The Fuchsfelsen and the Belacker

This hike offers magnificent views of the Doller Valley and the Ballon d'Alsace on a former volcanic massif.

Details

1445
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 11.25 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 5h 05 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 667 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 666 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 1,095 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 518 m

Photos

Description of the walk

To get to the starting point, take the second right in Wegscheid. Park just before the village water reservoir at the end of the road.

(S/E) The hike begins at the bottom of the valley on a fairly flat forest path (Disque Jaune).

(1) Continue along the forest path for about 800 metres until you reach a fork.

(2) Take a path to the left that winds up through the forest. This is where the climb really begins. The path quickly joins a small wooded ridge.

(3) At the second intersection, take a path on the mountainside to the left.

(4) A little further on, the trail climbs again in switchbacks and the slope gradually becomes steeper. You will then reach a first block of rocks. Continue along the trail to the Fuchsfelsen at an altitude of 1021m

(5) a few hundred metres further on. This is a rocky promontory whose summit has been developed to ensure the safety of hikers (cliffs). If you are prone to vertigo, be warned! However, there is a superb view of the upper Doller valley and the Ballon d'Alsace.

Continue climbing and follow the yellow rectangle markings towards Belacker. The path, which then runs along the side of the mountain, quickly reaches the stubble and much flatter terrain.

(6) You are now on theGR®5trail. Arrive at the farmhouse inn.

(7) Go past the small pass on the left and take a fairly steep path (marked with a blue triangle).
The descent begins, initially on a trail.

(8) At the first intersection, turn left onto a path that stays on the mountainside. A little further on, you will reach a wide forest path. Continue downhill and then look for the path that branches off to the left in a hairpin bend.

(9) Keep following the blue triangle markings. You will then arrive at Stahlberg.

(10) Look for a small quarry on your right (I don't remember what's there).
After this section, the path descends steeply in hairpin bends. Continue downhill until you reach the forest path you started on.

(1) Turn right and return to your vehicle (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 518 m - Parking at the end of the road
  2. 1 : km 0.54 - alt. 547 m - Crossroads of the loop
  3. 2 : km 1.29 - alt. 587 m - Fork in the path, take the left trail
  4. 3 : km 2.11 - alt. 720 m - Fork in the path, take the left trail
  5. 4 : km 2.82 - alt. 782 m - Start of switchbacks
  6. 5 : km 4.16 - alt. 1,001 m - Fuchsfelsen
  7. 6 : km 5.13 - alt. 1,066 m - Stubble
  8. 7 : km 6.05 - alt. 982 m - Ferme-Auberge du Belacker
  9. 8 : km 6.86 - alt. 876 m - Fork in the road, turn left
  10. 9 : km 8.37 - alt. 781 m - Road bend, on the left
  11. 10 : km 9.03 - alt. 830 m - Stahlberg
  12. S/E : km 11.25 - alt. 519 m - Parking at the end of the road

Notes

You can eat or drink at the Ferme-Auberge du Belacker halfway along the route.

Wear walking shoes and always bring water with you. In winter, beware of fog and snow on the stubble.

With a bit of luck, and at the right time of year, you may find mushrooms. We had a particularly good harvest of black trumpet mushrooms.

Always be cautious and plan ahead when you're outdoors. Visorando and the author of this route cannot be held responsible for any accidents occurring on this route.

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

Reviews and comments

4.6 / 5
Based on 38 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.7 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.5 / 5
Route interest
4.6 / 5
User 25748255

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 27, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Hike completed on 25 April 2026!
Best done in good weather as there are some great views!
And best of all, you can hear the birds singing!

