From Riedisheim to Rixheim via the vanished village of Leibersheim

Parking is available on Rue de la Paix near the Riedisheim cemetery, next to the fire station.

(S/E) Opposite the cemetery entrance, take Rue des Vignerons on the right. With the cemetery on your left, follow the yellow rectangle with a white stripe markings until further notice. Leave Rue du Beau Site on your right and continue straight ahead, then, at a road sign depicting a person walking a dog, continue straight ahead towards No. 37 Rue des Vignerons. At the top of the path, continue straight ahead, following the signs for Sentier de Riedisheim. Ignore the small private paths on your right until you reach an X-shaped intersection with a bench.

(1) Turn left towards Rixheim-Église. Continue straight ahead at the next two intersections with unmarked paths, then pass under a high-voltage power line. Ignore a path marked Anneau Rouge on your right and continue straight ahead towards Rixheim. Shortly afterwards, take the small path that climbs to the left, marked Anneau Rouge, Sentier de Rixheim and Sentier de Riedisheim. From here, follow the Anneau Rouge markings.

(2) At the next junction, at the gate of a private property, turn left. At the bottom of the path, go straight up, ignoring the unmarked paths. After passing an orchard and the back of a house, the path descends again. Ignore a path on the left and, when you enter the village of Rixheim, leave the Anneau Rouge markings, which continue on a path sloping to the left, and take the tarmac road between houses nos. 59 and 55F. Ignore a small cul-de-sac on the right and turn right at the intersection. Continue along this wide street for about 200 metres until you reach the crossroads.

(3) Take the first street on the right, Rue Bellevue. Now follow the Anneau Rouge markings again. Continue along this street until the end. At the end of the street, after a left turn, turn immediately right onto Rue Haute, then take the^second street on the left, Rue des Vergers, just after Rue du Raisin, until you reach the give way sign.

(4) Turn right onto Rue Foch. At the end of the street, use the pedestrian crossing just after the corner to cross to the other side, near the war memorial. Walk past the memorial and turn right immediately afterwards into the cul-de-sac, Rue de la Brasserie. Walk to the top of the street, which ends in a bottleneck.

(5) At the top, turn left onto Rue du Cimetière. Walk past a large car park with signs for hikers, then past the cemetery and the church. At the "Stop" sign, turn right onto Rue de l'Église, towards Zimmersheim. Ignore a street on the right leading to the upper entrance of the cemetery and continue straight ahead, where you will see a road sign saying "Sauf cycles et ayants-droit" (except bicycles and authorised vehicles). At the top of the road, ignore a path on the left.

(6) At the Y-junction, turn right towards Zimmersheim. Leave the Anneau Rouge (Red Ring) markings and follow the Losange Rouge (Red Diamond) markings. Stay on this path for about 1 km, ignoring several paths, marked or unmarked, on either side, until you reach a junction with a bench and a calvary (which may be slightly hidden by vegetation). See possible alternative in the section: During the hike or nearby.

(7) At the intersection, leave the red diamond markings and follow the yellow diamond markings, turning right towards Riedisheim. Ignore the^first path on the right and, at the next intersection, continue straight ahead, ignoring the red ring markings on the right. Enter the forest and descend until you cross a road.

(8) Cross carefully and continue straight ahead towards Riedisheim-Couvent. Continue until you reach an intersection at the top of the path. Continue straight ahead, still towards Riedisheim-Couvent. Further on, continue straight ahead past a livestock farm and an educational orchard. Shortly afterwards, ignore a path that branches off to the left at a crossroads where there is a bench and enter the village of Riedisheim via Rue de Habsheim, passing in front of the Résidence: L'orée du Bois. Continue along this street until you reach the next roundabout just after the church bus stop. On the way, you will pass a playground and a church.

(9) At the roundabout, go straight up, still following Rue de Habsheim. At the top of the hill, after Rue du Haut Point, turn right onto Rue des Vosges. Leave the yellow diamond markings and follow the yellow disc markings. Ignore Rue du Jura on the left and, at the end of the street, after a left turn, join Rue Clemenceau.

(10) Continue straight ahead. Ignore Rue des Alpes on your left and continue to the traffic lights. Leave the yellow disc markings and follow the yellow rectangle with a white line markings, turning right onto Rue de la Paix. Go down this street until you return to the entrance to the Riedisheim cemetery, just after a calvary and a supermarket. (S/E).

Right next to the start of the hike is a public car park, next to the fire station.

Understanding the Club Vosgien trail markers.

At point (1) there is a memorial commemorating the disappearance of the village of Leibersheim in 1467. Its destruction may have taken place during the War of the Six Deniers, but no source seems to confirm this with certainty.

After the point (3), in Rue Bellevue, there are a few points of interest. At the very beginning of the street, on your right, you will pass a Jewish cemetery, whose oldest grave dates back to 1797. The house at number 15 is remarkable and is nicknamed the "saucer house". Just after its small entrance gate is a cross in honour of those who were forcibly conscripted during the Second World War.

Just after the point (4), at the end of Rue Foch, there is a trompe-l'oeil painting depicting a bakery.

Not far from the point (7) is a viewpoint overlooking the Hardt forest and the surrounding villages. To reach this viewpoint, turn left (leaving the hiking trail) and walk about 250 metres. At the top of the path are benches and a sign indicating the presence of a Chappe telegraph around 1800. If you choose to go there, it is about a 500 m walk and an additional 40 m elevation gain. To return to the hiking trail, simply turn around and go back to the crossroads at point (7). To continue the hike, go straight ahead.

After point (8) and after passing the educational orchard, on the way down to the village, there is a remarkable tree on the right-hand side of the path. It is marked by a discreet sign hidden by vegetation.

After the roundabout at point (9), at the top of the road, as you turn into Rue des Vosges, the corner house features a beautiful trompe-l'oeil painting.