Marbach Pass and the Three Castles of Eguisheim from Voegtlinshoffen

A pleasant hike with beautiful views of the valley and the Black Forest. Visit the Three Castles of Eguisheim.

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 12.97 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 5h 00 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 439 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 431 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 747 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 383 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Park at the end of Rue de la Source in front of a small football pitch.

(S/E) Follow the blue diamond trail, leaving the football pitch on your left.

(1) Turn onto the path that branches off to the right of the cross (marked with a red diamond).

(2) Follow the path that branches off to the right (marked with a yellow easel) towards Bildstoeckle. You will come to a forest track; follow it to the right until you reach the crossroads. Turn left and you will arrive at a car park.

(3) Turn right and follow the path that climbs steadily towards Bildstoeckle (marked with yellow easel, blue ring and red disc). Follow it, keeping to the right at each intersection, until you reach the Marbach Pass.

(4) Turn onto the path marked with a red disc, which leads to the Stauffen shelter.

(5) Once you reach the shelter, continue straight ahead on the yellow rectangle (GR® 532) until the next intersection.

(6) Turn right, then right again a little further on and follow the path marked with a yellow cross. After thesecond bend, follow the path that branches off to the left, still marked with a yellow cross, to reach the Route des Cinq Châteaux.

(7) Cross very carefully and follow the road to the right until you reach the bend, then turn left to reach the castle car park. From the car park, continue along the path marked with yellow and red discs, which leads to the Three Castles of Eguisheim. After visiting the castles, continue along this path to descend towards Husseren-les-Châteaux.

(8) Turn right to reach a hotel, then turn left at the bend and go down Rue du Schlossberg.

(9) Turn right onto Rue de l'Abbaye de Marbach (marked Chemin de Saint-Jacques, then Losange Rouge) and follow it, ignoring the paths on the right and left, to reach the old abbey.

(10) After the abbey, turn onto the path that branches off slightly to the right (marked with a blue ring) to return to the car park where you started (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 383 m - Football pitch Rue de la Source
  2. 1 : km 0.25 - alt. 385 m - Cross, path on the right
  3. 2 : km 1.54 - alt. 519 m - Path on the right
  4. 3 : km 2.78 - alt. 563 m - Car park on the right.
  5. 4 : km 5.52 - alt. 705 m - Col de Marbach
  6. 5 : km 6.88 - alt. 722 m - Stauffen shelter
  7. 6 : km 8.01 - alt. 669 m - Intersection, on the right
  8. 7 : km 9.42 - alt. 568 m - Route des Cinq Châteaux, on the right - Les trois châteaux
  9. 8 : km 10.65 - alt. 430 m - Turn right at the fork.
  10. 9 : km 11.21 - alt. 387 m - Marbach Abbey Street
  11. 10 : km 12.26 - alt. 408 m - Path on the right
  12. S/E : km 12.97 - alt. 383 m - Football pitch Rue de la Source

Notes

Picnic tables are available along the route.
You can also picnic at the Stauffen shelter.

Please note: the descent after the castles is a little steep. It is strongly recommended that you wear good walking shoes and use walking sticks.

Worth a visit

- The Three Castles.
- The former Marbach Abbey.

 Always be cautious and plan ahead when you're outdoors. Visorando and the author of this route cannot be held responsible for any accidents occurring on this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

Reviews and comments

4.3 / 5
Based on 14 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.4 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.3 / 5
Route interest
4.1 / 5
User 9091576

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 10, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A very pleasant walk. I chose it for its "freshness" (it's very hot at the moment) and we weren't disappointed. There are indeed many forest trails, but that was to be expected (as stated in the description). The route description in Housseren is not very easy to follow, but it's easy enough with the IGN map extract provided in the document.
I will use the PDF Visorando app again for other walks. Thank you.

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User 25658249

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

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

Hike done on a Sunday in hot weather to cool off a bit. As the route is mainly through woods, it was pleasant, but... Nice visit to the castle, I was lucky, there was no one there ^^
No particular difficulties except for the return trip after the castles of Eguishheim, which can be a bit steep for beginners, but if you're careful, no worries!

