Route des cinq châteaux vers Windstein

Park in Windstein in the car parks along Rue des Châteaux/D553.

Unmarked

(S/E) With the parking spaces on your left, walk up the street and continue left onto Rue du Schlossberg at the first junction. Pass a first group of houses and reach a second.

Red Rectangle Signposting

(1) Head up to the right towards Nouveau Windstein.

(2) At the ruins, turn left then descend the winding path to a pass. From there, head up the track to the left, then turn left again until you reach the next junction.

No markings

(3) Continue straight ahead, pass a path on the right and take the next one to climb to the top of Vieux Windstein. Once at the top of the ruins, turn left to reach the viewpoint.

(4) Go back a few metres and head down to the left. When you rejoin the track, turn right to reach the junction from the outward journey.

Red Rectangle Markings

(3) Head straight ahead, pass the junction at the pass then take the path on the left. Upon reaching the Bodenberg ridge, turn right. Make a left-right zigzag to rejoin the Red Rectangle markings.

No markings

At the Col du Gruenthal, climb up to the left to see the cup-marked stones. Please note that the IGN maps are out of date at this point.

(5) Head back down to the GR®5.

Red Rectangle markings

Turn sharply left. Then follow the track on the left twice to reach the Col du Petit Grueneberg.

(6) Continue along the path opposite. Then pass a junction and take the path on the left leading to the Col de Wineckerthal.

(7) Take the track opposite before taking the path that climbs to the right.

Signpost: Red Rectangle with a white cross

At the next fork, turn sharply right to reach Wittschloessel Castle.

(8) Head back down to the previous junction via the same path.

Marking: Red Rectangle

Head right towards Col de Wittschloessel and its shelter.

Yellow Triangle markings

(9) Head down the path on the left and then follow the forest track to the right to the Wineck ridge.

Yellow Disc markings

(10) Head left, slightly below the ridge, to reach Wineck Castle.

(11) Continue along the path. Then pass a hairpin bend to the right, another to the left and a final one to the right. On the track below, turn right to approach the D53. Do not cross it straight away but turn right onto the path that runs above it. It eventually rejoins the road a little further on.

Yellow Triangle markings

(12) Cross the road carefully and take the path that climbs steeply to the right towards Schoeneck Castle. Cut across a track and reach the next fork.

Red Triangle Markings

At the next fork, turn left and head towards the castle.

(13) Stay on the path opposite. On the track, turn left, then take a hairpin bend to the right and reach a junction by a pond.

(14) Leave the pond on your right, then continue along the first track on the right to cross the Wineckerthal Stream. Stay on the same track until you reach a small pass.

(15) Keep going straight on. At the end of the path, continue along a small road to Dambach.

Yellow Saltire

(16) Turn right at a right angle onto Rue du Modenberg, heading towards the Rocher de l'Homme. After a right-hand bend, take the track on the right, then take the one going uphill to the left. At the junction in the second bend, head up to the right towards the viewpoint, the Rocher de l'Homme and the Maginot Line fortifications. After the hairpin bends, turn left to reach the viewpoint.

(17) Return to the junction, pass the fortification and, at the fork, head straight ahead up the steep slope to reach the Rocher de la Femme. Then continue along the path to the Rocher de l'Homme.

(18) Return to Dambach via the same route.

Red Triangle markings

(16) Continue to the right and cross the stream.

Signposted: Chemin des Châteaux Forts d'Alsace

Turn left at the next junction. At the end, cross the stream and follow the track to the right until you reach a small road and some houses.

Red Rectangle Markings

At the houses, turn left onto the small road and head towards the main road, at the end of Rue du Buchwald.

(19) Turn left uphill, then take the first path on the right, at the corner of No. 6. Walk a few metres and turn right again, keeping level. Continuing straight ahead, you’ll reach a wide track. Follow it straight ahead, downhill, until you reach a road.

(20) Cross this road. Then keep left, then turn right twice. Continue straight ahead to reach the junction from the outward journey.

(1) Return to Windstein via the same route as on the way out (S/E).

- Warning: the viewpoints at Vieux Windstein (4) and the Maginot Line fortification at (7) are not secured and may be dangerous.

(9) Shelter.

- Part of the maps, at (5), is out of date. Follow the route.

(2) Le Nouveau Windstein and its viewpoint.

(4) Old Windstein and its viewpoint.

(5) Cup-marked stones.

(8) Wittschloessel Castle and its viewpoint.

(11) Wineck Castle.

(13) Schoeneck Castle.

(17) Maginot Line fortification and its viewpoint.

Between (17) and (18), Rocher de la Femme.

(18) Rocher de l'Homme.