The Chapel of Saint Fridolin and the Cave of the Francs-Tireurs

Set off to explore the sights around the Rocher de Dabo, a historic Celtic, Roman and medieval site.

Details

214425
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 12.22 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 30 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 362 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 362 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 516 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 271 m

Description of the walk

Park at Hellert RD98d (access via the village of Haselbourg), at the entrance to the village, in the car park opposite the restaurant "Le Beau Site".

(S/E) Take the path then the trail marked with yellow-white-yellow rectangles and head to the Saint-Fridolin Chapel and its miraculous spring.

(1) Pass in front of the Saint-Fridolin Chapel, go down the stairs next to the chapel, cross the tarmac road, go down the marked path (yellow-white-yellow rectangle) to the forest road (to the left of the Sentier de la Fontaine). See the miraculous spring.
Cross and then turn right off the Eichelkopf forest road onto the path going uphill, marked yellow-white-yellow for about 900 metres.

(2) Cross the forest road and take the path opposite (marked yellow-white-yellow) to the Garrebourg or Kreuzkopf forest house.

(3) Turn right, join the Kreuzkopf Forest Road (marked with red discs), then Brunnenmatt.

(4) Stay on the red disc markings.

(5) At the end of the Brunnenmatt forest road, turn right (red-white-red markings).

(6) At the Grotte des Francs-Tireurs, return to the forest road you left earlier and continue towards the Maison Forestière du Kempel

(7) Take the forest road on the left (red-white-red markings).

(8) Leave the forest road and take the one on the left (red-white-red markings) and, 100 metres further on, you will reach the Carrefour du Rocher Marguerite.

(9) You can make a round trip to Rocher Marguerite, about 200 metres away. Return to the crossroads and continue on the path to your left (red-white-red markings). Reach the crossroads leading to Rocher du Calice.

(10) Second option: take the path on the left for a return trip to Rocher du Kelchfels. Retrace your steps. From this point, you can also reach Rocher du Pfannenfels (to the south).

(10) On the way back, take the path to return to the Kempel Forest House.

(11) At the Kempel Forest House, cross the tarmac road and take the path opposite towards Borne Saint-Martin (red-white-red markings). At Borne Saint-Martin, continue on theGR®532(yellow rectangle).

(12) Pass under the beautiful Nutzkopffelsen rocks. Cross the village of Hellert to reach the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 442 m - Car park at the entrance to the village
  2. 1 : km 1.74 - alt. 271 m - St Fridolin Chapel
  3. 2 : km 2.55 - alt. 393 m - Opposite
  4. 3 : km 3.22 - alt. 420 m - Turn right twice
  5. 4 : km 4.6 - alt. 458 m - Trail
  6. 5 : km 5.25 - alt. 483 m - Forest road
  7. 6 : km 5.48 - alt. 478 m - Grotte des Francs-Tireurs fork
  8. 7 : km 5.7 - alt. 457 m - Grotte des Francs-Tireurs
  9. 8 : km 6.19 - alt. 477 m - Trail
  10. 9 : km 6.33 - alt. 475 m - Rocher Marguerite fork
  11. 10 : km 7.13 - alt. 499 m - Kelchfels - Pfannenfels fork
  12. 11 : km 8.64 - alt. 462 m - MF du Kempel blue ring
  13. 12 : km 10.2 - alt. 503 m - Nutzlopffelsen
  14. S/E : km 12.22 - alt. 442 m - Car park at the entrance to the village

Notes

Most of the trails used are maintained and marked by the Club Vosgien.

Worth a visit

Saint Fridolin Chapel, listed as a historic monument in 1898, and its 10th-century baptistery, which is the oldest vestige of Christianity in the entire region.

Pfannenfels and Kelschfels rocks: beautiful view (slightly spoiled by the treetops).

