Gaschney, Schaeferthal, Frankenthal and the Bloy Trail

Start from the Gaschney car park.

(S/E) Head towards the Gaschney Farm Inn.

(1) When you reach the Ski Club, take the path on the right, marked Red Triangle, which climbs towards the Schallern Hotel-Restaurant.

(2) Go round the Schallern on the left until you rejoin the Red Triangle path (do not take the Blue Triangle path which branches off to the left). Continue to Schaeferthal.

(3) At the Schaeferthal Pass, take the path on the right which descends towards Frankenthal (Red Triangle).

(4) A viewing rock, right next to the path, after the valley crossing, offers a fine view of the north face of the Hohneck and the Martinswand. From the rock, head back and take the Red Triangle path to the right, which descends towards Frankenthal.

(5) About halfway down the descent, take a short detour to visit the Dagobert Cave. Then, on returning to the junction, head left down to the crossroads with the Blaufelsen Trail.

(6) Continue along the path that descends to the left, towards Frankenthal.

(7) At the Frankenthal sheepfold, carry on a little further to a junction which leads, to the left, to the bog. Lovely view of the Col du Falimont.

(8) Turn left to reach the bog quickly. Then turn back. Take the same path as on the way there, which climbs towards Schaeferthal, to the first junction (Red Triangle).

(6) About halfway up, turn left onto the Blaufelsen (Bloy) Trail (Blue Rectangle), towards Gaschney. Follow the rocky path, which is sometimes steep but well secured. After a quarter of an hour to half an hour’s walk, depending on your pace, the well-secured rocky path ends and you return to a wide path.

(9) Very soon, you’ll leave the path and join the track leading to a junction.

(10) At the junction, keep straight ahead, slightly to the right.

(11) At the bottom of a former ski run, continue along the wide Blue Rectangle path to the Gaschney car park (S/E), turning right at the end of the path.

Gaschney Farm Inn: Gaschney, Muhlbach-sur-Munster. 03 89 77 63 73. Open for lunch and dinner (hot meals served at lunchtime until 2.30 pm, and in the evening until 8 pm). Open all year round. Closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

Marcairie du Frankenthal: Frankenthal hamlet, Stosswihr. 06 78 52 15 11. Open from May to October at weekends, and from June to September on weekdays (weather permitting). Accessible on foot only. No credit cards accepted.

Schallern Hotel and Restaurant: Le Gaschney hamlet. Access on foot from the resort car park. 03 89 77 61 85. Open all year round, except for three weeks in November for annual leave.

Schiessroth Farm Inn: 1 kmfrom Le Gaschney, Muhlbach-sur-Munster. 03 89 77 63 63. Open from the end of winter, initially at weekends, then from around mid-May every day. Closed on Thursdays and Mondays. Open on other days from 11.00 to 20.00.

Further information: Munster Valley Tourist Office

Gaschney resort, Dagobert Cave and Frankenthal.