Hohneck/Altenweiller Lake/Rothenbachkof

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A beautiful descent!
But then a beautiful climb back up!!!
Magnificent scenery and lots of flowers to admire in early July... and enjoy tasting local produce at the Steinwasen farm inn...

Details

n°7305
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Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 14.69 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 6h 40 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 856 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 856 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 1,311 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 687 m
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Photos

On the ridges
Altenweiller Lake
The Rothenbachkof
Altenweiller Lake

Description of the walk

Departure from the Fontaine de la Duchesse (south of Hohneck).

(S) Follow the Tour de la Bresse line. Go around Kastelberg (yellow cross of the Club Vosgien).

(1) The trail crosses theGR®531, descent to Lake Altenweiheir.

(2) Continue to follow the yellow cross along the water's edge.

(3) You will arrive at a chapel and a remarkable tree.
Take the forest road opposite for a few metres.

(4) Turn left and follow the path uphill with a small staircase at the beginning (blue cross) which runs alongside a magnificent stream.

(5) Beautiful view from the Steinwasen farmhouse inn. Return to the red disc trail.

(6) Behind the farm, climb the Rothenbackopf.
Keep heading north, following the blue crosses, via the Rainkopf.

(7) Follow the ridge road more or less.

(8) Pass the Rainkopf-Louis Hergès refuge to reach the Fontaine de la Duchesse (E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 1,256 m - Source of the Moselotte - La Fontaine de la Duchesse
  2. 1 : km 2.52 - alt. 1,226 m - The trail crosses the GR531
  3. 2 : km 4.82 - alt. 925 m - Altenweiher
  4. 3 : km 6.31 - alt. 687 m - Take the forest road opposite - Sapin de Kolben
  5. 4 : km 6.59 - alt. 720 m - Turn left onto the path leading up to the - Batteriekopf
  6. 5 : km 9.2 - alt. 1,132 m - Ferme-Auberge du Steinwasen
  7. 6 : km 10.19 - alt. 1,307 m - Rothenbachkopf
  8. 7 : km 11.35 - alt. 1,302 m - Rainkopf
  9. 8 : km 12.14 - alt. 1,206 m - Refuge Louis Hergès
  10. S/E : km 14.69 - alt. 1,255 m - Fontaine de la Duchesse - Moselotte (rivière)

Notes

Lake, chapel and good inn along the way.

Worth a visit

Don't miss the chamois at Hohneck (Tour de la Bresse) in the early morning or in the evening at sunset.

Always be cautious and plan ahead when you're outdoors. Visorando and the author of this route cannot be held responsible for any accidents occurring on this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

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Reviews and comments

4.4 / 5
Based on 21 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.3 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.1 / 5
Route interest
4.7 / 5
User 5961194

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 10, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Small details have changed on the route, but nothing too complicated to catch up on (especially at the beginning of the route to get to the snowfield trail).

A beautiful hike with varied landscapes in dry weather, a few steep slopes, particularly at the end of the route, with the beginning being mostly downhill.

We were able to finish it in an hour less than planned, not counting breaks.

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mlecarpe
mlecarpe

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 17, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A walk taken on a chilly day in May. A beautiful hike with stunning views and varied, very pleasant trails. The start of the walk is not signposted at all and, unusually, begins with a long descent. It's best to avoid a heavy lunch as there are some steep climbs later on! We admired the Vosges cows near the Steinwasen farmhouse inn, which wore beautiful bells. The hike took 6 hours, including breaks (the rhubarb tart at the farmhouse inn is very good).

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BabsVDe
BabsVDe

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 10, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike! It is best to do it in spring, as in March there is still snow on half of the route

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Michaela Hürlimann
Michaela Hürlimann

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 29, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

It was a very beautiful hike with charming scenery, woods, ridges, lakes... The climbs are quite challenging. It's actually more like 17 km because when the route was recorded, the trail didn't always follow the path. I recommend downloading the hike so that even without a connection, you can see where you are.

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sebastien munier
sebastien munier

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 18, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Very beautiful hike 😍
To be repeated in sunny weather to enjoy the beautiful views

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billbock
billbock

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 09, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

parish specific to Brittany hike, lovely shaded descent to the lake, the return is steep but well worth it

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cdt Jeanjean
cdt Jeanjean

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 04, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike, although the GPS route is sometimes imprecise, but this does not pose any insurmountable difficulties.
Be aware that the second part is quite challenging in terms of elevation gain.

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DomNad
DomNad

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 31, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very beautiful hike. Please note that the direction to La Duchesse is not indicated at the Rainkopf refuge.

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Othello18
Othello18

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 10, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Does this hike use old trails? Or did the stormy weather affect the GPS signal?

The route isn't always reliable, but the description and signposting are. Follow the yellow cross and blue markings carefully, and rejoin the GR at the end, following the ridge road.

I did this hike alone with my dog (who is athletic and well-trained), and the scenery was breathtaking. I would definitely do it again.

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aabbccddeeffabcdef
aabbccddeeffabcdef

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 29, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Very beautiful hike, magnificent landscapes, very good description

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Didierisaso
Didierisaso

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 04, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

beautiful hike

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thebysca
thebysca

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 05, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Magnificent scenery on this beautiful autumn day that feels almost like summer.
A feast for the eyes combined with a bit of exercise, brilliant!

our GPS didn't always locate us on the route, but we completed the hike without any difficulties thanks to the description.

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firmin1961
firmin1961

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 16, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Superb "semi-sporty" hike! Panoramic views, silence, autumn colours, pretty trails! Given the date, we only encountered two people on the circuit and very few vehicles on the ridge road, which didn't spoil anything... Summary: "peace and quiet".
GPS track: OK.

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Phildenancy
Phildenancy

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 04, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A very beautiful hike with lovely views from the ridges. A few well-placed signs would be helpful for those who are unsure about the route, but even I, a city dweller who is used to seeing signs everywhere, managed to find my way!

However, the proximity of the main road with traffic on a sunny Sunday at the end of the route spoils the fun a little.

I can't wait for there to be only electric vehicles!

I'll definitely be doing it again in another season.

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gazok54
gazok54 ★

Thank you, Lameijegr.
I think it's difficult to appreciate the quality of a description when hiking in the opposite direction to the description. What's more, you started from wpt3
However, I agree with you that it's better to start with an uphill climb.
Thank you for the information about the absence of patou in the Vosges.

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The GPS track and description are the property of this route's author. Please do not copy them without permission.