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Jonathan67
Jonathan67

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 29, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A mainly wooded and shaded route with a beautiful final section through the vineyards. The directions are not always clear, but you can find your way around.

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lacogne
lacogne

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 03, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We did this route again and enjoyed it just as much.
After pleasant forest trails, a picnic on the benches at the pass after Stauffen, finishing
with the castles of Eguisheim and a beautiful view of the Alsace plain. What a wonderful day!

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Ulysse51
Ulysse51

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 13, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

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virgule
virgule

I understand, but every hiker has their preferences. On my routes, I often get complaints from people who want "views". But that's not my goal at all. And you only need to glance at the map to see if there are "views" or not.

When I hike, the most important thing for me is tranquillity. But I don't see myself posting a review saying "disappointing because I came across other people". It's up to me to find places where there's no one else around. On this route, if you avoid the castles, it's very peaceful.

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Manu.lm68
Manu.lm68

Hello,
I'm just giving my opinion. I don't go to the mountains to walk on a motorway (I try to stick to paths that have the least possible impact on nature), but it's your right to enjoy hiking on this type of path.
You're right about the map. Except that, not being an expert on Visorando, and because the thick red line prevents you from seeing the path you're taking, I got caught out. It was only when I opened my IGN app and compared the two that I realised my mistake. From now on, I'll check before I set off.
Otherwise, the area is nice, and the cycle routes are worth a visit.

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virgule
virgule

Hello,

it's not my route, but I know this area well and I really like it. I find it hard to understand why walking on forest tracks is disappointing. They're not tarmac roads and no cars drive on them, except perhaps an ONF officer. I think traffic is actually prohibited there.

A quick glance at the map would have shown you that these are forest tracks, not single-track trails.

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Manu.lm68
Manu.lm68

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 31, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★☆☆☆☆ Very disappointing
Very busy route : No

The first kilometre was promising, but you quickly reach a forest track that makes up 70-80% of the hike, hence my comment on the appeal of the hike. I understand the comments about the difficulty of the descent after that. The descent is a bit rough with lots of exposed roots, which can make the end of the hike challenging (tiring, slippery, rough terrain). Apart from the end, this hike is well suited to people who are not able to hike on technical terrain.
We deviated onto the GR532 to find a path and climb up to Staufen and the Staufen shelter, following the yellow cross to try to find as much of the path as possible and leave the road.

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Pinot68
Pinot68

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 09, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hike on a rainy day in November, practically alone the whole way, only met three people leaving the refuge. The descent was a little difficult, but it had stopped raining, so there were no problems.
As always, the hike would have been more beautiful in the sunshine, but it was still very pleasant.
A quick reminder to some hikers: if you use the dry wood inside the refuge, please restock it for those who come after you.

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virgule
virgule

Hello,

the road leading to the car parks is closed in winter. As a result, there are far fewer people.

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Hérisson59
Hérisson59

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 10, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike, with the castles of Eguisheim as a reward. What a treat! When we arrived at the castles, we were surprised by the number of people there, because we hadn't met a soul during the entire hike. Where had they all been?
(But of course, in the car park! ...)

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Gribs
Gribs
• Edited:

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 04, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The signposts are incorrect, particularly at the signpost (2). Blue diamond instead of yellow trestle, very narrow path that is difficult to see, not easy to start this hike! Apart from that, it's great in hot weather because it's very shady.

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Anne-julie E.
Anne-julie E.

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : May 08, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

As described, except for the elevation gain, which seems to be underestimated (+100m) on arrival according to my app. Very good if you're looking for the coolness of the forest. There are many picnic spots in the first part of the hike. The descent after the three castles is easier with walking sticks (150m elevation loss). Completed in 4 hours and 40 minutes, including a meal break and a break at the castle.

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virgule
virgule

That's the advantage of rain.

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