The citadel and the Vauban Canal

A stroll along the fortifications built by Vauban, a tour of the surrounding countryside, return via the Vauban Canal, a tour of the fishing ponds and return to the town via the fortifications.

Details

869306
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 9.64 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 45 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 10 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 11 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 207 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 192 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Park in the car park on the Place d'Armes in the town centre.

(S/E) Go through the Belfort Gate, where the Vauban Museum is located, then turn right at the barge (work of art) into the fortifications.

(1) After a few hundred metres, take the tunnel on the left into the fortifications. Watch your head as the exit is low.

(2) Go around the old tree to the right, then turn left and take the slight incline to the right. At the Canal Vauban, turn right and cross the small bridge.

(3) Near the waterfall, follow the cycle path, pass under the road and follow the railway line.

(4) Go around the fenced-off area on the left. Cross the main road and take the path slightly to the left. At the end of the path, turn right and then further on to the left towards Weckolsheim.

(5) Cross the main road and take Rue de l'Église, followed by the small dirt track opposite, to the Vauban Canal.

(6) Walk along the Canal Vauban on the left. At the small bridge, cross the canal and continue on the left, then follow the canal connecting the Canal Vauban and the Canal du Rhône au Rhin on the right.

(7) Cross the Rhône-Rhine Canal, walk along the road for a few metres, then turn right to walk around the Neuf Brisach ponds.

(8) At the car park, cross the D415 road and take the path opposite that runs alongside the copse.

(9) Follow the road to cross over the canal, then opposite the "Contrôle technique" cross the meadow, parallel to the road, towards the fortifications and the Porte de Bâle.

(10) To the right of the lake, go down the steps leading to the fortifications. Walk along the fortifications on the left. Go back through the Belfort gate to return to the parade ground and reach the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 197 m - Neuf Brisach parade ground
  2. 1 : km 0.56 - alt. 203 m - Passage through the tunnel in the fortifications
  3. 2 : km 0.83 - alt. 196 m - Towards the Vauban Canal
  4. 3 : km 1.06 - alt. 196 m - Continue along the cycle path.
  5. 4 : km 1.92 - alt. 195 m - Turn left and follow the fence.
  6. 5 : km 4.89 - alt. 198 m - Weckolsheim
  7. 6 : km 5.07 - alt. 199 m - On the left along the - Canal Vauban
  8. 7 : km 6.63 - alt. 197 m - Canal du Rhône au Rhin
  9. 8 : km 8.04 - alt. 197 m - Crossing the D415
  10. 9 : km 8.48 - alt. 197 m - Cross the canal via the road.
  11. 10 : km 8.88 - alt. 193 m - Staircase leading to the fortifications
  12. S/E : km 9.64 - alt. 197 m - Neuf Brisach parade ground

Notes

The hike is not particularly difficult. Good walking shoes are recommended.
Alternative route: Following the fortifications for 1 km after the Belfort Gate, you can take the Colmar Gate, which will also lead you to the car park (S/E).

Worth a visit

Start and finish at the Place d'Armes in the centre of town. You can visit the Church of Saint-Louis, which houses a beautiful nativity scene during the Christmas season.
At the Belfort Gate is the Vauban Museum, which traces the history of the town. The gate opens onto the outer walls and a barge decorated with works of art.
Near the Portes de Bâle and Colmar, you can see giant straw animals watching over the city gates.
The Canal de Vauban, which you walk along during the hike, was built by Vauban to transport cut stone from the Pfaffenheim quarry.

Reviews and comments

3.8 / 5
Based on 13 reviews

Reliability of the description
3.9 / 5
Ease of following the route
3.9 / 5
Route interest
3.6 / 5
User 25532924

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 29, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

Long, uninteresting straight stretches through farmland and along motorways.

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JDL Colmar
JDL Colmar

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 25, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

Hello,
First of all, thank you to the contributor of this hike.

While the start of the hike (ramparts) and the end along the Vauban canal are interesting, some sections are of little interest:

  • The section between Wolfgantzen and Weckolsheim is in cornfields in full sun, which are also being treated at this time of year (treatment and strong smell of chemicals);
  • The link between the Vauban Canal and the Rhône-Rhine Canal is not really marked, nor is the last section along the ponds.
  • Crossing the D415 is dangerous: there are no safe crossings (not recommended for children).

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Phillipe68
Phillipe68

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 15, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Hello;
Nice walk along the fortifications, but the end of the route around the ponds is not easy to find.
You find yourself in a cul-de-sac that serves as a small car park. And you have to turn back to take a strip of land that borders a field and a row of trees. Thank goodness for GPS!

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Fairbanks
Fairbanks

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 08, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

This walk is particularly interesting for the Vauban fortifications at the start and end. In between, the open countryside route offers views of the surrounding hills. Avoid in very hot weather. Please note that on the way back, you will need to cross the D415 road without any crossing facilities.

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binet68
binet68

Overall rating : 2 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 03, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Very busy route : No

It's a real shame because when you arrive at the car park, you discover a very pretty village, and the start of the hike promises some beautiful discoveries. But then you leave the town and cross endless cornfields. The Vauban pond looked nice, but following the trail, you can hardly see it, and the end of the hike is actually incomprehensible and dangerous because we were looking for our way along the edge of a very busy road.
It's a real shame. We'll come back to Neuf-Brisach, but we'll do it for free to visit the ramparts.

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Mimibis
Mimibis

Overall rating : 2.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 15, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

Avoid this route in summer as it is exposed to direct sunlight.
Description of the return route is incomprehensible.

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DanSyl25
DanSyl25

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 30, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Don't forget to take the description of this hike with you, along with the corresponding map, as there are no markings along the entire route. However, there are two crossings of the main road, which are quite dangerous. In addition, there are a few too many paved sections.

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mariejose sester
mariejose sester

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 18, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

We did this route by bicycle. This stage was part of our route.
We arrived via the canal and cycled around the ramparts before visiting the town.

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Alix Remy Zabielski
Alix Remy Zabielski

Overall rating : 3 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 03, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Very busy route : No

The hike isn't particularly interesting except for the start and end along the ramparts of the Vauban citadel. Much of the route runs alongside a busy road (particularly with lorries), which we even had to cross several times, which we found very dangerous with our young children... Although it wasn't difficult, it wasn't a "peaceful" walk.

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Maminouxe
Maminouxe

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

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

Discover Neuf Brisach and its street art museum... there is a minor issue at level 8, with a less interesting route between points 4 and 5 through cornfields.

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Nature57
Nature57

Overall rating : 5 / 5

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

A lovely discovery of Neuf-Brisach and its fortifications! A beautiful walk to enjoy in fine weather.

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ptk
ptk

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 25, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

Traffic noise is VERY noticeable throughout the route, with the notable exception of the approximately 1 km stretch along the Vauban Canal. This is a bucolic section, but unfortunately too short in relation to the total length of the route.
Point 8 is not easy to find.
A longer passage through the fortifications would have been interesting.
Nevertheless, it is an easy walk, if that is your main motivation.

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tutublod
tutublod

Hello,
As you suggest, simply walk along the left side of the ponds to reach the pond car park and cross the road.
Enjoy your walk!

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litruc
litruc

Hello,
We are planning to do this hike as a group. Can I shorten it at point 7 by not going around
the ponds? To do this, I imagine we would need to follow a path directly on the other side of the road.

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Ronald Geeraert
Ronald Geeraert

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 23, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Very nice walk, the description of the walk was accurate. Easy and interesting walk.

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