Sundgau circuit in Leymen

Landskrön, a castle that was feared until 1814 and is now lovingly maintained by a Franco-Swiss association, and Mariastein, where crowds of pilgrims come to pray every year, are the highlights of this superb walk, which offers beautiful views on both sides of the border.

Details

180357
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 6.66 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 30 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 205 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 209 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 543 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 388 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Access: In Leymen, follow signs for Château du Landskrön. Leave the village, then return via an uphill road. At the crossroads, turn right onto Rue du Waldeck, cross the railway line, then turn left onto Rue Bellevue. After the housing estate, park near a chapel.

(S/E) Go up the road for 50 metres. Leave the road and take the signposted path on the left (blue rectangle). First pass a closed quarry, then go behind some houses. Stay on the signposted path and walk along a meadow. Landskrön emerges from the trees on the left. Then enter a hamlet.

(1) Go up to the left towards the castle (blue triangle). After visiting the castle, go back down the same path towards the hamlet.

(1) Turn left and ignore a turn-off on your right (the hamlet of Tannenwald - Switzerland - is on the opposite hillside). Continue straight ahead and pass house No. 12.

(2) At the sign indicating the border, turn left. Pass in front of house No. 15. After about 50 metres, turn right onto the wide gravel path leading towards the forest (do not go down towards the village of Fluh). At the entrance to the forest, take the path on the left.

Follow all the Stations of the Cross, from the first to the last (14th). Stay on the paved road until you reach the Mariastein farm buildings.

(3) Turn left towards the abbey church. Take the entrance on the left of the sanctuary to reach the chapel of the grotto. Go up the stairs and enter the Chapel of Our Lady of Seven Sorrows (Schmerzenkapelle), also known as the Reich Chapel of Reichenstein, on the left.

Retrace your steps, exit onto the forecourt and enter the abbey church. Leave the church and cross the square. Return to the Hotel du Jura.

(3) Go straight ahead on Paradiesweg. Cross the plateau towards a group of recent houses (yellow diamond).

(4) When you reach the housing estate, turn around for a beautiful view of Mariastein. Continue straight ahead along a straight path. Cross the border (blue triangle) and turn left. Cross a large clearing on a grassy path.

(5) 800m further on, descend to the right at the edge of the forest towards Leymen (blue triangle). At the fork, continue straight downhill towards Leymen and the Waldeck ruins.

(6) Further down, a path on the left leads to a shelter at the foot of a small spur topped by a section of wall at the end. These are the ruins of Waldeck Castle, dating from the 13th century and destroyed by the earthquake of 1356. Continue along the marked path (blue triangle). Descend along the edge of the forest towards the first houses of Leymen.

(7) At the crossroads, turn left and then right onto Rue Bellevue to return to the starting point (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 407 m - Chapel, Rue du Landskron
  2. 1 : km 0.9 - alt. 487 m - Fork towards the castle - Landskronberg
  3. 2 : km 2.12 - alt. 486 m - Border
  4. 3 : km 3.3 - alt. 512 m - Mariastein
  5. 4 : km 4.1 - alt. 522 m - Housing estate, continue straight ahead
  6. 5 : km 5.11 - alt. 534 m - Edge of the forest
  7. 6 : km 5.64 - alt. 465 m - Waldeck Castle Trail
  8. 7 : km 6.3 - alt. 390 m - On the left, at the crossroads
  9. S/E : km 6.66 - alt. 407 m - Chapel, Rue du Landskron

Reviews and comments

4.8 / 5
Based on 27 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.9 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.6 / 5
Route interest
5 / 5
User 17648888

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 13, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

The trail is only moderately well signposted...
This is no doubt because you’re crossing between France and Switzerland.
But overall, we manage to find our way thanks to the app’s tracking

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Didouille68
Didouille68

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 10, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Great tour with access to the castle. Climbing up onto the platform gives you a wonderful 360° view.... I highly recommend it.

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bonne rando
bonne rando

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 15, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

date of the hike: 30 September 2025
very good route, easy to follow
visit to Mariastein Castle and Abbey Well worth the trip

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lyryc28
lyryc28
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 17, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

I agree with the previous messages, it's a very beautiful walk, not too difficult.
Landskron Castle and Mariastein Abbey are truly magnificent.
In the end, with the visits to the castle and the abbey, I walked 9 km.

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bernardo59
bernardo59

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 23, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful walk, especially with the sunshine and the beautiful view of the keep overlooking the sea of clouds in the valleys.

