Durmenach walks

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.

A beautiful hike to discover Ferrette, a beautiful medieval town with its castle and the Grotte des Nains (Dwarves' Cave) with its famous legend known to everyone in Alsace.

This is an opportunity to visit the ruined castle and the town of the powerful Counts of Ferrette. Narrow, romantic paths lead to stunning limestone promontories and the mysterious Grotte des Nains (Dwarves' Cave), which is the subject of a famous legend.

Starting from Linsdorf, between forest and fields, the route climbs to the Eichwald plateau, alternating between woods and fields, leading successively to the Abri de la Fuste, on the heights of Bettlach, and the Sentier des Casemates, connecting three imposing forts of the Maginot Line. The Casemates Trail is dotted with information panels explaining the history of the Maginot Line. The route also offers beautiful views of the Ill Valley and the Jura Mountains.

This family hike takes you to the majestic Gros Chêne de Sondersdorf. Entirely in the forest, it passes through the Raedersdorf Discovery Trail, decorated with around fifty (or more) wooden sculptures and dotted with educational panels that are sure to interest children. Best done in dry weather in any season.If you only want to do the discovery trail and see the sculptures, see Practical Information.

The Raemel mountain range, two kilometres long, blocks the horizon and rises to an altitude of 832 metres. It is the highest point in the Alsatian Jura, accessible via a picturesque limestone ridge, the Sentier des douaniers or smugglers' path, which follows the French-Swiss border. This is a fairly challenging walk, but it offers magnificent views of the Swiss Jura.

Speaking of this part of the Sundgau, André Gide wrote:"One is constantly surprised, as one crosses the forest, to find oneself in the presence of an unsuspected sheet of water, mysteriously asleep in the shelter of the beech forests; rushes adorn narrow sandy beaches at the edge of large fields of water lilies. There are also several reminders of the First World War and the front line that separated Largitzen from Bisel.

This hike allows you to discover parts of the region's history during the Second World War, in the context of the liberation of Alsace, by following part of the Sentier des Marocains (Moroccan Trail). It also allows you to discover magnificent landscapes in the Swiss Jura, the Sundgau and the foothills of the Vosges and the Black Forest, then to follow the source of the Ill on your return to the starting point.

The walk leads to the heart of the Glaserberg massif, above Winkel. You will cross the Saint-Pierre State Forest to Neuneich, where you can enjoy sweeping views of the Alsatian Jura.

Kilometre Zero is the starting point of the front line established during theFirst World War. It is located on the current French-Swiss border, at a place called Le Largin. The Kilometre Zero trail explores three sections of the front line, the first kilometres of the French and German fronts, and the Swiss front at Le Largin, established along the border opposite the no man's land where boundary marker No. 111, considered the zero point of the Great War front line, is located.

The landscapes you pass through here are among the most beautiful in the Sundgau region. The rock shelter of Mannlefelsen, a major Mesolithic site in Alsace, precedes the Ebourbettes, which tell the story of General Giraud's escape in 1942. Further on, the ruins of Morimont offer an interesting history lesson on how a medieval castle was adapted to firearms.

This hike takes place in the Swiss Jura mountains, in the canton of Solothurn, right on the border with France near Kiffis. Varied landscapes in beautiful, well-maintained natural surroundings. The path first runs along La Lucelle, then winds its way up and down hills, passing isolated farms at high altitude, pastures that tumble down to the valley floor and passes that offer breathtaking views of this part of the Jura. A very beautiful route, not to be missed.

This second stage begins in France and rejoins the Jura trail at the Ébourbettes farm. You will walk along a border path and, at Roc au Corbeau, enjoy a view of Alsace. Until Vendlincourt, you will walk through alternating pastures and wooded areas. Before arriving in Porrentruy, you will enjoy an open-air exhibition of wooden animal sculptures. Don't miss a visit to the historic town of Porrentruy and its castle.

A wooded hill separates the Ill and Thalbach valleys. As you walk along it, you will discover an old vineyard, a quarry marked by tragedy, a botanical trail and the story of an unfortunate general. When you reach the Emlingen lime kilns, the 19th century suddenly springs to life, frozen in stone and iron.

Landskrön, a castle that was feared until 1814 and is now lovingly maintained by a Franco-Swiss association, and Mariastein, where crowds of pilgrims come to pray every year, are the highlights of this superb walk, which offers beautiful views on both sides of the border.

Hirtzbach is well worth a visit. The castle, English park and opulent residences of Unterdorf are neatly lined up on either side of the stream, whose banks are beautifully flowered in summer. Along the way, a rural and wooded detour leads to the site of the vanished village of Sankt-Glückern and the Landfürstenweyer, the Princes' Pond, with its still waters.

Climb up to Roc au Corbeau, which straddles the French-Swiss border.

The walk begins at the site of Lucelle Abbey, isolated from the hustle and bustle of the world. The monastery was once a shining beacon and its history can still be seen in the few remaining buildings. From here, a Swiss getaway allows you to discover a curious rock shelter suspended above the river's source. You then climb back up to the plateau overlooking a valley enclosed between two wooded ridges and crossed by the winding waters of the Lucelle.

The peaceful village of Pleigne is located on a Jura plateau at an altitude of around 800 metres. It is the centre of a commune that stretches north to the French-Swiss border marked by the Lucelle, the river that gave its name to the lake and the small town famous for its Cistercian abbey.The route begins with the Pleigne panoramic trail and observation tower, then leaves the plateau, its pastures and farms, to descend around Lake Lucelle. Return along the river, passing close to the caves, to climb back up to the plateau through the Côte de May forest and its legendary Rocher de la Fille de Mai (Rock of the May Girl).

A trail giving you the possibility to explore a large number of running vineyards throughout the Bartenheim and Brinckheim hillsides.

Family walk around Brestenberg hill between Bartenheim and Brinckheim, passing through sunken lanes typical of the Sundgau hills. Enjoy the forest and the view of the Vosges mountains and the Black Forest.

The fighting of the First World War raged in the Sundgau region from August 1914 onwards. The French blew up the Dannemarie viaduct and the front stabilised and extended from the Vosges to the Swiss border. The front line ran a few kilometres from Illfurth, near Heidwiller. During this tour, you will discover several bunkers that served a variety of purposes, including ammunition depots, observation posts and artillery emplacements, as well as several casemates.

Two centuries ago, the Rhine flowed in braids. From 1842, with the construction of dykes by Tulla, then around 1930 with the construction of the Grand Canal, the river was brought back into a single channel and the Rhine ecosystem was profoundly altered. Today, there is a stark contrast between nature, which is becoming re-vegetated and adapting to the drying up of the river with diverse and unique flora and fauna, and the intense industrial activity surrounding navigation and hydroelectric power.

For geologists, this part of the Sundgau facing the Porte de Bourgogne is called the Fossé de Dannemarie. The landscape is gently undulating, with only one wooded hill emerging. At its summit stands the church of Gildwiller, where gazes and prayers converge.