Friesen walks

Friesen boasts an exceptional array of half-timbered houses built between 1499 and 1876. Thanks to meticulous inventory work, the walk allows you to see many reminders of a rural world that disappeared forever after the Second World War. A country lane then leads to the Notre-Dame de Grünenwald chapel and Ueberstrass, following in the footsteps of the Knights of Malta.

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.

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.

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.

According to Marc Glotz, "The Sundgau has only two Romanesque churches, both founded by the dynasties that shared the region in the Middle Ages: the Habsburgs and the Ferrettes. While Ottmarsheim evokes Carolingian grandeur, Feldbach recalls monastic simplicity. You leave it as if returning from a pilgrimage, with a renewed sense of serenity and the impression of having encountered the fleeting shadows of the counts."

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.

It is in late February and early March that you should go to meet spring in the forest of Saint-Bernard. This is where the snowdrops appear, signalling the end of winter.

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.

A superb hike on the border between Belfort and Haut Rhin. You will discover a landscape of countryside and forests with magnificent ponds. As a bonus, there is a discovery trail with information panels about the trees of our region.

The hike has been modified and no longer passes by the Ferme de la Vacherie. A lovely little walk, mostly on fairly wide paths, leading to beautiful viewpoints and sites of historical interest such as the Mannlefelsen caves and Morimont Castle. There is a slight incline on the first part of the route to add a little spice to this easy hike.

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

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.

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.

This route invites you to discover the village of Bernwiller and its surroundings, with a quick detour into the forest to sit for a moment in front of the small Notre-Dame de l'Unterholz Chapel and admire it.

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.

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.

This superb hike allows you to discover the village of Lebetain and the surrounding valleys with their typical Jura landscape. The starting point is near the Swiss border, close to Delle, 25 km from Belfort via the expressway. My favourite part: a very pretty section through the middle of a pasture in a narrow valley with a small stream and numerous little waterfalls. However, there is a fairly difficult section with a steep path for about 50 metres. The hike is signposted .

A pleasant hike near Frais, located 10 km east of Belfort. You can admire a rich architectural and natural heritage, beautiful half-timbered houses and a superb view of the Southern Vosges. The route is marked with a red ring.

A beautiful discovery of the region around the village of Larivière. In the clearing 10 km north-east of Belfort, this walk will introduce you to a varied landscape of forests, ponds, cultivated fields and pastures.

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.

This walk can be started from the Col du Neuneich, which is accessible by car from the village of Ligsdorf (please note that this is a forest road). It is also the second part of the circular "Around the Glaserberg". It takes walkers to the heart of the Glaserberg massif, above Kiffis. You will reach a ridge offering superb panoramic views of the Swiss Jura before arriving at the Col du Blochmont and the Hornihof farm, home to hundreds of llamas grazing in the pastures.

During this third stage, you will cross the historic town of Porrentruy. As you leave the town, the path runs along the edge of the woods before starting the climb to the Chalet des Chainions (Chalet des Amis de la Nature). The route then continues along a ridge before descending towards the hamlet of Seleute. As you approach Saint-Ursanne, you can admire the Clos du Doubs and its rocky massifs. You will enter the historic town of Saint-Ursanne through the Porte Saint-Paul.

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.

This is a pleasant hike where you will come across old farms and large boundary markers marking the Swiss border through a beautiful pine forest and, above all, the Abbaye de Lucelle, better known today as the "Centre Européen de Rencontres" (European Meeting Centre).

A short hike in the foothills of the Jura to discover the renovated Grand Canyon in Zillisheim, passing by the German cemetery from World War I and the Saint-Brice Chapel in Illfurth.