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guetty68
guetty68

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 28, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A superb, beautiful walk, not difficult.
Mariastein Abbey is worth a look.
The cave is also worth visiting, despite the 56 steps.
At the start, the castle is also worth a visit.
There are two beautiful little chapels along the way.
We had good weather, so all in all it was a wonderful experience!
However, it's best to avoid visiting when it's too hot.

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OTT Bertrand
OTT Bertrand

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 21, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful route with an uphill climb at the start, followed by the ruins of an old castle currently under reconstruction, offering stunning views.
Descent towards the Swiss side and the beautiful church of Mariastein.
Then a long stretch in full sun before returning to the forest and descending towards Leymen.
Best done when it's not too sunny ☀️

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Ser
Ser

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 30, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Short but varied tour. Very interesting.

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Mariejean.MUNCK
Mariejean.MUNCK

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 26, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Shaved

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CATHYK
CATHYK

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 12, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

An easy hike with stunning scenery between France and Switzerland.
The highlights of this hike are the two stops at Landskrön Castle and the abbey church. Be sure to take the time to visit these two buildings, climb to the top of the castle for the view, and enter the abbey church, not forgetting the chapel and the cave.
This hike takes you through the forest along small and medium-sized paths, walking on tarmac sections to reach the abbey church, where terraces await you to eat or simply quench your thirst, before crossing a large clearing surrounded by trees to return to the forest.
The arrival at the starting point is a little rough: a final short climb on tarmac, in a small street surrounded by houses, but fortunately it's not long!
In any case, it's impossible to go wrong using the app's live route tracking...

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Fromentaux
Fromentaux

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 29, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Shortly after setting off from the quarry, note that when you reach the houses, do not take the (very busy) road on the left, as this is a shortcut but very steep.
When you reach the top at the edge of the forest (near the Way of the Cross), take a slight detour to the right to see the chapel and enjoy the view of Mariastein. There are four benches where you can take a break.
Unfortunately, the forest path towards the Waldeck ruins is difficult to walk on due to forestry work: the path is completely destroyed!
Splendid landscape
An easy and very pleasant hike in a magnificent setting where the autumn colours add to the magic of a special moment.
I recommend it and will definitely do it again

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luANDRE
luANDRE

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 11, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

luckily, the description is very clear, because there are many paths and opportunities to get lost.
we did the circuit starting from point 3, leaving the cars in the car park at Mariastein Abbey, which worked very well too.
Picnic in the castle grounds, in the sunshine. It's magnificent.
The view from the top of the keep is well worth the climb.
All participants expressed their satisfaction.

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SIMON FREDI
SIMON FREDI

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 07, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The two main attractions are Landskron Castle and Mariastein Abbey, which attracts crowds of pilgrims every year.
Perched in the Alsatian Jura, a stone's throw from the village of Leymen and the Swiss border, Landskron Castle dominates the entire valley. From the top of the keep, at an altitude of 559 metres, the view is breathtaking. At its feet lies the French enclave of Leymen (Haut-Rhin), surrounded by the Swiss Baselbiet (canton of Basel-Landschaft) and, in the background, the city of Basel.
From up there, you can really understand the meaning of the castle's name ("Crown of the Country").
Visiting the ruins allowed us to discover the ingenious construction and the mark left once again by Vauban on this building. This beautiful hike, with its superb panoramic views, took us to Mariastein, following a path that crossed the border between France and Switzerland several times. The Swiss even grow vines on the slopes of the Landskronberg. These are a few well-tended acres waiting to be harvested.
Nestled in the heart of the beautiful Leimental valley, Mariastein Abbey is Switzerland's second most popular pilgrimage site after Einsiedeln Abbey.
The Chapel of Mary's Graces "im Stein" (in the rock), located 59 steps below the abbey church in the heart of a cave, dates back to the 15th century. Legend has it that the chapel was built on the spot where a child miraculously survived the collapse of a cliff. The basilica, with its beautiful façade and ceiling frescoes and stunning murals, was particularly worth seeing.
This outing was unlike any other, combining historical and sporting interests with a spiritual dimension.

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katiorek
katiorek

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 20, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

The castle is truly beautiful and well worth a visit. Mariastein is a major pilgrimage site (like Lourdes, a little too commercial for my taste), so it's inevitably very crowded. However, inside the grotto, the devotion is very strong, you can almost feel the energy! I really enjoyed the walk back through the forest, which was peaceful and cool. A lovely outing.

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Hugues68220
Hugues68220

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 16, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

thank you

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