Grand and Petit Ringelstein Castle Route

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A short, unpretentious route passing by the ruins of the Grand and Petit Ringelstein castles.
Small viewpoint of the valley at Grand Ringelstein Castle.
Route circuit, but steep in places.

Details

n°1542476
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 8.44 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 40 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 440 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 437 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 644 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 287 m
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Photos

return to the forest
Grand Ringelstein
Petit Ringelstein Castle
Grand Ringelstein Castle

Description of the walk

Park in the Rue des Sapins car park in Oberhaslach.

(S/E) Exit the car park and take Rue des Sapins on the left, then turn right at the first intersection, Rue Schotten, heading north-west. Continue climbing, staying on this street and going straight ahead.

(1) Turn left and follow the yellow disc markings heading south-west.

(2) At the crossroads, take the path that goes uphill (the middle one) and then follow the blue ring markings.

(3) When you reach Château du Grand Ringelstein, continue along the Blue Ring trail heading north.

(4) When you reach Château du Petit Ringelstein, continue along the Blue Ring trail northwards until you reach the Carrefour du Anlagen crossroads. Turn right and follow the Blue Rectangle signs southwards.

(5) At the left-hand bend in the track, turn right onto the Blue Rectangle trail, heading south. Be careful not to miss the trail.

(6) Continue straight ahead and follow the markings to the crossroads you took at the start.

(1) Take the same path as on the way up to reach the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 287 m - Car park on Rue des Sapins
  2. 1 : km 1.23 - alt. 387 m - On the left - Yellow Disc
  3. 2 : km 1.83 - alt. 504 m - Crossroads
  4. 3 : km 2.51 - alt. 629 m - Ruines du château du Petit-Ringelstein
  5. 4 : km 4.06 - alt. 644 m - Petit Ringelstein Castle
  6. 5 : km 4.89 - alt. 557 m - On the right - Blue Rectangle Trail
  7. 6 : km 6.07 - alt. 490 m - Straight ahead - Blue Rectangle Trail
  8. S/E : km 8.44 - alt. 287 m - Car park on Rue des Sapins

Notes

No water sources.
No shelter.
80% of the hike is covered by forest.

Worth a visit

Reviews and comments

4.7 / 5
Based on 18 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.8 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.7 / 5
Route interest
4.5 / 5
vgraff
vgraff

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 03, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A climb that starts off quite steep right from the start, followed by a pleasant descent and another climb that caught us a bit off guard... but it’s perfectly manageable, especially as the walk isn’t very long. Stunning views from the top of the Grand Ringelstein. The signposting is simple and clearly visible. Highly recommended if you’re looking for a short but still challenging walk!

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PATBNE
PATBNE

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 14, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Easy access, a very pleasant walk. A viewpoint at the Château du Grand Ringelstein. We didn’t see a soul; it was completely peaceful, perfect for enjoying the mountains.

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maxlean
maxlean

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 17, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hello,
It's a beautiful route, but given the course, we added Hohenstein. This makes it a 10-11 km circular. The easy starting point, with good parking, is located at the community centre (near the village exit)

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Piotr.
Piotr.

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 19, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Great hike, not very long so accessible.
We worked up a bit of a sweat at the beginning with the elevation gain, but apart from that, the path was fairly flat.

The only downside, which makes me deduct one star for the reliability of the description and the ease of following the route, is that we didn't understand where to go at stage 2. We understood where we had to go, but the path indicated didn't seem to exist.
We still managed to reach point 3, but by taking a detour via "existing" paths.
This did not spoil our enjoyment at all; it was a superb hike.
Thank you!

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Dounise
Dounise

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 08, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Top

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bellisent
bellisent

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 21, 2024
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

In January, there are very few hikers on this trail. I used the map (rather than the written route description).
It is better to park in the school car park.

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Ephraim67
Ephraim67

Hello, I will definitely unsubscribe. Traces Née only works on straight lines, even though I changed operators. I am now with Orange and I have adjusted the interval settings. I am disappointed

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Bruno Dufour
Bruno Dufour

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 27, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : Not used / Not applicable
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Hello
A lovely, peaceful walk with a few small hills, but we ended up doing 13 km instead of the 8.5 km suggested! Perhaps we took a wrong turn, but we followed the directions carefully. It didn't matter at all, though, and we enjoyed a pleasant walk under the trees in glorious sunshine
Thank you for all these wonderful ideas for walks

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Jms 0729
Jms 0729

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 13, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

As everyone says, the two climbs go straight up the slope, so you have to keep up your pace. There are quite a few people at the Grand Ringelstein and the summit is narrow, but there are fewer people further on.

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bidouille67
bidouille67

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 15, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Hello,

The route is as described, with no particular difficulties. The summit of the Grand Ringelstein is an ideal place for a snack break if the view is clear and the wind is not too strong.
The return trip along the shaded path is also pleasant.

Thank you for this walk

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DONHEN
DONHEN

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

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

A great climb to start with! Beautiful view from the top of the castle!
Very well marked trail, with options for variations on the way back!
Not many people on this walk on a weekday.

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cyahega
cyahega

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 20, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A challenging start to the first section, followed by a gentle descent for the remaining two-thirds.
A very pleasant walk, with beautiful forest and vegetation and a very diverse environment

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zeblin
zeblin

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 26, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Discovering the ruins of the Grand Ringelstein after the first 2 kilometres of climbing is very rewarding. Once you reach the Petit Ringelstein (halfway point), the hike becomes quite easy. A very beautiful route!

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MTEYCHENNE
MTEYCHENNE

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 22, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A continuous uphill route to the lane, return via the southern slope, a fairly difficult walk

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