Start at the Menhir car park in Windstein, near Jaegerthal.
(S/E) With your back to the car park, follow the road to the left and then immediately turn right onto the Castle Route (marked with a red rectangle) which climbs up to the Old Windstein Castle (clearly visible from the car park).
(1) At the lodge, continue in the same direction and go around the castle ruins on the left (climbing site) until you reach a crossroads (elevation 325).
(2) At this crossroads, continue straight ahead following the red rectangle markings. After about 100 metres, leave the wide path and turn left onto a trail, still following the red rectangle markings.
(3) Arrival at Col du Gruenthal. Continue left on the path marked with red rectangles towards Wassersteine.
(4) You can make a short detour to the left (not marked here) to see the Wassersteine cup-marked stones (sign). Continue north-northwest on the path marked with red rectangles. Follow a few bends, descend and reach the Col du Petit Grueneberg.
(5) Continue north. Stay on the Red Rectangle marked path and ignore the side paths. Reach the Col de Wineckerthal.
(6) Continue with the red rectangle. At a left turn on the main path, take a path on the right that climbs westwards.
(7) At a fork, turn sharply right and climb a path marked with red-white-red rectangles.
(8) At a fork, take the path on the right that climbs the hill, going around it in an anti-clockwise direction. You will reach Wittschloessel Castle at the top of the hill. Then take the eastern variant indicated by a sign and return to the previous intersection.
(8) Turn right to quickly reach the fork you took earlier.
(7) Turn right onto the path marked with a red rectangle and reach the Col de Wittschloessel.
(9) At the crossroads, take thefirst path on the left and shortly afterwards turn right (marked with a yellow triangle) towards the Col du Wineck.
(10) At the pass, turn left onto the path marked with a yellow disc. Head towards the ridge, climb slightly and reach Château du Wineck.
(11) Cross the ruins, turn left and descend the winding path marked with a yellow disc. You will come out onto a path; follow it to the right. At the Herrenhof forest house, turn right onto the path that runs alongside the D53 for 300 metres.
(12) Cross the D53. Turn left and take the Green Triangle marked path which follows the valley to the south-east and then due south.
(13) At the pumping station, you will come to a small road; follow it to the left. Return to the D53 and follow it to the left for about 200 m. Turn right and climb up a path marked with a red rectangle. After about 50 metres, turn right. Follow a path (red rectangle) parallel to the D53.
Continue along a wider path until you reach a crossroads (elevation 238). Then take the red rectangle trail that climbs towards the Château du Nouveau Windstein. At a T-junction (elevation 303), turn right. Then take thefirst trail on the left and climb up to the Château du Nouveau Windstein.
(14) Continue along the red rectangle trail. Descend the northern slope of the hill and return to the Lodge du Vieux Windstein, which you passed on the way up.
(1) Descend Route des Châteaux on the right and you will soon reach the menhir car park (S/E).