Dahn walks

The Dahner Felsenpfad (Dahn Rock Trail) is located in Rhineland-Palatinate. This circular route takes you into the forest to discover the giant pink sandstone rocks and the surrounding viewpoints. Refreshments are also available along the route.

A magnificent hike to discover the rock formations of the Palatinate Forest. You will walk through breathtaking scenery and discover Neudahn Castle, destroyed during the Peasants' War in the 16th century, one of the best-preserved castles in the Palatinate Forest

Whichever route you choose in the breathtaking Dahner Felsenland, you’ll find stunning sandstone rock formations everywhere. Two of these are the Kahle Felsen and the Backelstein, south of Hauenstein. What hardly anyone knows, however, is that the German Shoe Museum is also located here, where not only the history of the shoe but also many a famous pair of shoes is on display.

The "Premiungweg" marked trail is a meeting point between Alsace and the Palatinate. Between the Northern Vosges and the Wasgau: two of the most beautiful natural sites in Europe thanks to their landscapes of endless forests, pink sandstone rocks rising towards the sky and remarkable castle ruins. This 33 km trail was originally divided into two circular sections. Here is thefirst 20 km section.

A walk through the German forest north of Wissembourg, featuring some stunning views and sandstone outcrops (very similar to those in Colorado – Altschlossfelsen). There are a few sections with steep ascents and descents. This walk should be classified as moderate to difficult

This pleasant cross-border walk near Nothweiler is ideal for a family outing. Views of the ruins of the fortified castles of Wegelnburg and Löwenstein provide a reward during the ascent. On the German side, the route takes walkers to the Eisenerzgrube Nothweiler iron ore mine. Nothweiler is a romantic village with numerous half-timbered houses.

A walk made for children. The walk starts and ends at a superb medieval playground, with a splendid view of the Krappenfels. There are two partially renovated castle ruins and the fully renovated Fleckenstein Castle (entrance fee).

Discover ruined castles: Fleckenstein, Loewenstein, Hohenbourg and Wegelnbourg (Palatinate) and remarkable rocks such as the "Krappenfels" and those that line the Sentier des Roches (Rock Trail) and the climb to Wegelnbourg. These places are steeped in history and mystery, and offer some very pretty views.

Fleckenstein Castle is an eagle’s nest of extraordinary proportions, first mentioned in 1174. It had a reputation as an impregnable stronghold until it fell, without a fight, to the soldiers of Louis XIV in 1680. This walk invites you to discover this castle and the lake of the same name.

This moderately difficult circular hike takes you to five castles built in the 12th and 13th centuries, each with a different history. From the top of some of the castles, you can also enjoy magnificent views of the Northern Vosges and the German Palatinate.

The destination is the Wegelnbug, the highest ruin in the Palatinate, offering breathtaking 360° views. The ascent takes you past Fleckenstein Castle, whilst the descent offers the chance to visit Hohenbourg and Loewenstein Castles. An ideal hike for children. A fun (but chargeable) tour of Fleckenstein, with a playground near the Gimbelhof.

A short, easy circular loop starting from the Fleckenstein Pond and passing by the ruined Froensbourg Castle. Note: access to the troglodytic rooms on the upper levels is no longer possible (staircase not repaired).

The Rodalben Felsenwanderweg is originally 45.5 km long; this covers a large part of it. A walk featuring impressive rock formations, caves and forest sections, and certified asa “Qualitätsweg Wanderbares Deutschland”. Classified as ‘Difficult’ due to its length, rather than ‘Very Difficult’, as most of the paths follow the contour lines; the descents into the valleys are gradual and the ascents are steady and not at all strenuous.

On this second stage of your journey through the Vosges with Passion Vosges, you’ll pass numerous castle ruins – it’s a whole different experience. It’s an opportunity to discover the technical and architectural feats achieved at the time in such a hostile environment. This is particularly true of the semi-troglodytic castles of the Northern Vosges, where you find yourself wondering every time how parts of the structure managed to cling to the rock faces. A dizzying question. This stage is described by Franck Buchy in *Passion Vosges*, the hiking magazine published by *DNA* and *L’Alsace*. The entire route follows the Red Rectangle, unless otherwise stated.

The trail marked with the "Premiumweg" label is a meeting point between Alsace and the Palatinate, between The Northern Vosges and the Wasgau: two of the most beautiful natural sites in Europe thanks to their landscape of endless forests, pink sandstone rocks rising towards the sky and remarkable castle ruins. This 33 km trail was originally divided into two circular loops. Here is the second part, covering 16 km.

This trail takes you to rocks and castles with magnificent, unobstructed views of the valley and Obersteinbach. You can visit the Bohemian Rock or "Tziganes", Wasigenstein Castle, Petit Arnsberg Castle and Wachtfels Rock with its breathtaking view. There is a short stretch of tarmac at the start and end of the hike. This is a fairly easy hike, but I have rated it as moderately difficult due to its length.

Starting from the quiet little hamlet of Bremendell, this easy walk takes you through the forests of the Bitche region, taking in several notable sites, including the village of Sturzelbronn and its abbey, as well as the Luchsfelsen.

This is a hike that takes place entirely in the forest on paths and trails. At the start, for 2½ hours, you’ll be walking along little-known and very quiet paths. A route with quite a bit of elevation gain and varied scenery.

This hike in the Northern Vosges will allow you to discover five castles which, although less well known than Fleckenstein, are just as worthy of a visit! Much of the walk takes place on small forest paths, making it very pleasant in hot weather.

A lovely walk that takes you from the Club Vosgien de Wissembourg car park to the Chemin des Cimes in Drachenbronn, passing close to the anti-tank ditches and following the path marked by boundary stones bearing the coats of arms of the communes of Climbach and Cleebourg. The only difficulty is crossing the ditch at point (7).

A route featuring numerous narrow paths that wind around the Col du Pigeonnier to the Col du Stiefelsberg, offering views over the Rhine plain, and back via the Chemin des Bornes, which passes through the Luchsenkopf and the Eslsberg.

A lovely walk through the Cleebourg vineyards and the old town of Wissembourg.

Hike between a semi-troglodytic castle and the highest point in the Northern Vosges.

A pleasant walk through the woods along wide paths, with scenic viewpoints and a stretch through the vineyards offering a beautiful panorama. In spring, you can enjoy the fruit trees in bloom! The route also takes you briefly through the village of Rott with its beautiful Alsatian houses.

Hike along paved paths and trails through vineyards and orchards in the hills above Cleebourg. This route is ideal after heavy rain as the paths are clean and passable. The walk starts near the school in Oberhoffen-les-Wissembourg. Halfway along the route, after about two hours' walking, you can stop for a bite to eat at the Cleebourg restaurant, visit the cellars and taste the different grape varieties. You will be overlooking the villages of Cleebourg, Rott and Oberhoffen-les-Wissembourg with superb views.