La Gloriette on your left and turn right. Keep right twice to arrive in front of a group of buildings and turn left, following the paved road.

(7) When you reach the D75, turn right, follow the road carefully and turn left onto a narrower path. Stay on this path to reach Wangen (follow the yellow ring markings).
You will enter Wangen via Rue des Lilas. Follow this road until you reach Rue de Westhoffen.

(8) Turn right (D842) and turn right at the crossroads after the cemetery. Follow the road for a few metres (D142) and turn left to rejoin the path.

(9) After the big bend, turn left and ignore the next intersection. After a big bend, keep right at first, then take the left at the fork, keep right again at the third intersection,

(10) Turn left onto the D220. Follow it carefully, then take the path on the right and keep to the right.
Continue straight ahead to cross a small stream (Kobach) and enter Traenheim via Rue du Moulin.

(11) Take the fourth street on the right, Rue du Lieland, follow it until it becomes Rue des Usines and at the end of this street, turn right onto Rue de Molsheim.

(12) At the fork, make a quick first turn left then right to rejoin the path and leave Traenheim. Ignore the crossroads.

(13) At the crossroads, turn right and then keep right. At the crossroads, continue straight ahead, then ignore the intersections until you reach the D654.

(14) Cross the D75 and continue along the path opposite, ignoring all intersections until you reach the D75. Turn left onto the D75 towards Balbronn.

(1) You will return to the route you started the hike on: follow Route de Westhoffen, then Rue Neuve, and you will arrive in front of the town hall (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 224 m - Balbronn Town Hall
  2. 1 : km 0.32 - alt. 230 m - Crossroads of the circular
  3. 2 : km 1.95 - alt. 200 m - Rue du Buhlweg - Westhoffen
  4. 3 : km 2.8 - alt. 209 m - On the left, Rue du Westerend
  5. 4 : km 3.53 - alt. 254 m - Westhoffen exit junction
  6. 5 : km 4.37 - alt. 349 m - Right-hand hairpin bend
  7. 6 : km 4.87 - alt. 362 m - The Gazebo
  8. 7 : km 6.16 - alt. 296 m - Arrival on the D75
  9. 8 : km 8.07 - alt. 225 m - Turn right onto Rue de Westhoffen
  10. 9 : km 9.28 - alt. 231 m - Direction Traenheim
  11. 10 : km 10.27 - alt. 198 m - Turn left onto the D220
  12. 11 : km 11.1 - alt. 194 m - On the right Rue du Lieland
  13. 12 : km 11.58 - alt. 210 m - Left/right at the fork
  14. 13 : km 12.17 - alt. 226 m - Calvary between Traenheim and Balbronn
  15. 14 : km 13.62 - alt. 254 m - Crossing the D654
  16. S/E : km 14.8 - alt. 224 m - Balbronn Town Hall

Notes

Markings: Yellow ring
On the route: tables, gazebos, benches
Parking: Place du Fronhoff in Balbronn (village hall)
Bus route: 234 Balbronn - Marlenheim

This route should not be used in heavy rain, as the area is prone to flooding.

Worth a visit

Places to see* during the hike:

  • The fortified village of Wangen
  • The Sommertor tower in Wangen

Nearby:

  • The synagogue in Balbronn
  • The fortified Protestant church in Balbronn
  • Saint Martin's Church in Westhoffen
  • The Staedelglöckelturm Tower in Westhoffen
  • The former synagogue in Westhoffen

*"To see" means that the sites are visible from the outside but cannot be visited.

Reviews and comments

4.6 / 5
Based on 15 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.7 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.7 / 5
Route interest
4.5 / 5
gizmo
gizmo

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : May 29, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

a lovely route to do in spring or autumn as it is mostly clear and therefore very hot in summer; lots of benches along the route; very pretty views of typical villages scattered throughout the vineyards and surrounded by orchards, particularly the cherry trees of Westhoffen; Take the opportunity to visit Westhoffen, Wangen and Balbronn. Surprisingly uncrowded; we only encountered one group of five people

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jema67
jema67

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 01, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk on 1 May in beautiful sunshine. Around 25°C in the afternoon, so be careful if it gets any warmer: there isn't much shade after Traenheim!

Otherwise, the hike was more varied than I would have thought, with beautiful views, vineyards, orchards and forest. You have to be careful in some places, but perhaps I rely a little too much on the GPS waypoints (and since we're limited to Viso...).

Otherwise, as others have already said, the cemetery car park is convenient.

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rensmusic
rensmusic

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 05, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A superb walk, one of the most beautiful I have ever done.
Mostly open terrain, in full sunshine.

The scenery is breathtaking. A few steep climbs, but fairly short.

Well done to the author!

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alsaco2
alsaco2

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 19, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant route that mainly runs through vineyards and takes you through four small villages. There is a place to eat in Traenhein at the Loejelegucker restaurant, with tables and benches and a shelter along the route.
If you have several cars, the car park next to the cemetery is the best place to park.

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Flo N
Flo N

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 20, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant route with unobstructed views of the vineyards, mountains and plains. Part of it runs through woodland, which is welcome in hot weather, but most of it is through vineyards with no shade! There is a significant elevation gain, mainly concentrated in the first part, but it's very manageable.

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da67
da67

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 24, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

a lovely walk through the vineyards and village, ideal in spring or autumn

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eebersohl
eebersohl

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 28, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful walk to enjoy non-stop sunshine. (Avoid in very hot weather.)
Magnificent views of the cathedral, the Black Forest, the vineyards and the plain.
the route is also signposted from the town hall; just follow the yellow ring.
Note: 4 hours at a brisk pace (without breaks)
Lots of small climbs and descents through the vineyards, making this a fairly challenging walk.

Worth doing again...

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Briwal67
Briwal67

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 08, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

a very pleasant route in autumn, through vineyards with changing colours, and also through villages with some very beautiful old houses. There is a bit of tarmac, but this is compensated for by the route, and the first part on the heights of the plain offers a beautiful distant panorama

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stephnco
stephnco

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 25, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk through orchards, meadows and forests. The trails are varied and offer beautiful views.

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VISORANDOGENEVIEVE
VISORANDOGENEVIEVE

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 17, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A lovely, enjoyable hike with a beautiful gazebo for lunch breaks
As stated, part of the route is on hard ground but allows you to discover the villages in the vineyards

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marcheurs67
marcheurs67

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 19, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A very beautiful hike on a fine day. It takes a bit of effort to reach the heights of Westhoffen, but what a magnificent landscape you are rewarded with!

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Office de tourisme de Molsheim
Office de tourisme de Molsheim

Hello Fallamieux,

Thank you for your kind words. We look forward to seeing you on one of our other Bacchus routes

Have a nice day,
Emilie Raynaud for the Molsheim-Mutzig Region Tourist Office

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fallamieux
fallamieux

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 01, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A pleasant hike through the Couronne d'Or vineyards. The route is well planned, following several small ridges and offering multiple views of the Champ du Feu massif and the Bruche Valley. It is possible to shorten the crossing of Westhoffen and take a more direct route up to the Geierstein gazebo.

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Office de tourisme de Molsheim
Office de tourisme de Molsheim

Hello,
Thank you for your message and your valuable advice, which will help other visitors choose the right time to get the most out of this hike
Have a nice day
Emilie for the Molsheim-Mutzig Region Tourist Office

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