The heights of Blotzheim via the snail hills

Parking on Rue des Acacias (next to the Institut Médico Éducatif) in Bartenheim.
Please note: the hills are a maze of paths, and signposting is virtually non-existent. You’ll need to pay close attention to the route description and the map if you don’t have the app (or a GPS) to follow the route.

(S/E) Walk back down Rue des Acacias towards the junction, turn right onto the pavement running alongside the IME, go round the roundabout, stay on the right-hand pavement until you leave Bartenheim, then continue for about thirty metres between the field and the ditch running alongside the road, until you reach the start of a path.
Note the Notre-Dame des Champs Chapel on the other side of the road. See practical information.

(1) Turn right towards the forest and follow the wooded valley of the Wurmbach. After several hundred metres, the path opens out onto a clearing and a field. Leave the wide path and turn left to cross the valley at the edge of the forest, then head back up into the forest until you reach the ridge path of the Grand Schneckenberg.

(2) Take this path to the left for a good hundred metres. When you reach a junction, turn sharply right onto a path which very quickly begins to descend towards the Lutterbach valley. At the bottom, continue to the right to reach a four-way junction marked with a ‘no entry’ sign.

(3) Ignore the return path ahead, turn left and cross the Lutterbach valley floor. After the stream, pass the Petit Schneckenberg path (the return route) on your right. Continue straight on, leaving the forest between a field and a row of trees, then turn left at the first path. This climbs to the top of Buckenrain hill.

(4) Enjoy the view of the Black Forest. At the crossroads, near two fruit trees, head south – the view is unobstructed – passing between a large cherry tree and a plot of vines, then descend into a sunken path. A path climbs the embankment to the left, offering a return route with a view of the airport as well as some rudimentary shelter in case of rain.
Return to the sunken path. It leads to a tarmacised crossroads; continue straight ahead to join a cross-path.

(5) Head right towards the west, ignore a path on the left, then, at the next bend, turn left and immediately right. The dome visible on the left houses an air traffic control radar; further on lies the city of Basel. At the next junction, head down to the left and reach a wide path near the Thurbach stream.

(6) There are two options:
1) Short route: head right, north-west along the path marked with a Red Disc. It joins the long route after crossing the Lutterbach and reaches the point (10); this route is 10.2 km long with 153 m of elevation gain.
2) Long route (as shown on the map): turn left, heading south-east. Follow this Red Disc-marked path downwards; further on, it winds its way between two tree-topped embankments. Upon emerging from the forest, it passes the^first houses of Blotzheim and reaches a crossroads with a Club Vosgien sign.

(7) Turn right-hand at the Red Disc path towards Michelbach-le-Bas. Ignore the left-hand turn (Calvary route), and continue westwards through fields dotted with copses, with lovely views towards the Jura Mountains. On the outskirts of Michelbach-le-Bas, you’ll reach a tarmacised crossroads.

(8) Leave the Red Disc markings, turn right, pass a row of skips then a crucifix, and head due north. The path crosses a^first gully then the Thurbach gully. On entering the forest, head straight up and reach a crossroads after a crucifix, the highest point of the Roggenberg. Continue straight on and emerge from the forest into a remarkable landscaped area.
Enjoy this spot with its ponds, jetty, benches and picnic table.

(9) Resume the path by turning right at the edge of the forest. Turn left along the field and stay at the edge. At the northern end of the field, turn right onto a wider path which joins the Red Disc-marked trail (and the short route). Follow it to the left, then, still keeping to the edge of the woodland, turn right and continue to the start of a path just after a left-hand bend.

(10) Leave the marked trail for this lovely path which leads deep into the forest. This is the Petit Schneckenberg ridge path. Follow it straight on, ignoring the paths branching off to the right and left. Just after a path branches off to the left, descend in a slight right-hand bend and arrive at a Fork in the road with another path coming up from the right.

(11) Turn left; the path descends towards the Lutterbach stream, joins a track coming from the left and eventually meets up with the path taken on the way out. Turn left towards the next crossroads.

(3) Turn left, leaving the route you took on the way there. After about 200 m, head uphill in a wide right-hand bend. Ignore a turn-off to the right towards a hunting shelter and reach the end of the Grand Schneckenberg ridge path, which comes from the right.

(12) Continue to the left as you approach a clearing. Carry on straight ahead, then follow the edge of a field on your left until you reach the junction marked by a sign (Eiffelewag), just before the end of the field.

(13) Turn right onto the path that leads into the forest. After a left-hand bend and crossing a stream, leave the path on your right and head straight up the fairly steep climb up the Brestenberg. On emerging from the forest, on the ridge, there is a fine view of the Vosges peaks, dominated by the Grand Ballon.

(14) Turn right; in the distance, you can make out the summit of the Blauen in the Black Forest. After a short stretch through the forest, begin the descent towards a crossroads, cross it and continue to the right on a gentle downhill slope until you reach the end of Rue des Acacias (S/E).

(1) If you want to see the Notre-Dame des Champs chapel near the point (1), cross the road with caution as traffic is heavy during border crossing times.

In wet weather, the paths are often muddy or even rutted due to agricultural and forestry activity.

To avoid having to turn back, check the hunting dates.

The numerous streams, ditches and wet meadows provide an ideal habitat for many amphibians, while the Schneckenberg forest, with its abundance of stumps and dead wood, is home to six species of woodpecker. You are sure to hear them drumming on the tree trunks (especially in late winter and spring). The open landscape is also a popular stopover for migratory birds, and it is not uncommon to encounter deer or wild boar here.

The few vineyards you will see are the remains of wine-growing activity dating back to Roman times.