Andlau and Spesbourg castles from Andlau

A beautiful circular walk from Andlau, accessible to all.
The circuit passes through vineyards at the start, then takes you to the Haut-Andlau and Spesbourg castles.
There are beautiful views along the route (Kastelberg - Rocher Sainte Richarde - Spesbourg).
There is a fun section via the "Chemin des Espiègles" (Path of the Mischievous Ones), with little wooden gnomes placed on the trees.

Technical sheet

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 10.86 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 10 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Return to departure point: Yes
  • ↗
    Vertical gain: + 385 m
  • ↘
    Vertical drop: - 383 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 481 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 226 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Start at Andlau at Sainte-Richarde Abbey (after the village centre towards Hohwald). Parking is available around the church.

(S/E) Return to the car park entrance, with your back to the Arthus hall, take the main road to the left, Rue Deharbe towards Hohwald.

After crossing the bridge over the Andlau river, turn right immediately and go down a few steps to enter the small alley leading to the "Sentier de la Grotte" (Cave Trail).
(If you leave the car park via the abbey porch, the bridge is just opposite.)

(1) At the next intersection, turn left onto the road that climbs up to Kastelberg, marked with a red disc.
After the last house, ignore a path on the right and continue uphill.
You will arrive at a cross, the first viewpoint with benches. After the cross, take a small path to the right to reach the gazebo at the top of Kastelberg (beautiful view of Andlau and Epfig in the background).
Go back down to rejoin the road (you can see Spesbourg Castle opposite). Continue downhill on the right.

At a bend, leave the road and climb up a path opposite (red signpost/direction Col du Crax) to rejoin a road to the left.
At a bend, ignore a path leading off opposite (see alternative route at this point) and stay on the main path.

At a fork, keep right downhill to pass above the Wiebelsberg vineyards, at the edge of the forest.

(2) At the edge of the forest, turn left onto a paved road uphill, via Herrenweg.
Further on, you will find the red rectangle sign (new route not yet shown on the IGN map).

When you return to the forest, at a three-way junction, keep right on the path, then further on to the left. (Look for the little figures in the trees, this is the Chemin des Espiègles).

At the crossroads above the houses, turn left onto the forest path, marked with a red disc.
Pass a reservoir.

(3) At the next crossroads, ignore the barrier on the right towards Barr, continue straight ahead for a few metres, then take a path on the left called Chemin des Espiègles, towards Crax.
Further on, ignore a path leading off to the left. Higher up, turn completely left, still following Chemin des Espiègles (ignore the sign for Château d'Andlau - follow the sign for Sentier du Crax).

(4) Further up, turn right down a slight descent, opposite the sign for Sommet du Crax (do not climb to the summit).

(5) At the Col du Crax, you will find yourself at the intersection of seven paths. Go straight ahead, following the blue triangle signs towards Rocher Sainte-Richarde. Keep right at the next intersection and, 300 metres further on, you will reach Rocher Sainte-Richarde on your left (beautiful view of Andlau).

(6) After Rocher Sainte-Richarde, retrace your steps and take the red ring trail on the left towards Château d'Andlau. At the Silberberg crossroads, turn right and then left onto the track and continue to follow the red circle markings.

(7) Reach and visit the Château du Haut-Andlau, exit the inner courtyard of the castle at the rear to walk around it on the outside. Leave the castle and take the path on the left towards the Château du Spesbourg.
Continue straight ahead, following the signs for "Route des châteaux forts d'Alsace" (red logo representing a castle), ignoring the paths on either side.

(8) Turn left towards Spesbourg (still following the castle signs). Pass two paths on the right and one on the left to reach a crossroads.

(9) Continue straight ahead, ignoring the path on the left, which will be for the return journey, and arrive at Spesbourg Castle, which offers a beautiful view of Andlau from the viewing platform. Visit the castle.

(10) Retrace your steps to the previous crossroads.

(9) Go down to the right, following the red signpost for Andlau; the descent is quite steep. Further down the descent, cross a forest road and make a quick left-right turn to continue on the path marked with red signposts. Arrive in Andlau via Rue des Carrières, which leads to the D425 (bus stop).

Continue left along the road. After the town sign, turn right, following the red-white-red "Sentier Adélaïde" signs, cross the river and enter the forest on the left.
At the next three-way junction, stay on the left path towards Rue des Moulins. When you leave the forest, keep left.

