The Petit Ballon Circuit

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A hike offering magnificent views over the Munster Valley, the Alsace Plain, the Black Forest and, on a clear day, the Jura and the Alps!

Details

n°26733126
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 5.23 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 05 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 211 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 201 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 1,221 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 1,009 m
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Photos

View of the Munster Valley and the Rothenbrunnen mountain hut
View of the Grand Ballon, the Jura, the Alps and the sea of fog
View of the Grand Ballon and the sea of fog
German bunker (1914–1918)

Description of the walk

You can easily park your car in the car park at the Col du Petit Ballon.
The entire walk is signposted with the Yellow Ring.

(S/E) Start your walk along the small downhill path. At the Kahlenwasen Farm Inn, turn right towards the Buchwald Farm Inn.

(1) At the Buchwald car park, continue towards the inn of the same name and take the path that climbs uphill. After passing through a lovely forest, you’ll come to three paths forming a Y-shape.

(2) Take the middle one. It leads quickly to the Strohberg farmhouse inn.

(3) Continue along the path climbing southwards. You will then pass through beautiful woodlands and reach a junction with theGR®532, near a German bunker from the Great War.

(4) Ignore the path on the left leading to the Schellimatt Refuge and continue towards the Petit Ballon (marked withthe GR®’s Yellow Ring and Yellow Rectangle). Ignore the turn-offs to the left; keep to the right, staying on theGR®, and you’ll reach the scree slope. Further on, theGR® climbs steeply to the right along a path towards the summit of the Petit Ballon.

(5) Continue straight ahead (Yellow Ring). You will pass through a small, atmospheric, dark forest. On emerging, head towards the Rothenbrunnen refuge.

(6) At the junction, leave the paths leading up to the summit on your right and theGR®532on your left. Turn right towards the start car park; just after this, a path descends towards the farmhouse inn below on the left; continue straight on and you will reach the Col du Petit Ballon car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 1,162 m - Petit Ballon Pass
  2. 1 : km 1.21 - alt. 1,009 m - Buchwald junction - Belvédère de Buchwald
  3. 2 : km 1.97 - alt. 1,077 m - Crossroads
  4. 3 : km 2.43 - alt. 1,085 m - Strohberg Farm Inn
  5. 4 : km 3.5 - alt. 1,131 m - Crossroads near a German bunker (1914–18)
  6. 5 : km 4.36 - alt. 1,214 m - Crossroads
  7. 6 : km 4.68 - alt. 1,207 m - Crossroads - Rothenbrunnen Mountain Hut
  8. S/E : km 5.23 - alt. 1,165 m - Petit Ballon Pass

Notes

Worth a visit

Viewpoints over:

  • the Petite Vallée, the Upper Munster Valley towards Colmar and the Alsace Plain
  • the Greater Munster Valley with the Grande Crête (Hohneck, Rothenbachkopf...)
  • the Guebwiller Valley with the Grand Ballon (1,424 m) and, in the distance, the Black Forest, the Jura and, on a very clear day, the Alps
  • the Wasserbourg valley

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.

Downloads
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Reviews and comments

4.4 / 5
Based on 5 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.3 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.6 / 5
Route interest
4.4 / 5
JMTruf
JMTruf

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Dec 29, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The trails around the Petit Ballon are well signposted, even when there’s snow.
Enjoy your hike

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Pala
Pala

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 30, 2023
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A superb hike that offers a lesson in geography on the Hercynian range of the Vosges mountains. GPS devices struggle to locate the car park at the start, but we managed it! Perfect for children.

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virgule
virgule

One more thing: don’t assume that the farm inns will be quiet during the off-season or on weekdays. Remember to book in advance. And make sure you bring cash, as they don’t accept credit cards.
It’s a really lovely experience, a real gem.

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virgule
virgule

Overall rating : 4.5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 13, 2023
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

A lovely, easy walk, suitable for young children. The scenery is breathtaking.

One downside: you’re never alone, and this feeling is amplified by the fact that you can see a long way ahead. Lots of walkers with poles, even though it’s a weekday and outside the school holidays. I’ll go back on a rainy day

Excellent meal at the Kahlenwasen farmhouse inn, the only one open today on the route. Very warm welcome, delicious food. But we were surprised by the number of people who drive right up to the front.

In short, a route to recommend to those looking for a short walk followed by a gourmet stop.

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ruma_wi
ruma_wi
• Edited:

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 04, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely area for a walk with beautiful views

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François et Mireille
François et Mireille

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 27, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

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