Sundgau route: Durmenach - Luppach

In warm weather, this is a pleasant walk from the Ill valley to the old bed of the Rhine at the foot of the Jura mountains. The well-marked path offers plenty of opportunities to rest and leads to a strange crypt, the last vestige of a convent destroyed during the Revolution, where the shadow of an exiled poet still lingers.

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 7.13 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 25 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 129 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 128 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 475 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 374 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Access: coming from Roppentzwiller, turn right and head towards the centre of Durmenach. Cross the Ill and, at the crossroads, turn left onto Rue de Bouxwiller. At the fork, take Rue du Niesbach to the right and continue to the end, at the edge of the forest, to park.

(S/E) Take the path on the right (west, marked with a green disc). At the edge of the forest, go up to the left and, at a fork a few metres further on, continue to the left, back into the forest, following the marked path. After a footbridge, you will come to a path and follow it to the right. You will arrive at Place des Mélèzes (elevation 435).

(1) Take the second path on the right (still green disc). At the crossroads, continue straight ahead. Ignore a path on the right and, at the next fork, turn right. A hundred metres further on, before a descent, turn left. At the next fork, take the path on the left that runs along the municipal boundary.

(2) When you reach a path, walk 50 metres to the left until you reach a large pedunculate oak tree.

(3) Return to the path.

(2) Pass the crossroads you passed on the way out and, after about 100 metres, turn left to leave the forest. Continue south towards Vieux-Ferrette (blue and red diamond). After 200 metres, at the fork, continue straight ahead, then leave a path on the right and continue to a crossroads.

(4) Turn left (east) towards Luppach (red disc). At the crossroads, continue straight ahead and descend to the medical centre car park. Immediately after the large building, turn right to walk alongside it. At the end of this building, you will see a giant thuja tree.

(5) Take the steps at the back of the thuja tree. The path is lined with beautiful lime trees. After reaching the access road to Luppach, walk downhill for 50 metres. You will arrive in front of a half-buried rubble stone building.
Retrace your steps to the building and, at the bend, take the circular walk towards Durmenach (red ring, yellow rectangle).

(6) At the left-hand bend, continue straight ahead (red ring, yellow rectangle). When you reach a wider path, turn right towards Durmenach (yellow rectangle).

(7) At the next fork, continue left. At the junction with the larch trail, go straight down (yellow rectangle). Keep going in the same direction, following the markings. You will walk alongside a pond before returning to the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 374 m - Parking at the end of Rue du Niesbach
  2. 1 : km 0.98 - alt. 435 m - Place des Mélèzes
  3. 2 : km 2.26 - alt. 456 m - T-junction
  4. 3 : km 2.34 - alt. 455 m - Large pedunculate oak
  5. 4 : km 3.6 - alt. 470 m - At the crossroads, turn left
  6. 5 : km 4.68 - alt. 427 m - Thuja géan
  7. 6 : km 5.17 - alt. 439 m - Turn left and continue straight ahead
  8. 7 : km 5.98 - alt. 434 m - Fork to the left
  9. S/E : km 7.13 - alt. 374 m - Parking at the end of Rue du Niesbach

Worth a visit

Reviews and comments

4.4 / 5
Based on 16 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.4 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.4 / 5
Route interest
4.4 / 5
User 14560725

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 26, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful course, ideal in summer as it is very shaded.

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OTT Bertrand
OTT Bertrand

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 12, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful route with plenty of shade, so no worries in hot weather.
The big oak tree has been cut down; it must have fallen in the wind.
Otherwise, a superb, very peaceful forest.

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Daniel V
Daniel V

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : May 28, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

I forgot to specify the point number in my previous comment; it is point 3.

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Daniel V
Daniel V

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : May 28, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Just a quick note to let you know that the beautiful oak tree at the crossroads is no longer there. It was recently felled (see photo).

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Gégé d'alsace
Gégé d'alsace

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

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

Lovely walk, but we couldn't find the crypt.
The description was too brief.
Otherwise, a recommended route.

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Gégé d'alsace
Gégé d'alsace

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 31, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Route correctly mapped, as usual on Visorando.
Thank you.

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Vtt1664
Vtt1664

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 24, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

A pleasant Sunday stroll.
Varied route, woodland trails, wide forest paths, forest edges...
The theme of remarkable trees brightens up the route.
i recommend it.
DS

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ajvoyage
ajvoyage

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 11, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

very beautiful hike, easy, with very good signposting.
Worth doing again

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adsm59
adsm59

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

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

Hello,
A beautiful and enjoyable route in the heat.
All the routes we followed in Sundgau were well marked and all the members of our association thoroughly enjoyed cycling them from 21 to 26 July 2019.
Kind regards,
MADS

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w4rd68
w4rd68
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 23, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A beautiful, easy hike that's perfect for the whole family... Right from the start, you'll find stunning, unusual spots with information boards and beautiful woodland paths. Between (1) and (2), you can take a short, signposted detour that leads to a beautiful sequoia tree and stunning natural pools. After Luppach, the hike mainly follows a forest track, which isn't particularly interesting... The loggers had "wrecked" the path and even completely blocked it with logs cut in the middle... Too bad... I HIGHLY recommend it!

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manontrueb
manontrueb

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 16, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A superb walk mainly through the forest, with a short stretch along the edge of a wheat field. We were able to rediscover this part of the Sundgau that we didn't know. A magnificent crypt, a shoe tree and lush vegetation punctuate this walk, which is easy enough for the whole family. The only slight downside was the mud when it rained the day before.

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p2v
p2v

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 17, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

It was my first Visorando hike and I wasn't disappointed. I got lost once in the first part and turned back, and I think I ended up walking an extra 300 metres, but other than that I really enjoyed it. This route is actually about ten kilometres from my home, but I would never have discovered it without the information on Visorando. Thank you!

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Annick B.
Annick B.

Overall rating : 3.5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 08, 2017
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Hello,
This was actually the first time we used the phone with the map tracking feature, and we had some difficulty following it. We're not very good at . Halfway through the hike, we saw the big blue arrow on the map, and then it disappeared . Keep in mind that we don't have PREMIUM.
We'll persevere
Have a nice day

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danijela
danijela

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 25, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

This is THE walk to do when it's very, very hot. Almost the entire route is in the shade.

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koukinet
koukinet

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 28, 2016
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average

A gentle, easy hike, mostly through the forest. A little muddy in autumn but certainly more pleasant in summer when the weather is dry.
Walking at a brisk pace, we took about 25 minutes less than the indicated time.

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