(11) After the intersection with Rue de l'Ungersberg, take a small path on the right, still following the red-white-red signs, which will take you to the Andlau (small waterfall), then follow the river.
The path leads to Rue Clémenceau. Follow it to the right, keeping the abbey bell tower in sight.
At the crossroads with the main street, turn right then left to reach the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 231 m - Andlau Sainte-Richarde Abbey - Andlau (rivière)
  2. 1 : km 0.48 - alt. 231 m - On the left - climb up to Kastelberg
  3. 2 : km 2.93 - alt. 266 m - Towards the Herrenweg, above Mittelbergheim
  4. 3 : km 4.12 - alt. 297 m - Forest road before the Sentier des Espiègles
  5. 4 : km 4.67 - alt. 403 m - Intersection before the summit of Crax
  6. 5 : km 4.97 - alt. 381 m - Col du Crax (381m)
  7. 6 : km 5.44 - alt. 413 m - Rocher Sainte Richarde
  8. 7 : km 6.38 - alt. 441 m - Château d'Andlau
  9. 8 : km 6.98 - alt. 430 m - Intersection towards Spesbourg Castle
  10. 9 : km 7.8 - alt. 453 m - Crossroads passed twice
  11. 10 : km 8 - alt. 469 m - Château du Spesbourg
  12. 11 : km 10.11 - alt. 249 m - Path between Rue des Moulins and Rue Clémenceau
  13. S/E : km 10.86 - alt. 231 m - Andlau Sainte-Richarde Abbey

In the nearby area

Feel free to stroll around the village of Andlau.
See Sainte-Richarde Abbey and the Ateliers de la Seigneurie (heritage interpretation centre).

Possible alternative to shorten the route:
At the bend indicated in the description between (1) and (2), you can go directly to (5), Col du Crax, by following the path that starts at a stone lying on the ground (about 15 minutes).

Reviews and comments

4.7 / 5
Based on 80 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.7 / 5
Clarity of route map
4.7 / 5
Route interest
4.7 / 5
Claude R5.
Claude R5.

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : Jun 15, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

A beautiful day under the blazing sun, but pleasant because we were in the forest.

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Rose de Vernon
Rose de Vernon
• Last modified:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Mar 08, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : Yes

A recovery hike on a sunny Sunday. The route starts in the pretty village of Andlau, with some superb views (which can be watercoloured, see signs). Pass through vineyards, then forest and magnificent châteaux ❤️. We found a guide on the internet for the one in Andlau and for the one in Spesberg a very nice app (just scan the QR code on the sign in front of the castle). On the way back, a quick drink on the terrace of the Spes restaurant (I think). And a visit to the abbey, with its bear in the crypt and you can lift the trapdoor to see where the bear scratched the ground telling Saint Richarde where to build her abbey. In short, a walk full of stories. What's more, the CIP in the Seigneurie is very interesting and fun.

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Josepere
Josepere

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : Jan 26, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

A very pleasant walk with no particular difficulties

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alsaco2
alsaco2

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Dec 22, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Another great "Gros Mollets" hike by the epicurean Branquignol(e)s (a famous group of hiker friends from Alsace).
We went a little further for lunch at the Auberge du Hungerplatz, a good restaurant with friendly restaurateurs.

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Wages 1
Wages 1

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Sep 29, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : Yes

A very nice route with a slight gradient that's not too difficult to do.

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Fremel57
Fremel57

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : May 12, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

These two well-preserved and restored chateaux are a wonderful find. No difficulties. Although the start of the walk is rather monotonous, as all you do is cross vineyards, everything changes when you reach the Sentier des Espiègles. From here onwards, the areas of interest follow one another to make for a very pleasant walk.

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Patrick 68
Patrick 68

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Apr 23, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Lovely discovery, with pretty views over the Andlau valley

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JP MAUC
JP MAUC

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : Apr 28, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Beautiful walk and two very fine châteaux.

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benes1
benes1

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Mar 31, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Very pleasant tour, the "sentier des espiègles" is great for photographers, as is the visit to the châteaux. I recommend

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GABYLOU7
GABYLOU7

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of walk : Nov 12, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Interesting tour, but I'm only going by the map and not the description.

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blondel monique
blondel monique

Overall rating : 4.5 / 5

Date of walk : Sep 05, 2023
Reliability of the description : N/A
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : Yes

Lovely walk along the chemin des espiègles, discovering the 2 castles and the village of Andlau. Forest path. We climbed to the top of the craz. Quite a steep descent back down to the pass. A few km more.

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Philippe Schwab
Philippe Schwab

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Jul 25, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

Done today in 3 hours, including visits to the 2 châteaux.
The route alternates between uphill and downhill and becomes particularly interesting from point 3 onwards.

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Marieeeee
Marieeeee

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Jul 06, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Very well described walk. A very nice 12km walk, in 4 hours!

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Anne-julie E.
Anne-julie E.

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of walk : May 28, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : Yes

A very nice walk with a wide variety of landscapes. We enjoyed the shade for 3/4 of the walk on a very hot and sunny day. However, the difference in altitude is underestimated by at least 100m or a little more. 4 hours 10 minutes with two children and plenty of breaks at the castles.

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vgt
vgt

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : May 02, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : Yes

very nice walk, I recommend

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