Ferme-auberge des Sept Fontaines - Wintzenmuehle

The car park is located on the large Chemin des Cimes car park in the commune of Drachenbronn.

(S/E) Leave the car park at its western end, passing alongside the Sept Fontaines swimming pool building. The path passes through a small wood before joining the road leading to the Sept Fontaines farmhouse inn.

(1) Continue straight ahead and pass under the porch of the farmhouse inn with its grain mill. Shortly afterwards, carefully cross the RD77 and take the path opposite that starts in the forest. This fairly steep path climbs up the side of the forest until it reaches a fairly wide and flat forest track running north-east/south-west.

(2) Turn left onto the forest road that heads straight south-west towards Marienbronn, signposted 40 minutes. It eventually joins the D51 road leading to the Col du Pfaffenschlich. When you reach it, turn left and after 50 metres you will come to the junction of the D51 and D77 roads.

(3) Cross the junction carefullyand continue straight ahead along a small, unmarked forest road that leads to a water reservoir on the right, before turning into a forest lane that crosses a beautiful oak forest with some trees that are several hundred years old. From the road junction, follow the forest lane for about two and a half kilometres on a slight downhill slope.

(4) A good hundred metres before a clearing on the left, turn left onto the path that leads towards Drachenbronn, signposted 1h15: Blue Cross markings. The sign is visible on a tree on the left immediately after turning. At the next crossroads, continue straight ahead on the path now marked with a Blue Cross and a Blue Rectangle. This path descends towards Wintzenmuehle and leads to a crossroads with a sign indicating this on the right.

(5) Take the path on the left (GR® 531), which curves to the left before running alongside the Wintzenbaechel stream. The path becomes a very pleasant little trail that crosses several small streams that feed into the Wintzenbaechel and gradually climbs along its western side. After about 1.9 km, the path crosses the stream and soon reaches a clearing on the left.

(6) At the crossroads, leave the wide forest path on the right that leads directly to Drachenbronn and continue on the path on the left marked with a blue rectangle, which continues along the Wintzenbaechel on the left. Further on, the path leaves the forest and arrives at Oelmuehle, an old mill. Continue to the crossroads at the Sept Fontaines farmhouse inn, about a hundred metres away.

(1) Turn right and retrace your steps in the opposite direction, passing by the swimming pool before returning to the car park (S/E).

The route follows a variety of good paths. Nevertheless, it is advisable to wear suitable footwear.

This hike does not present any difficulty in terms of orientation. It is largely signposted. In addition, it is advisable to follow the directions in the description and on the map, while also paying close attention to the landscape. The waypoints with their GPS coordinates and the distance from the starting point are helpful for hikers who are new to the route.

Hike completed by the author on 19 October 2025.

The Ferme Auberge des Sept Fontaines

This 18th-century building was constructed by a servant of the Baron of Fleckenstein, who, in gratitude, gave the servant some land and a tidy sum of money. This was enough to build two mills for his daughters, one for grain (the current mill) and the other for oil ("La Oehlmühle", a hundred metres below).
Lina Finck is a descendant of this line of millers. In the 1920s, it was first the waters of the Seven Fountains that brought fame to the area, supplying drinking water to the surrounding villages. Then, in 1978, the farmhouse inn gave the business a new lease of life. In 1991, the oil mill returned to the family and has since been converted into guest rooms and a seminar room.

Lina Finck has always lived on this farm, which has long welcomed walkers and holidaymakers. It was her grandmother who taught her the family recipes. "She was terribly strict, but thanks to her, I was able to get involved in this restaurant business, which I really enjoy." Her husband Claude and their son Philippe run the farm. In addition to the fields, they manage an impressive farmyard with cows, ducks, geese, chickens and rabbits. Much to the delight of lovers of authentic cuisine.

The Chemin des Cimes

With a total length of 1,050 metres and a maximum gradient of 6%, the Chemin des Cimes will gradually take you above the treetops to the top of the 29-metre-high panoramic tower. One of the highest points in the area, it offers a 360° panorama of the Northern Vosges, the Rhine plain and the Black Forest.