Country:
District:
The starting point of the loop is in the car park at Lac de la Lauch, at the bottom of the Guebwiller valley. There is a car park where you can easily park your vehicle.
(S/E) Start by crossing the dyke to reach the opposite shore of the lake, then take the path on the right, following the "yellow rectangle" sign for a few hundred metres until you reach a crossroads.
(1) Take theGR®532trail that branches off to the left on a moderate slope and winds through the forest. At the first left turn, you can take a short detour to a natural viewpoint. Follow this trail and turn left until you reach a car park located in a large bend in the Markstein road. Follow the bend, making sure to stay behind the barrier.
(2) Continue along the forest path on the left, still marked with a yellow rectangle.
(3) From the Chalet du Hofried, the path leaves the forest for a few hundred metres and offers a beautiful view of the opposite slope. Continue climbing until you reach the Route des Crêtes.
(4) Take the path immediately on the left to reach the top of the hill (the famousGR®5marked with a "red rectangle"). After a gentle descent, leave the path and follow the sign on the right indicating the start of the path leading to the Edelweiss Refuge.
(5). From the refuge, to return to Lac de la Lauch, go back over the hill via the same path until you reach the Route des Crêtes.
(4) Continue straight ahead on theGR®5towards Markstein ("red rectangle").
(6) When you reach Markstein, turn slightly right and cross the first car park (a triangle framed by three roads) to reach the ski slopes. Take the path that descends opposite on a gentle slope and, after passing the twin ski lifts, take the path marked "triangle bleu" (blue triangle) which descends to the right, following the route of the ski lift. This trail then enters the forest overlooking the slopes and joins the Markstein road. This trail crosses the site of the old ski jump, which is now abandoned.
After crossing the road (a step allows you to pass the safety barriers without too much difficulty), the trail descends towards Lac de la Lauch through a forest mainly populated by fir trees.
When you reach the lake, simply take the forest path to the right to return to the junction you came from.
(1) Continue straight ahead and join the dyke (S/E).
Tourist office
Visorando member
Moderate 
