The route of the gold prospectors

de fr

A short, easy hike passing through places with evocative names: Goldbrunnen (golden fountain), Carrières d'Or (golden quarries) and Purpurkopf, an ancient Celtic and Roman site.

Details

n°10073638
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 8.45 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 05 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 228 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 221 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 573 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 411 m
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Photos

Purpurkopf archaeological site
Magelrain
Guirbaden Castle
Gold quarry

Description of the walk

To get to the car park, between Grendelbruch and the Fischhütte, follow the D266 towards La Rothlach. After 200 m, turn left towards the Rosheim ponds. Park at the side of the pond road at a triangular crossroads.

Green Ring markings along the entire route

(S/E) Walk up the path for about 50 metres to the start of the route.

(1) Turn left and walk through the forest to the Col du Holderbush.

(2) Follow the forest road to the right.

(3) At the fork, head right to the Purpurkopf crossroads.

(4) Climb right to the summit of Purpurkopf.

(5) Return to the Purpurkopf crossroads. Head straight ahead on the Ruchthal Springs trail through the forest. Be careful, as there are many wet and muddy sections. Walk to the clearing at the Magelrain Forest House.

(6) Turn right and follow this path to the pond car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 411 m - Saegmuehl ponds
  2. 1 : km 0.09 - alt. 418 m - Start of the route
  3. 2 : km 2.55 - alt. 543 m - Col du Hoderbusch (542m)
  4. 3 : km 2.71 - alt. 547 m - Fork
  5. 4 : km 3.48 - alt. 529 m - Purpurkopf crossroads
  6. 5 : km 3.72 - alt. 565 m - Purpurkopf. Near the - Magel (rivière)
  7. 6 : km 6.66 - alt. 492 m - MF Magelrain
  8. S/E : km 8.45 - alt. 411 m - Saegmuehl ponds

Worth a visit

Purpurkopf: remains of an ancient Celtic and Roman camp.

Reviews and comments

4.5 / 5
Based on 18 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.6 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.6 / 5
Route interest
4.2 / 5
User 21996691

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 28, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

Not particularly difficult, but the path is narrow in places: your "inside" foot is often at an angle, which makes walking uncomfortable.
I was disappointed by the view from Purpurkopf; apart from adding to the elevation gain, there's no point in climbing up there.

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VINCEVF67
VINCEVF67

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 19, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant short hike, best done in summer as the entire route is through forest

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User 3244788

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 24, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We followed this route on Sunday on a very hot day (34°C).
The previous comments are entirely accurate:
- the route is covered throughout
- no major difficulties
- a few muddy patches on the second part of the route due to water running down from the mountain
- the Purpurkopf is not particularly interesting if there are no excavations at the time
We thoroughly enjoyed this route!

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Wisigoth
Wisigoth

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 16, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Short, easy walk in beautiful surroundings and in a very peaceful parish specific to Brittany.

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BrigitteST
BrigitteST

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 09, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

This is a very pleasant hike to do in bright sunshine, as the trees provide good protection from the sun's rays. There are a few muddy sections, so walking sticks proved very useful for testing the mud (deep or not?). No particular difficulties. Discover Purpurkof (archaeological site) along the route.

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basfrance
basfrance

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

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

A very pleasant hike despite the rain, but very exotic and enjoyable
The end of the route was muddy due to a logging track that forced us to take a detour

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Chrono@67
Chrono@67

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 08, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike without much difficulty. Please note that some sections are muddy.

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jogue
jogue

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 14, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

We didn't find any nuggets in the sand, but we didn't have the right equipment, and at the end of the route there were a few muddy patches despite the bright sunshine and dry weather we'd been having for some time.

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ottrott
ottrott

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 13, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

very beautiful hike, 99 per cent on the trail.

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Chantalea
Chantalea

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 08, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful, easy hike with plenty of shade (ideal on hot days!)

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Patdamijo
Patdamijo

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 23, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful and pleasant hike, even in high temperatures. Numerous landmarks along the way

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Tomvince
Tomvince

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 08, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful, very pleasant walk along fairly easy forest paths. The highlight of the walk: the ruins of Purpurkof, where a team of about fifteen archaeologists were working.

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DELABAROTTE
DELABAROTTE

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 12, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Be careful not to take the wrong path after the Purpurkopf crossroads: take the path on the right, which leads downhill to the starting point.
A pleasant and easy hike.

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Nataly54024
Nataly54024

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 20, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

I loved this trail, where humility is the order of the day amid the tall pine trees. Some sections are very wet and a bit swampy, but the rest of the trail is well worth it. However, the walk to and from Purpurkopf is misleading and not worth the effort. Large rock slides under reconstruction!

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Elektro
Elektro

Overall rating : 4 / 5

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

A lovely stroll in the shade and cool air

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Here is a short hike to quickly and easily discover Purpurkopf. Recent archaeological excavations suggest that it is the oldest castle in Alsace and not a Celtic camp. There is a lot of information and videos on the internet. It is located in the commune of Rosheim, not far from Grendelbruch.

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