Machine-translated

Rémy Thiry
Rémy Thiry
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 25, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

A good route, a bit binary, it only goes uphill in the first part and downhill in the second, whether you take the right or left fork. Few clearings, open spaces or flat areas, except when you're at the top, of course.
Be careful at the fork at the end of stage 1 and the beginning of stage 2: turn right and not left as indicated in the text. The circuit is suitable for all ages. We were with children aged 7 and 11, teenagers, people in their forties and sixties, and we met a family with a pregnant woman. It's sporty but doable. Make sure you look out for the signs on the trees, marked with a yellow circle, because we missed one and after climbing 400 or 500 metres, we decided to go back down to stay on the route, which added about a kilometre to our walk. The inn is welcoming. I had booked for 10 people, and the food and drink are good. You can buy cheese. As I said, the return journey is all downhill. I would have liked some flat sections to rest my legs rather than just walking slowly. However, we were all very happy to have done it. Thank you, Visorando, and long live the website 👍

Machine-translated

User 10604686

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 18, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely route designed to take in the views from Fuchs, Duerenfels and Rossberg. I wasn't disappointed.
The route is well marked, you just need to follow the existing signs.
The wide section at the end is a bit long but still enjoyable.
Thanks for the route.

Machine-translated

jeansimon
jeansimon
• Edited:

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

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

Pretty mountain side trails in the shade.
A few problems with the route.

Machine-translated

Adèle Baroque
Adèle Baroque

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

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

A pleasant, easy walk.
Nice views.
Did it in mid-May.
But I won't do it again. The path is infested with ticks. It was a real nightmare. I do not recommend this hike in spring.

Machine-translated

Alain Remy
Alain Remy

This hike took place on a beautiful sunny spring day. A beautiful climb in the first half of the walk through a wild and varied forest that opens out onto stubble fields. We stopped at the Belacker farmhouse inn for a delicious siesskasse.

Machine-translated

jadesuzhou
jadesuzhou

Overall rating : 5 / 5

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

I did my first solo hike on a Saturday in November in pea soup, but with blue skies and a magnificent sea of clouds on the way to the lookout point. Second time during the week with my partner, grey weather and snow on the heights. Not many people along the route. The climb is steep but not that difficult and the reward of the view is motivating! Different landscapes from one valley to the next and depending on the route. Small commemorative stele (Lily Kocher) on the left at Belacker. It's easy to find your way around, the path is well signposted (thanks to the Club Vosgien).

Machine-translated

mlecarpe
mlecarpe

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 01, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Walk on the first sunny day in December. A very pleasant walk on pleasant paths, with some nice climbs on the first part and some beautiful viewpoints. We had a very good Fleichnacka lunch at FA Belacker (€22 menu!). The only downside is the unclear signposts at the start: there's one missing at point 1 to tell you to go right (and the one at point 2 isn't really necessary, as you just follow the yellow circle). It took us 3 hours 50 minutes, not including breaks. Do it again in the summer, but make the route a little longer!

Machine-translated

Rose de Vernon
Rose de Vernon

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 21, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Superb hike, but beware of vertigo and the wind blows hard on the platform. The view over the forest of volcanoes is breathtaking.

A little hesitant at first, but you soon get the hang of it. Not too many people on the hike, but it was quite grey. I'd definitely recommend it!

Machine-translated

Jérémie Depain
Jérémie Depain
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 08, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A truly magnificent route, THANK YOU very much and just perfect!
As I said, it took us 5 hours (4h56) without forcing ourselves or dragging our feet, and we took the time to take photos, admire the landscape and the flowers (several colours of Vosges pansy, Wolfsbane, Oregano, Groundsel, Alpine fennel... among others in summer) and the beautiful Vosges cows at La Chaume (and also the horses and even the llamas). Be sure to close the gates to the pastures, as indicated on site.
The visorando GPS actually counted 11km (10.84 exactly): as indicated on the map.
It's a particularly beautiful and interesting circuit, because you can see both the Doller valley side when you get to the Fuchselsen, with the whole ridge from the Fayé, the Baerenkopf, the Schlumpf, the Ballon d'Alsace and also the Gressons and the Tête des Perches) and also the Thur valley side once you get to the Belacker, with the Markstein, the Grand Ballon, the Molkenrain.... and even as far as the Belchen in the German Black Forest (weather permitting).
It's certainly uphill, as indicated, but we found it a little less steep than leaving from Rimbach to go to the Belacker. Apart from that, it's not particularly difficult, as long as you're used to the region, but you don't need to be in any exceptional physical condition: you just need to be prepared for it.
It's a very good idea to do it in the direction indicated, especially in summer: the ascent is very pleasantly shaded in the forest, and the descent is a little brighter for the end of the day (bring a "little wool" for the Belacker: the wind blows hard, as it does on the other peaks in the area).
The belvedere is as vertiginous as it is sumptuous: we didn't have the heart to venture out onto the planks above the void, but we were able to climb the rock thanks to the chain that serves as a ramp and the steps carved into the stone: even if it's already pretty impressive, it's all right if you're careful .
Our thanks also go to the Club Vosgien: the signposting is super clear, the paths perfectly maintained and the explanatory panels (at the start and at the Stahlberg refuge) on the fauna, flora and geology are very informative: just great!

