Lac Vert - Gazon du Faing - Forlet Lake (Lac des Truites)

Explore the forest, lakes and the Hautes Chaumes, the highlights of this hike that follows Vosges Club trails.

Technical sheet

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 16.89 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 6h 30 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Return to departure point: Yes
  • ↗
    Vertical gain: + 580 m
  • ↘
    Vertical drop: - 571 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 1,304 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 838 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Reach Wettstein pass, the car park’s GPS coordinates are 48° 5’ 16.50"N
7° 6' 58.40"E, (UTM Zone: 32 Easting: 359720 Northing: 5327788) from Orbey D48 or from Soultzeren.

From the pass head in the direction of Lac Vert, the farmhouse inn of Musmiss with its Yellow X markings.
Pass the farmhouse inn (1) and follow the markings (Yellow X) to the intersection with a track marked with a Red triangle.
At the intersection (2), pass the Yellow X marked path and turn right uphill, (heading north-west) on the Red triangle marked path.
Follow this path as far as the junction (3) with Yellow cross marked path.
Take the Yellow cross marked path downhill (heading south-west) and follow it to the Lac Vert dam.
Arrive at the dam (4), turn right onto the Yellow disk marked trail in the direction of the Gaertlesrain farmhouse inn, pass next to the farmhouse inn and continue on your way as far as the Erichson refuge.
At the Erichson refuge (5), leave the Yellow disk marked track and take the path marked with a red disk uphill (heading north-west) to the Route des Crêtes car park.
Arrive at the car park (6), turn right (headed north-north-east) on the path (RM5) marked with a Red rectangle for about 100 m.
Leave the GR5 and turn right on the alternative route of the RM5 (7). This alternative route provides a great view of the Vosges mountains.
Continue on the alternative route until it joins up again with the GR5. (8)
Continue on the GR5 with its red rectangle to the viewpoint (9) overlooking Forlet Lake.
At the viewpoint, continue on the GR5 (Red rectangles) to the north-east to the intersection with the track marked with a Yellow triangle. (10)
Take the Yellow triangle marked trail (headed east) to the Red triangle marked track. (11)
Head downhill (headed south-south-east) on the Red triangle marked trail leading to Forlet Lake (Lac des Truites).
Pass the farmhouse inn at Forlet (12) and follow the Red triangle marked path to the dam.
At the dam turn right heading east on the path marked with Yellow disks (13) (Initially this path is shared with the Red disk markings).
The yellow disc marked path narrows and becomes a track at the Altenkraeh farm.
Leave the farm to your right and continue to follow the Yellow disk marked path which rises slightly in the meadows. (14)
Continue on the Yellow marked trail as far as the intersection of the three trails marked with a Yellow rectangle, yellow disk, and a yellow cross. (15)
At the intersection, take the GR532 path (headed south-east with Yellow rectangle markings) and follow it downhill until Wettstein Pass.

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 882 m - Parking du - Col de Wettstein (882m)
  2. 1 : km 0.55 - alt. 926 m - Musmiss farmhouse inn.
  3. 2 : km 2.28 - alt. 838 m - Turn right, uphill.
  4. 3 : km 3.5 - alt. 935 m - Take the path downhill.
  5. 4 : km 6.89 - alt. 1,054 m - Lac Vert ou de Soultzeren (Vosges)
  6. 5 : km 7.91 - alt. 1,169 m - Chalet Erichson
  7. 6 : km 8.75 - alt. 1,227 m - Dreieck car park.
  8. 7 : km 8.82 - alt. 1,228 m - Turn right onto the GR°°®°°5.
  9. 8 : km 10.01 - alt. 1,302 m - Continue on the GR°°®°°5. - Gazon de Faîte
  10. 9 : km 10.61 - alt. 1,300 m - Orientation table.
  11. 10 : km 11.19 - alt. 1,302 m - Leave the GR°°®°°5 and turn right. - Gazon du Faing
  12. 11 : km 11.59 - alt. 1,271 m - Altenkraehkopf
  13. 12 : km 12.6 - alt. 1,091 m - Ferme auberge du Forlet.
  14. 13 : km 13.18 - alt. 1,065 m - Lac des Truites
  15. 14 : km 14.09 - alt. 1,081 m - Leave the farm on your right.
  16. 15 : km 15.51 - alt. 967 m - Take the GR°°®°°532 path.
  17. S/E : km 16.89 - alt. 882 m - Col du Wettstein car park. - Nécropole Nationale du Wettstein

Practical information

In the nearby area

Erichson Chalet

It overlooks the beautiful pasture of Gaertlesrain above the town of Soultzeren. It enjoys a magnificent view over the valley of Munster, the peaks of the Vosges, the Black Forest and even the Alps. Accessible on foot from the Green Lake or Lake Forlet (Yellow disc markings) or from the Dreieck car park on Route des Crêtes (Red disk markings). You will be welcomed by our volunteers, who will offer you drinks to accompany your picnic lunch or snacks.
Can provide shelter to up to 30 hikers, it is open daily from 1 May to 1 November. It does not include accommodation.
Weekday reservation for groups can be made by calling +33 (0)6 82 82 21 39. To contact the volunteer who looks after it, call +33 (0)6 77 10 94 28.

