The Niederwald Forest and the Sauer Valley below Mont de Gunstett

The parking area is located next to the spa and rehabilitation centre. Alternatively, there is another car park at the Maison des Associations next to the D27 and D250 roundabout (the route passes by here on the way back: in this case, adjust the description to get to the starting point of the description).

(S/E) Go to the far end of the car park (relative to the Route de Haguenau D27) and take the footpath on the left. This leads to Rue de Froeschwiller, which you take, turning right to leave Morsbronn-les-Bains. Continue straight ahead on the road, which now climbs towards the D250.

(1) Cross the D250 road with caution and take the road opposite, which quickly turns into a farm track. Leave the farm track on your right that leads to Lausberg and continue straight ahead towards the Bois de Niederwald. At first, the path climbs, then levels out before descending as you enter the woods.

(2) At the entrance to the Niederwald forest, leave the forest track on the right and continue along the forest lane that veers slightly to the left. Continue straight ahead on this forest lane until you reach a forest road.

(3) Turn right onto the forest road, which is flat before starting to descend as it curves sharply to the right. There is a beautiful view of the Vogelsand farm and the small village of Woerth. During the descent, a clearing offers a beautiful view towards the village of Durrenbach. Continue along the forest road until you reach the D27 road next to a monument dedicated to those who died in the 1870 war.

(4) Cross the D27 road with great care and join the cycle path that runs alongside the road. Turn left towards Woerth. After about 200 metres, turn right onto a road that has been converted into a cycle path towards Oberdorf-Spachbach. At the entrance to the village, the road crosses the Sauer river. Here, you can admire a magnificent wooden wash house, which can be adjusted in height depending on the volume of water in the river. Continue straight on along Rue du Lavoir until you reach a T-junction.

(5). Turn right onto the main street, which winds its way between the village houses, some of which are fine examples of traditional Alsatian architecture. Cross the lower part of the village and turn right onto Rue de Gunstett before a large right-angle bend in the main street to the left. The street quickly turns into a farm track. Continue straight ahead on this track, which goes around a field and passes under a wood on the slopes of Mont de Gunstett. This track becomes Rue du Lavoir as it goes around the back of Didiland leisure park and arrives at the bottom of the village of Gunstett. Just before it joins the Route de Gunstett, the path (Rue du Lavoir) runs alongside a second wash house of a very different style: it consists of stone steps on the banks of the Sauer.

(6) Cross the Route de Gunstett with great caution (protected crossing) to reach the cycle path. When you reach it, turn right to leave the village of Gunstett. Continue along the cycle path, which crosses the Sauer via a wooden bridge, then a little further on, cross the Route de Gunstett again with caution (protected crossing) to continue along the cycle path, which is now on the side of the leisure park. When you reach the Haguenau road (D27), cross the Gunstett road with caution (protected crossing) to take the cycle path to the left. Two hundred metres further on, the route arrives at a landscaped area with a fountain and two picnic tables.

(7) Turn right to pass under the porch between the Maison des Associations and the Syndicat des Eaux de la Sauer. Cross the car park of the Maison des Associations, heading left, and take the cycle path along the hedge towards the D86 road. Cross the D86 road carefully (protected crossing), first turn right then left and go up the Route de Haguenau D27, passing in front of the Beau Séjour hotel. Continue straight ahead, passing in front of the spa. Cross the Route de Haguenau D27 with caution (protected crossings). Shortly afterwards, the route joins the car park next to the thermal spa, which marks the end of this hike (S/E).

The parking area is located next to the spa centre.

This hike over varied terrain requires suitable footwear.

Variation via Mont Gunstett
After the village of Oberdorf, the route follows a flat farm track. This takes a wide right turn shortly after the village.
Turn left onto the steeply ascending path through a wooded area until it reaches the top of the hill (Mont de Gunstett). The path gives way to a farm track, passes under a high-voltage power line and arrives at the summit of Mont de Gunstett, marked by two large trees and a calvary.
Continue straight ahead. The farm track leads to the village of Gunstett, which is on the side of Mont de Gunstett.
When you reach the houses and their gardens, the track makes an "S" bend and leads onto Rue des Romains.
Turn left and then immediately right to take the downhill street that joins Rue du Général de Gaulle (the D 250 road that crosses the village from one side to the other).
Turn right onto Rue du Général de Gaulle and continue to the Y-junction less than 200 metres ahead on the right.
Take Rue des Marguerites on the right. After a slight incline, this street is flat.
Continue straight ahead until you reach a T-junction with a steeply sloping street.
Turn left onto this street and rejoin Rue du Général de Gaulle.
Turn right onto Rue du Général de Gaulle. Cross this street carefully and follow it on the left-hand side towards the exit of the village of Gunstett.
The route arrives at a developed area on the left, where a cycle path leads towards Morsbronn les Bains. Take this path and cross the River Sauer via a wooden bridge. Opposite is a wash house on the banks of the River Sauer (stone steps). Continue straight ahead.
Return to the original route
The route is now almost 9 km long and is a little more physically demanding due to the fairly steep climb to reach Mont de Gunstett.

Hikes completed by the author in October 2017

Morsbronn-les-Bains
History
6 August 1870, Battle of Froeschwiller-Woerth.
In the spring of 1904, a drilling operation by the Gewerkschaft Gute Hoffnung, searching for oil, discovered a hot water deposit at a depth of 450 metres, to the north-west, on the edge of the Route de Froeschwiller leading to the village of Eberbach-Woerth and the hamlet of Lausberg. Georges Urban, a restaurateur from Morsbronn, bought the deposit and, after analysis, this 42°C hot water reserve was found to have beneficial properties for rheumatism as it is rich in sodium chloride and calcium.
Monuments
All Saints' Church: Morsbronn is one of around 50 towns in Alsace with a simultaneous church.
Several monuments commemorate those who died in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870, including the impressive "Adler" (the "Eagle"), not far from the Bouygues telephone relay station on the heights of the village.

Thermalism
The thermal water of Morsbronn-les-Bains comes from two natural springs discovered in 1904 during drilling to uncover oil deposits in the region: the "Les Cuirassiers" spring at 38.9°C, drawn from a depth of 400 metres, and the "Saint-Arbogast" spring at 41.9°C, drawn from a depth of 670 metres.
These two catchments provide the spa with an abundant supply of naturally warm water rich in sodium chloride, calcium, magnesium and sulphur.
With their sedative, analgesic and relaxing properties, these waters are recommended for the treatment of:
- chronic and debilitating inflammatory rheumatism,
- vertebral, cervical or lumbar osteoarthritis, hip or knee osteoarthritis
- fibromyalgia,
- progressive polyarthritis,
- sequelae of osteoarticular trauma.