The Stocklach Grand Route

Access to the car park

From Haguenau, follow signs for Schweighouse-sur-Moder and take the Route de Schweighouse (D919). In Schweighouse, follow signs for Pfaffenhoffen, then, when you reach Niedermodern, follow signs for Uberach. In Uberach, stay on the Grand'Rue towards Mertzwiller (D72). Immediately after crossing the Landgraben (bridge with yellow barriers), turn right onto the Route forestière d'Uberach to reach the forest house car park.

Red Ring Markings

(S/E) From the Stocklach forest house car park, follow the path that branches off to the left a few metres after the barrier and the Red Ring markings.

(1) At the intersection, leave the return path on your right and turn left onto the sandy path to follow the direction of the Abri des Chasseurs. Stay on the path that veers slightly to the left and then to the right, ignoring the other paths. At the fork after about 800 m, stay on the path that veers to the left.

(2) At the end of the path, turn left and immediately cross the D72 departmental road with caution. Continue straight ahead on Chemin forestier Stocklach in an almost perfect straight line for about 1 km, ignoring the paths to the left and right. At the barrier where the path veers slightly to the right, continue straight ahead to leave the undivided forest and enter the Bois de Mietesheim. Continue to the next intersection.

(3) Turn right and continue straight ahead. At the second intersection, follow the path on the left towards Mietesheim. After just under 300 m, the path leads out of the forest and runs along the edge of the woods and fields. Follow the path, which passes to the left of the Mietesheim football stadium and joins Rue de Mertzwiller.

(4) At the intersection, turn right onto Rue de Mertzwiller to walk alongside the sports field and then gradually return to the forest. After 150 m, leave the tarmac road and take the forest path that starts on the right. Continue straight ahead, heading south, ignoring the paths on the right and left. After about 700 m, turn 90° left and descend gently.

(5) At the end of the path, turn right. Go through the gate, where the path branches slightly to the left, to return to the undivided forest and continue straight ahead. Shortly before the D72, you will come to the start of a path on the right.

(6) Take this path through the oak and pine forest on plot 1107. At the T-junction after about 550 m, turn left to rejoin the D72 departmental road.

(7) Cross it carefully and take the small path that branches off to the right. Continue straight ahead, ignoring the paths on the right and left, until you reach the Anneau Bleu marked path.

(8) Turn right onto the sandy path. At the intersection after 400 m, turn right and continue straight ahead. At the second intersection, turn right to return to the junction at the start of the circular path.

(1) Turn immediately left onto the path you took on the way out to return to the Stocklach Forest House car park (S/E).

Don't forget to pick up a tourist map of the Haguenau Forest d'Exception®, available from the Haguenau Tourist Office, which shows the plot numbers marked on the trees at the intersections. This makes it very easy to find your way around the undivided forest!

The Grand Route de Stocklach, Tourist Office information sheet.

Contact

Pays de Haguenau Tourist Office
03 88 06 59 99
tourisme@agglo-haguenau.fr
More information at visithaguenau.alsace

Located on the left just before the forest exit at Mietesheim, the Abri des Chasseurs (Hunters' Shelter) has a table and benches where you can stop for lunch and enjoy a convivial moment.

A few metres after the start (S/E), after turning right onto the path, the military railway line that used to run through the Haguenau forest between the forest house and the Neubourg camp has been reconstructed over a distance of 80 metres, on the site of the old line, with an old wagon. This line was used to transport ammunition to the forts of the Maginot Line.

The picturesque village of Mietesheim (4), with its beautiful half-timbered houses, is well worth a visit. Located on the Pays de Hanau plateau and on the banks of the Zinsel, Mietesheim is one of 50 localities in Alsace that has a simultaneous church (celebrating the worship of different Christian denominations), dating from 1841. The village also has a large brick town hall built in 1893.
Mietesheim is also the French capital of horseradish. The village is home to the only horseradish production site in France, which is open to visitors.

After crossing the D72 departmental road to return to Uberach (between stages (6) and (8)), the trail runs alongside the Neubourg military camp, which is fenced off. Built in 1932 to store artillery ammunition for the Maginot Line, this ammunition depot was occupied by Germany during the Second World War. Today, it covers 97 hectares and can store around 12,000 tonnes of equipment to supply various regiments in the East as well as a few German regiments.

During the hike, you can admire several very large oak trees. It is important to note that the height of mature trees of the same species depends directly on the richness of the soil: thus, on the richest soils of the undivided forest, some oaks can reach 40 metres in height.