Pierre Saint Martin: a group of three boulders locally believed to be the remains of a giant table or a megalithic tomb. Today, it marks the boundary between the municipalities of Dabo, Haselbourg and Haegen (67). Before the Revolution, it marked the boundary of Marmoutier Abbey. It bears two dates, 1750 and 1828 (boundary marking of the Lamarck forest), the number 223 (boundary marking of the Haselbourg forest), the inscription "Martin Stein" and the coat of arms of Marmoutier Abbey (Saint Martin is the patron saint of Marmoutier).

Village of Heller.

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.

Reviews and comments

4.5 / 5
Based on 17 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.3 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.4 / 5
Route interest
4.7 / 5
Fred1257
Fred1257

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 08, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Nice walk. Best done on a clear day to enjoy the view.

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Leo67000
Leo67000

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 21, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

a parish specific to Brittany, interesting hike, ancient Roman roads, Celtic sites, a chapel in the forest!!! As well as its sacred spring below, and a... menhir... named Pierre de Saint Martin... as it was said that wherever Saint Martin passed, the standing stones were laid down.
a lovely walk... thanks again to Visorando and the discoverer...

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blandan
blandan

Overall rating : 4.5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 06, 2022
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Crossing the village in the bright sunshine is of little interest, except to admire the Dabo rock in the distance.

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tevemal
tevemal

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 02, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

The route is very well signposted but a little shorter than indicated and the elevation gain is slightly higher.
The paths are pleasant except for the final section through the village of Hellert: you can find another route to finish this hike.

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cayolar57
cayolar57

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 21, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hello
To start, just turn your back on the restaurant (closed, for sale) and take the main marked path. If you have good eyesight, you will see the sign for "Chapelle Fridolin", but it will soon no longer be visible as a house is being built
Between 1 and 2, after crossing the track, stay on the central path; the painted markings (white, yellow, white) are a little further on
At 9, for the Pfannenfels rock: the maze of rocks and shapes is worth spending some time exploring; take care with children
The walk through the village to return to the starting point is a little monotonous: in hot weather, we recommend starting the walk from the church (car park), which will break up the monotony a little.

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stehly
stehly

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 03, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A slight hesitation at the start. You have to take the path opposite the restaurant. The sign for "Fridolin Chapel" appears after about a hundred metres.
It should be noted that I was familiar with the area. This explains why I had no difficulty finding the right directions.
The route is full of wonderful surprises and views...

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mulatiere
mulatiere

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 21, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Very beautiful shaded hike
Accurate description and well-marked trail
No particular difficulty

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alinchen
alinchen

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 16, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

An easy and pleasant hike

However, the description can be confusing.
In reality, you must follow the yellow/white/yellow markings until you reach the entrance to Garrebourg, at the junction with the red disc-marked path.
At the St Martin marker junction, follow the yellow rectangle towards Hellert (the blue circle is difficult to find)

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Delouis
Delouis

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 29, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Very nice outing

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daniel kern
daniel kern

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 02, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

https://www.visorando.com/images/smileys/

a beautiful hike, with few difficulties except for the sign at the start of the route, which can be misleading for people
without a topographical map

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daniel kern
daniel kern

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 02, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

https://www.visorando.com/images/smileys/

a beautiful hike, with few difficulties except for the sign at the start of the route, which can be misleading for people
without a topographical map

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daniel kern
daniel kern

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 02, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

https://www.visorando.com/images/smileys/

a beautiful hike, with few difficulties except for the sign at the start of the route, which can be misleading for people
without a topographical map

Machine-translated

daniel kern
daniel kern

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 02, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

https://www.visorando.com/images/smileys/

a beautiful hike, with few difficulties except for the sign at the start of the route, which can be misleading for people
without a topographical map

Machine-translated

daniel kern
daniel kern

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 02, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

https://www.visorando.com/images/smileys/

a beautiful hike, with few difficulties except for the sign at the start of the route, which can be misleading for people
without a topographical map

Machine-translated

daniel kern
daniel kern

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 02, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

https://www.visorando.com/images/smileys/

a beautiful hike, with few difficulties except for the sign at the start of the route, which can be misleading for people
without a topographical map

Machine-translated

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