The Grand 8 of the Andlau Valley

Parking is available near the Church of St. Peter and Paul.

(S/E) The hike starts from the D425 with your back to the church. Turn right and pass the Place de la Mairie, then continue along Rue du Docteur Stoltz until you reach the crossroads, where you turn right onto Rue du Maréchal Foch.

When the road turns left, we turn right onto Rue des Bonnes Gens, which immediately climbs steeply. We leave Rue des Bonnes Gens to take an even steeper climb on the left, marked with a red-white-red rectangle (a variant of^{the GR®5}) towards Grûckert. We are now on the Way of St James. The path is steep, narrow and often muddy.

(1) When we reach a small pass and the climb levels off slightly, we turn right at the fork onto a medium-sized path marked with a blue triangle. The slope is less steep. We arrive at a large crossroads which is also a place often used for storing logs: the "Kritter".

(2) We continue straight ahead and enter the forest on a moderate slope. We stay on our path, following the blue triangle markings, and arrive at the Grückert Friends of Nature Refuge.

(3) We go around it on the right to join the^GR®5marked with a red rectangle. We pass above this refuge and its adjoining land and continue to the Hesselbach crossroads.

(4) We continue straight ahead and begin a slight climb to the Col de l'Ungersberg.

(5) We enjoy the view over the Villé valley.
The more adventurous can also make a round trip to the summit of the Ungersberg.
We continue to the right on the wide, flat path marked with yellow signposts. A short climb up a right-hand bend brings us to a crossroads.

(6) We turn left at a right angle onto a path marked with a yellow easel sign that enters a fir forest and begins to climb. When the path turns right at a right angle, we begin a descent that takes us to the Col de Bellevue.

(7) From the Col de Bellevue, we take the path opposite, which curves to the left and climbs slightly. It is marked with a red-white-red rectangle.
At the three-way junction that follows, we keep to our right. At the next large crossroads, we keep as straight as possible to reach the Route Forestière de la Ceinture.

(8) We head north on a flat path that leads to a clearing. The direction "Hohwald" is indicated. We stay on this path until we reach the tarmac road.

(9) At the tarmac road, we turn right, pass the Witterthalhof farmhouse inn on our right, and after a left-hand bend, we walk past the Marchal hotel on our left and arrive at a crossroads with a small park and a wheel on the stream on the left.

(10) We turn left towards the Witterthalhof farmhouse and walk past the Grand Hotel on our right. The road curves to the left.

(11) At the end of the curve, we take the small road on the right, marked with a red rectangle, towards the "Cascade du Hohwald". The climb is steep but quickly levels out and leads to the campsite.

(12) We go around the campsite on the right on the^GR®5(red rectangle) in the forest.

(13) At the footbridge over the Rohrbach, we turn left without leaving the^GR®5until we reach the Cascade de l'Andlau.

(14) From the top of the waterfall, we take the time to descend a few metres to the bottom of the waterfall to enjoy the view, then retrace our steps to find the path again.

(14) We set off again to the left. Shortly after the waterfall, at the three-way junction, we take the path on the right, towards the "Champ du Feu". It crosses the Route Forestière and then, after a crossroads in a left-hand bend, meets it again.

(15) At the crossroads, we cross, staying on the^GR®5towards the west. We cross the Route Forestière de la Source de l'Andlau.

(16) After the spring, a left turn takes us south, arriving at the junction with the Blue Triangle marked path.

(17) At the intersection, we turn right to reach a crossroads near the D214 on the edge of the "Champ du Feu".

(18) Follow the path on the left and stay away from the road until you reach the tower in the centre of a roundabout.

(19) At the tower, go around the roundabout on the left and enter the forest on the left. Be careful, as the path can be difficult to spot among the many tracks. The path is marked with a red ring and blue cross in the direction of the "Chaume des Veaux".

(20) We cross a path but continue downhill, passing a stream and then under a ski lift to arrive at the meadows of "Chaume des Veaux".

(21) When you reach the edge of the meadows, turn left onto a steep concrete path, leaving the Kalberhutte farm on your right. Ignore the first fork that branches off to the left into the meadows and you will find a path a few metres further on.

(22) We take this path to the right, which quickly joins a wider path marked with a yellow sign. We continue to the left and stay on this path until we reach the Col du Kreutzweg.

(23) At a place called "Pelage", a take-off area for paragliders, we enjoy the view of the Villé valley on our right. We cross the departmental road towards the Alsace Aventure park and take the wide, flat path, leaving the "Villa Mathis" and the leisure park on our right.

(24) At the crossroads after Villa Mathis, we take the path that runs alongside the Accrobranches park uphill towards Grande Bellevue, leaving the forest road on our left to rejoin it a little further on. We arrive at a section of an old tarmac road.

(25) At this point, we can make a small circular route via the summit of Grande Bellevue and then return to this road about 150 m further on.

(26) Turn right and enter the forest. Stay on this old road and rejoin the path you took on the way up at the start of the descent to Hohwald.

(8) We take it again on our left towards Le Hohwald, to the north, and rejoin the tarmac road.

(9) Continuing along the road we have already taken, we come to the large crossroads next to the small park with the water wheel.

(10) At the large crossroads, turn left and then immediately right at the next crossroads towards the small church. The Grand Hotel is on your left. Above the church, the departmental road curves to the right. Just before the end of the curve, a path branches off to the left.

(27) We climb up the path on the left, in the bend, towards "Welschbruch". It is marked^GR®5Red Rectangle. We keep this course and trajectory, follow a road and then cross it a little further up. Below the road, further on, the path turns right.

(28) From the bend, we pass through the forest gate and cross the stream, keeping to the left until we reach the crossroads about 300 m further on.

(29) At the fork, when the path begins to curve to the right, we enter the forest, still on the^GR®5, until we reach the Col du Welschbruch.

(30) At the Col du Welschbruch, go around the roundabout on the right and take the second path on the right towards Hungerplatz, marked with a blue cross. At the next fork, keep right until you reach the Holderlach crossroads.

(31) At the crossroads, the wide forest path turns right, but we continue straight ahead on a smaller, flat path. At the next fork, we keep to the right until we reach Hungerplatz. We pass through a beautiful oak forest with a few granite boulders.

(32) At Hungerplatz, enter the courtyard of the inn and walk along the left-hand side until you reach the next crossroads in the meadow. Take the path on the right, which soon runs alongside the pasture fence towards Andlau, and join a forest path.

(33) We follow it a few metres to the left before leaving it and heading downhill to the right. We continue in this direction until we reach Andlau. The walk through the village is long.

(34) We leave the main road and turn right into a village lane, crossing the stream, the Andlau, which gave its name to the village and our "Grand 8", then reach the Church of St. Peter and Paul (S/E).

This is a very long hike that can be done in a day, preferably in summer when the days are longest. However, it is possible to split it into two stages with a stop at Champ du Feu, where there are some great accommodation and dining options. It is also possible to stop for the night at Hohwald, which has numerous accommodation options, including the Hôtel Marchal and La Petite Auberge. Provisions can be purchased during the two stops in Hohwald. The numerous streams allow you to fill your water bottle using a disinfectant tablet.
There are numerous shelters in case of severe weather: Gruckert, Hohwald, Champ du Feu, Holderlach, Hungerplatz.
Good physical condition is required, otherwise the hike can quickly become a real struggle.

Despite the distance and elevation gain, you will not fail to notice the flora, with the small pansies at Champ du Feu, listen to the birds and, not infrequently, spot a deer or even a family of wild boars.