From the banks of the Quatelbach to the Rhône-Rhine Canal

Start from the car park of the Baldersheim community hall, 12 Rue de Lorraine.

(S/E) Follow Rue de Lorraine northwards, passing the cemetery. After the cemetery, turn left up Rue des Cigognes. You will pass ‘Les Copains d’abord’.

(1) At the end of Rue des Cigognes, turn right towards the church. Go round Saint-Pierre-et-Paul Church on whichever side you prefer and arrive at Rue de l’Église. Turn right towards Rue Principale. Cross this street and head west (left). Pass a hotel-restaurant, the town hall and a tobacconist’s to reach the Quatelbach (river) . After the Quatelbach, there is a tiny park.

(2) At the end of the park, turn right onto Rue de Ruelisheim for about 200m, then turn left at the bend.

(3) Leave Rue de Ruelisheim and follow the cycle path on the right (marked with a Blue Ring) leading to Battenheim. You’ll soon reach a tributary of the Quatelbach on your right. To the left, there’s a view of the main Vosges peaks.

Stay on the tarmac cycle path, which follows the meandering course of the Quatelbach towards Battenheim. Roe deer are never far away. Shortly before the Baldersheim and Battenheim water towers, the path joins the main course of the Quatelbach. Keep to the left of the river until you reach the village of Battenheim, at the end of the path.

(4) Do not turn left at the junction but turn right (towards “Ottmarsheim by bike”) and cross over the Quatelbach, then continue to the end of this street to reach the main road (D201) at the traffic lights. At the traffic lights, cross the D201 and turn left. Continue to the first street on the right, Rue d’Ottmarsheim.

(5) Take Rue d’Ottmarsheim (cycle route). Stay on this road at the first roundabout (do not take Rue des Romains). Continue to the edge of the village and its strawberry fields towards the motorway. Pass under the A35 Strasbourg–Basel motorway. Continue straight on to the Hardt Forest. Enjoy the view of the Black Forest.

As you enter the Hardt Forest, the tarmac path curves to the right. On your left, a military site. You’ll reach the junction with the D20B.

(6) On your left, opposite you, there is a ‘Give Way’ sign and a ‘Ottmarsheim by bike’ sign. A detour to the left towards the bridge over the disused Rhône-Rhine Canal is highly recommended. It allows you to see a fully operational Archimedes screw. It is located below the bridge, on the eastern bank of the canal, after you have crossed it. Signs explain how it works. Then retrace your steps.

(6) Follow the D20B (road) towards Baldersheim (opposite direction to “Ottmarsheim”). Keep to the hard shoulder and continue straight on until you reach the edge of the forest.

(7) At the crossroads, on your left, the sand quarries are in full operation. They are home to a rich variety of birdlife, including sand martins. Continue straight on along the D20B. On your left, you’ll see the TV relay station and the Tour de l’Europe in Mulhouse. Do not take the bypass around the gravel pits, but cross over the motorway to reach the Baldersheim stadium.

(8) At the entrance to Baldersheim, turn left onto Rue du Stade and walk the length of the main stadium. After the stadium, cross Rue de la Hardt, keeping straight on, and ignore the first path after the houses. Continue to a disused quarry protected by wire fencing and barbed wire (a new relay pylon was erected there in 2022).

(9) When you reach this quarry at the relay pylon, take the path on the right, go under the high-voltage power line and join the D201 road at an imposing walnut tree.

(10) Cross the D201 (with care) and take a small footpath between tall hedges. You are back in Baldersheim. At the junction, head up Rue de Bourgogne to the right, which very quickly turns at a right angle. At the ‘Give Way’ sign, rejoin Rue de Lorraine and the Baldersheim community hall (S/E).

- Best undertaken at the weekend to avoid heavy goods vehicles near the gravel pits.
- Avoid in sweltering heat.
- The route partly follows cycle paths and cycle routes. If you hate tarmac, this isn’t the walk for you.