La Petite Camargue by Rosenau

The starting point is the car park of the Rosenau L'Escale sports and cultural complex. There is a car park in front of the hall, but it may be closed. Alternatively, you can park behind the hall, along the Route du S.I.P.E.S.

(S/E) From the Escale car park, opposite the hall, turn left to reach the roundabout. Follow the green triangle markings. At the roundabout, turn left and walk past the war memorial on Rue du Moulin towards the bell tower. Ignore Rue du Ruisseau. Turn left onto Rue des Tilleuls. At the end of this street, cross the street carefully and continue straight ahead on Rue d'Istein, towards the cemetery. Pass a small park, the cemetery and the after-school centre. After a right-hand bend, turn left just before entering the dead-end road that continues straight ahead.

(1) At the end of the street, at the T-junction, turn right. Just after crossing the Neuf-Brisach Canal, stop following the Triangle Vert route and turn left onto a dirt track, where you will find picnic tables. Continue straight ahead at the crossroads just after a lake and a building. At the next Y-junction, continue diagonally to the right onto the Sentier du Grand Marais.

(2) After several hundred metres, at a T-junction, turn left and enter the forest. At the next T-junction, turn left, following the Triangle Vert markings again. At a four-way junction, take the wooden bridge that turns right. Pass the viewpoint by taking a small path that runs alongside the main path, via another wooden bridge.

(3) Just before you reach a large building, veer left to rejoin the main path. Continue to the end of the path, which ends at a small wooden bridge. At the T-junction, turn left. Ignore the path that turns right, marked with a green triangle, which passes between two twin buildings, and walk past a small museum to re-enter the forest.

(4) At the T-junction, turn right towards the lock keeper's house. At another T-junction, turn left, then continue along this narrow path that winds through flooded areas. Pass by an observation tower. After leaving the forest, walk along a pond and continue to a paved road behind a barrier. Turn left at the T-junction. Walk past some buildings and a car park. Cross the canal.

(5) Just after the canal, at the lock keeper's house, turn left onto the Voie Verte. After a little over a kilometre, turn right onto a small path that leads into the forest. Further on, this dirt track gives way to tarmac as you head towards Rosenau via Rue des Pâquerettes. At the end of the street, at the stop sign, turn left.

(6) At the next roundabout, continue straight ahead on Rue de Village-Neuf, towards the village centre. At Rue du Soleil, continue on the main road, which curves slightly to the right. Pass the Les Pêcheurs bus stop. At the Restaurant Au Lion d'Or, at a Y-junction, turn right onto Rue du Ruisseau, which runs alongside a stream. Just before the end of the street, at the Maison des Associations, take a path that turns right towards L'Escale, which will take you back to your starting point (S/E).

Picnic tables are available at numerous locations along the path between points (1) and (5) on the route.

A bicycle maintenance station is available at the lock keeper's house, located at point number (5) on the route.

Free public toilets are located just after point number (3) on the route (at the entrance to the second building you come to), as well as at the rear of the Maison Éclusière, located at point number (5) on the route.

The entire Petite Camargue Alsacienne offers numerous opportunities to observe the region's rich and complex flora and fauna. You can enjoy this particularly thanks to the viewpoints located on or very close to the route:

• After point number (2) on the route, at the crossroads of four paths where you turn right to cross a wooden bridge, there is a viewpoint overlooking the lake in front of you.
• If you wish, for a few hundred metres more there and back, take the path that leads away from the wooden bridge to reach another viewpoint on the left of the path.
• After point number (4) on the route, on the left of the path, there is an accessible observation tower where you can climb up to observe the surroundings.
• For just a hundred metres more, just before point number (5), after walking along the lake, turn right at the T-junction and carefully cross the road to reach a final viewpoint.

In the small village located in the heart of the Petite Camargue, some buildings are sometimes open and offer temporary or permanent exhibitions.