The battlefields of Linge and the glacial cirque of Lake Forlet

Start at the Baerenstall Pass, in front of the impressive German military cemetery.

(S/E) Opposite the cemetery exit, on the right, follow an unmarked path northwards which runs alongside the road and climbs gently towards the memorial. After 600m, the building housing the museum appears. A steep climb of a few metres leads to the square in front of the entrance.
Next to the museum, you will see fortifications and remains of trenches topped with black or white crosses. Cross the car park and then the D11 road.

(1) Between a monument and a white cross (French soldier), a path begins that climbs steeply to Schratzmaennele, the dominant position of the German defences. Take the small path leading to the quarries where the remains of shelters are still visible. At the crossroads with the path marked with a yellow rectangle (^GR®532), turn right and descend for about 200 metres.

(2) Don't miss the small unmarked path on the right after the Petite Carrière. This path crosses the wide curtain wall path below, which for a long time separated the positions of the belligerents. Cross it to rejoin the small path that leaves the forest and leads to the French army monument.

(3) Turn left onto the small tarmac road leading to the Ferme Auberge du Glasborn. Enjoy the panoramic view from the farm's terrace, then take the Rectangle Jaune path climbing to the right of the farm towards the Col de Wettstein. Enjoy the beautiful unobstructed view of the Vosges ridges, then descend through the forest to the pass.

(4) Cross the D48 and continue uphill through the forest on the Yellow Rectangle path. Near the village of Hautes Huttes (on the right), leave the Yellow Cross path on the left and follow the Yellow Disc markings towards Lac Forlet (or Lac des Truites or Lac Forlen).

(5) After 200 m, leave the Yellow Triangle path on your right, which will be the return route, and continue on the Yellow Disc. It passes in front of the Altenkraeh farm, covered with snow in winter, then leads us without difficulty to Lac Forlet, the highest lake in the Vosges (altitude 1065 m), surrounded by its magnificent glacial cirque.

(6) Go around it on the left via the dam, at the end of which you should turn right onto the red triangle. On the right, you can see the Ferme Auberge du Forlet at the foot of the "Rochers du cri du pigeon" (Taubenklangfelsen).

(7) Before reaching the end of the lake, a path marked with a yellow disc climbs to the left near a sign asking visitors to respect the flora. It leads to Lac Vert. Take this path for a beautiful walk through the forest to the Erichson chalet (Club Vosgien de Munster), open to all during the season. From there, enjoy a beautiful view of a large meadow sloping down to the Gaertlesrain farmhouse inn. Behind the trees, you can make out Lac Vert.

(8) After a break at the Erickson chalet, there are two options:
1) climb back up to the ridge via a Disque Rouge trail offering some beautiful views of the lake;
2) choose the option shown on the map and description and retrace your steps for about 400 m to a beautiful stone chalet (at a place called Tiefenbrunnen). Then take an unmarked path on the left that climbs towards Altenwasen. This path leads between forest and cliff to Lake Forlet, passing through the Altenwasen peat bog.

(9) It is beautiful but very wet, so before you reach another stone chalet at the entrance to Altenwasen, don't miss the start of a path climbing up into the forest on the left. It is marked with a yellow arrow on a rock with the inscription "crêtes".

(10) After a short, steep climb, the path quickly leads to the stubble fields, with a view of the lake below the Altenkraehkopf, then to the Gazon du Faîte ridge, the highest point (altitude 1,300 m) of the hike, with a panoramic view of the Vosges and Alsace slopes. You are now on the^GR®5(Red Rectangle), which is dangerous in winter due to the cornice.

(11) Leave the^GR®5on the right at Gazon du Faing for an alternative route, marked with a red-white-red rectangle, then take the yellow triangle trail towards the Altenkraehkopf. Ignore the trails leading off to the left or right and continue to the viewpoint at the end on the right, which is worth a short stop.

(12) Retrace your steps a few metres to rejoin the Yellow Triangle, which heads off to the right between the stunted trees typical of the Vosges ridges. The path leads to the village of Hautes Huttes. As you leave the forest, you will reach the stubble fields of Haufenwannkopf, where you will cross the red disc trail that leads left to Lac Noir. The descent through the meadow quickly leads to the crossroads with the yellow disc trail you took on the way there.