 Always stay careful and alert while following a route. Visorando and the author of this walk cannot be held responsible in the event of an accident during this route.

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

Reviews and comments

4.8 / 5
Based on 68 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.8 / 5
Clarity of route map
4.7 / 5
Route interest
4.8 / 5
GeneM
GeneM

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : May 26, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Most of the walk was in the rain, so some sections were quite slippery.
A very pretty walk with lovely views!

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Paml68
Paml68

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Oct 10, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Not many people apart from those around the lakes and a few hikers on the Faing grass. Magnificent walk in the autumn sunshine. Magnificent scenery. No real difficulties apart from the descent to the Lac du Forlet, where good shoes and walking poles are recommended.

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niederrando
niederrando

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Jun 12, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : Yes

A very fine walk, with 60 people in 2 groups.
Beautiful scenery.
Many thanks to the author.

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Nathlolo69
Nathlolo69

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of walk : May 28, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : Yes

Lots and lots of people at Lac Forêt. We had a lot of wind, beautiful views of the Vosges...

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lifael68
lifael68

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : May 27, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : Yes

A very fine route of moderate difficulty despite the distance, with a wide variety of landscapes. These are very busy areas when the weather is fine, so be prepared to meet lots of walkers and tourists. According to the Visorando app, we walked 18 km for 5 hours, with a one-hour lunch break at Lac Vert. Be careful, the descents are sometimes very steep because of the scree and rocks, particularly between the Gazon du Faing and Lac Forlet. Otherwise, a superb, extremely varied and enjoyable route.

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Nature57
Nature57

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Nov 23, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Superb hike to discover 2 very beautiful lakes and magnificent panoramas from the Vosges peaks.
Many thanks to the author for this wonderful day's walk.

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Jean-Claude Muller
Jean-Claude Muller

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Jun 27, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : Yes

Nice walk, beautiful views, shorter than the time given.
To do in the direction given in the opposite direction climb after Lake Forlet more difficult.
We recommend it.
Thank you for the hiking routes. 🧐😁👏💯

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mariealfred
mariealfred

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Sep 13, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Very nice walk with superb views on a weekday, so not many people except on the crest path. It took us 5h00 for 18km on our GPS. Easy trail throughout, just be careful on the descent to Forlet lake.

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Rapeillex
Rapeillex

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Mar 26, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

A very pleasant walk through the vineyards, with the surrounding hills, the view of Strasbourg cathedral on one side and the distant Alps on the other. A number of small, colourful villages add to the charm of this walk.

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lestat67
lestat67

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Mar 09, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : Yes

I agree with PetitPoulet51's comment: the route is magnificent from start to finish, a real feast for the eyes, especially at this time of year: the colours of autumn rub shoulders with snow and sunshine.
The signs are perfect and the route very well signposted.
It's mostly forest tracks, not very difficult.

Despite taking a ton of photos, I completed the circuit in ~5h15 and not 6h25 as advertised. And 1km more than advertised on my GPS. So it's really easy.

A must-do in Alsace ^^

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PetitPoulet51
PetitPoulet51

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Mar 05, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : Yes

The best hike I've ever done (Beginner).
The route starts gently until you reach the green lake. The rest of the circuit is nothing but wonder.
Once at the lake, I met quite a few people.
At the beginning of March, the snow, ice and greenery are all mixed together, a feast for the eyes.

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Eva.
Eva.

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Sep 04, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : Yes

very nice route, especially after the green lake, with several places to stop for a drink or something to eat
we did this walk on a Saturday and the weather was quite fine, so there were lots of people on the ridges

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francis.renckly
francis.renckly

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Aug 30, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Despite the inclement weather, we thoroughly enjoyed the walk.
The icing on the cake was the fact that we had an outdoor shelter at Chalet Erichson for a packed lunch, and even better, delicious slices of pie for dessert.
A superb hike, despite the poor visibility due in large part to the conditions.

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da67
da67

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Jun 22, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : Yes

A lovely walk in fine weather

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ricdu25
ricdu25

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : May 28, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

A very fine walk with no major difficulties and only an average level of fitness. A few passages on very stony paths: to be avoided after heavy rain and good shoes recommended.
Magnificent views from the ridges with clear skies.
Thank you for a very nice walk.

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