Machine-translated

alraze
alraze

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 23, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

From the car park, following the path for 1200m is a bit vague unless you have your GPS under your nose, as you tend to go straight on when you should be turning right and crossing the stream.
Second point: the path to take on the left where the climb begins is before waypoint 1 and not after.
Apart from these details, the description is well done.
It's a sporty hike, and the paths are not too stony and not strewn with big roots.
All the best
Alraze

Machine-translated

magory
magory

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 01, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Lovely walk in the autumn sunshine.
A sublime day, it's a shame that the farm inn is closed on Fridays.

Machine-translated

Pierrot DAVID
Pierrot DAVID

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 01, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Superb hike.
Personally, I extended the route by a loop from 4 by descending to Sattelbaden (Yellow Disc) and its pretty chalet and climbing back up the GR 532 (Yellow Rectangle), which is 4 km longer but allows you to spend the day on the paths with the added bonus of some views over the valley and a superb view from the Sattel rocks.
Opposite the F.A. de Belacker make a round trip (150m) to the cross of little Lilly who was killed in the fighting in 1940.

10/09/2021 - In reply to Maryline C, there is a possibility of enjoying the scenery a little more with the following option:
"After marker 4, Rocher de Fuchsfelsen, when you reach the GR 532, turn right and follow the yellow rectangle signs until you reach the crossroads at marker 1094. Then turn left towards the Rossberg, signposted Rectangle Rouge Blanc Rouge. Cross a low wall and you will soon join the GR59. Turn left, Rectangle Rouge, leaving the Rosberg behind. After a fence, head along the low boundary wall to reach the summit of Vogelstein (360° view). Continue along the low wall to reach the rocky promontory of Vogelstein at the edge of the wood. Leave the blue triangular markings on the right and continue along the GR 59, red rectangular, to rejoin the route just after point 5 (junction of the GR59 and 532). Allow a further 500 metres, but I think this is a very good route for the interest of the circuit.

Machine-translated

Pierrot DAVID
Pierrot DAVID

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 01, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Superb hike.
Personally, I extended the route by a loop from 4 by descending to Sattelbaden (Yellow Disc) and its pretty chalet and climbing back up the GR 532 (Yellow Rectangle), which is 4 km longer but allows you to spend the day on the paths with the added bonus of some views over the valley and a superb view from the Sattel rocks.
Opposite the F.A. de Belacker make a round trip (150m) to the cross of little Lilly who was killed in the fighting in 1940.

10/09/2021 - In reply to Maryline C, there is a possibility of enjoying the scenery a little more with the following option:
"After marker 4, Rocher de Fuchsfelsen, when you reach the GR 532, turn right and follow the yellow rectangle signs until you reach the crossroads at marker 1094. Then turn left towards the Rossberg, signposted Rectangle Rouge Blanc Rouge. Cross a low wall and you will soon join the GR59. Turn left, Rectangle Rouge, leaving the Rosberg behind. After a fence, head along the low boundary wall to reach the summit of Vogelstein (360° view). Continue along the low wall to reach the rocky promontory of Vogelstein at the edge of the wood. Leave the Blue Triangle markings on the right to continue along the GR 59, Red Rectangle, to rejoin the itinerary just after point 5 (junction of the GR59 and 532). Allow a further 500 metres.

Machine-translated

Maryline C.
Maryline C.

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 05, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

The climb is a little long and very dark
At the top, the scenery is very beautiful and we would have liked to walk a little longer on the ridges before coming back down.

Machine-translated

Other walks in the area

For more walks, use our search engine .

The GPS track and description are the property of this route's author. Please do not copy them without permission.