(5). Turn left and then cross the Yellow Rectangle path to descend to the right towards the village.

(13) In the centre of the village, you can see the small Sainte Barbe chapel. Destroyed and rebuilt several times since the 18th century, it is listed as a cultural heritage site. Pass it and descend the tarmac road towards the village exit. About 150 m after the exit, turn right and after 200 m you will reach a left-hand bend.

(14) On the right, in the bend, take a path that passes in front of a house and a farm. It descends to the lowest point of the route (altitude 860 m), which is often wet, enters the forest and, after 15 minutes, leads to the D48, 200 m from the Col de Wettstein. Follow the road to reach the "Hunters' Cemetery" where more than 3,500 soldiers are buried.

(15) Take the wide path (Yellow Ring) that runs along the left-hand side and passes behind the large granite cross. Continue along this easy and beautiful path lined with holly trees to the Madelon Spring, named after a woman, like the many springs where soldiers used to replenish their supplies. Further on, at the three-way junction, take the right-hand branch for about 100 metres.

(16) Leave the Yellow Ring for a forest path that climbs to the right. It leads to the D11. Cross it to find the Yellow Rectangle a few dozen metres from the road. Take it to the left and return to the Ferme du Glasborn. Stay on the Yellow Rectangle to reach the Baerenstall car park.
It first passes through a bumpy meadow where, after more than a century, the traces of bombing are still clearly visible, then rejoins the curtain wall path.

(17) Remains, some of which still litter the ground (bullets, grenades, shell fragments, etc.), are placed on a display stand. Enter the Schratzmaennele forest via the path on the right (Yellow Rectangle and Blue Rectangle), which will take you back to the starting point after about 15 minutes (S/E).

The Baerenstall Pass is closed in winter, so you will need to start from the Wettstein Pass car park. In this case, the hike can be divided into two parts: 1) Between the Wettstein Pass and the Baerenstall Pass, 6 km, fairly easy on snowshoes, and 2) Between the Wettstein Pass and the Erichson chalet, 13 km, more challenging.

The Linge Memorial is not open to visitors in winter and the area is particularly deserted and quiet, which makes it even more impressive. In summer, it is very popular with tourists (mainly from across the Rhine).

When it is snowy, the Lac Forlet cirque is particularly beautiful. However, be careful in heavy snow, as the passage over the ridge near the cornice can be very dangerous. In this case, it is essential to move the proposed route a few dozen metres to the west.

The Glasborn and Forlet farm inns and the Erichson Chalet are closed in winter. The Gaertlesrain farm inn has recently reopened (2015). The Musmiss farm inn (near the Wettstein Pass) is often open.

There are few difficulties except perhaps the 800m climb up the ridge, which has an average gradient of 15%, and the 500m climb up the Schratzmaennele, with a gradient of 12%. The descent after the Altenkraehkopf is a little steep.

Club Vosgien markings: CV signs

Some notable places:

The Baerenstall military cemetery (German), where nearly 1,000 soldiers (including some of Jewish faith) are buried, and a few period monuments are also visible.

Beautiful views of the ridges from the Glasborn and from the northern spur of the Linge near the memorial.

The Linge Memorial Museum can be visited for €4 from mid-April to mid-November, with impressive German defensive systems and traces of French trenches.

The military remains of Schratzmaennele ("Schratz" for soldiers). These places were the scene of violent battles that left 18,000 dead between July and September 1915, followed by years of trench warfare. There are many traces and remains.

The French military cemetery at Wettstein with the Monument to the Fallen of the Blue Devils 1914-1918.

Lake Forlet and its majestic glacial cirque.
Lake Forlet (or Lake Forlen) is said to take its name from forlen, a deformation of foehrlé (= surrounded by small pines in Alsatian). Some people thought that the name came from forellen (trout in German) and called it Lake Trout.

The stubble fields and panoramic views from the ridges, mainly from Gazon du Faîte, Gazon du Faing and Altenkraekopf.

The remains of the Linge site. For more information, download the PDF.