Les Hauts de Lucelle

This is a pleasant hike where you will come across old farms and large boundary markers marking the Swiss border through a beautiful pine forest and, above all, the Abbaye de Lucelle, better known today as the "Centre Européen de Rencontres" (European Meeting Centre).

Details

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 11.42 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 00 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 261 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 259 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 734 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 599 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Start at the car park of the European Centre in Lucelle.

(S/E) Cross the road to take the path that climbs towards the porch. After the porch, you will see the cemetery and its large calvary on your left.
The path opposite the cemetery will be the one we take on our return journey (Yellow Triangle).

(1) Continue climbing, following the yellow rectangle to the D432 road, cross it and take the asphalt path opposite for 150 m, then turn right.
Please note: the yellow rectanglemarker on the tree is not visible when climbing. It takes us behind the Petit Scholis farm and across the field to the pedestrian crossing in the right-hand corner.
Cross the road and take the path that climbs uphill, marked with a yellow rectangle.

(2) Continue along the border path marked with several boundary stones (from 37 to 47) to the Ébourbettes farm.

(3) Go around the oratory on the right and take the wide path, marked with a yellow triangle, to an intersection where you will continue to the right, following the blue triangle towards the Verreries farm.

(4) Cross the D432 road and continue left at the restaurant advertising sign, following the yellow triangle markings towards the Pfaffenloch farm.

(5) When you reach it, turn left until you reach the next road coming from Winkel.
For your information, there is a nice place to eat with shelter at the intersection at (5) and (6) (elevation 693), turning left for a 2 km round trip detour.
Otherwise, turn right at elevation 694 towards the Le Petit Kohlberg restaurant, following the yellow triangle.

(6) After seeing the Highland cattle at Le Petit Kohlberg, retrace your steps for 200 m to rejoin the yellow triangle, which runs along the hedge towards the forest, where you will come to a path that descends for a good kilometre. After a wide bend, you will arrive at a hairpin bend.
Be careful not to miss the path here.

(7) At the hairpin bend, take the small path opposite that goes uphill, marked with a yellow triangle, then turn left onto a fairly steep section towards the Lucelle ridges.

(8) At the top, you have two options for descending towards Lucelle:
- either via a winding path on the left.
- or straight ahead, staying on the ridge.
These two paths meet further down at the cemetery.

(1) Turn left and go back under the porch to the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 599 m - Parking at the European Centre. Close to the - Lucelle (rivière)
  2. 1 : km 0.3 - alt. 627 m - Cemetery. Crossroads of the circular
  3. 2 : km 1.06 - alt. 638 m - Border trail
  4. 3 : km 3.36 - alt. 712 m - Les Ébourbettes Farm
  5. 4 : km 5.51 - alt. 672 m - Les Verreries Farm
  6. 5 : km 6.31 - alt. 660 m - Pfaffenloch Farm
  7. 6 : km 7.55 - alt. 694 m - Le Petit Kohlberg
  8. 7 : km 9.2 - alt. 621 m - Towards the Crêtes
  9. 8 : km 10 - alt. 667 m - Crossroads on the ridge
  10. S/E : km 11.42 - alt. 599 m - European Centre car park

Notes

Interesting: on this hike, you can eat at the restaurants in Petit Kohlberg and Abbaye de Lucelle.
The hike can be done in either direction.

Worth a visit

When you are at the Ebourbettes farm (3), in good weather, go to the Rocher de la Sorcière, where you will have a superb view at 500 m (follow the yellow rectangle).

Reviews and comments

4.2 / 5
Based on 14 reviews

Reliability of the description
4 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.4 / 5
Route interest
4.2 / 5
Charry
Charry

Hello Norbert,
Thank you for clarifying that. I will make the change in the description.
As you say, it's a beautiful forest that is still well preserved.
See you soon
Charry

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Norbert-Rodersdorf
Norbert-Rodersdorf

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 31, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

In the description of the hike in (1), it says to take the stony path. To date, it has been covered with asphalt.
This hike is lined with different varieties of absolutely magnificent oak trees.
highly recommended!
(from the border path to the glassworks farm)

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francis kohler
francis kohler

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 24, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful and easy approach to the Swiss and Alsatian Jura.

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Pacati Dominique
Pacati Dominique

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 14, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

Nice walk. It's a shame we did it in early March because we didn't see any animals in the pastures, so no Highlands.

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Charry
Charry

I'm glad you enjoyed the route and found it suitable.
I will do the hike again with your variation too, thank you.
Happy future hikes!
Charry

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isamiGo256
isamiGo256

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 30, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Enjoyed a lovely walk today, 30 August, Les Hauts de Lucelle is a route worth discovering. There were seven of us and we made a small detour, descending to the source of the Largue "Senniwald" via the blue triangle marked path and climbing back up via the yellow triangle marked path (a 170 m climb at 10.5%), which gave us a total of 15.6 km in all.
Best regards.
Michel

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Charry
Charry

Hello Bertrand

The owner had told us before 2020 that hikers were passing by his property, but at the time the trail markings had not yet changed.
The route at the Kohlberg restaurant has been changed, and I indicated that we could go and see the Highland cattle before retracing our steps.
Thank you and enjoy your future hikes.
Charry

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Bertrand LEPERE
Bertrand LEPERE

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 21, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Superb sunny hike.
The route needs to be changed at point 6, as the deer farm no longer exists (replaced by Highland cattle), as well as the path behind the Petit Kohlberg restaurant. The owner informs us that we need to retrace our steps for 200 metres to pick up the yellow triangle that runs along the hedge, as many hikers get lost.
At point 7, on the way up, there are many fallen trees across the path.

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Charry
Charry

Hello Jackybois

I'm happy to point out this picnic table, but could you give me its exact location?
Is it before the oratory, in the forest?
Regards
Charry

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jackybois
jackybois

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 15, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Superb, well-marked hike. To be repeated as soon as possible. Highly recommended.
Just one comment: would it be possible to indicate the location of the lovely picnic table about 500 metres before Les Ebourbettes farm?

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Charry
Charry

Hello Fouderando

I redid it in March 2019 and didn't notice any changes to the markings.
At the end of the route, you say that the Club Vosgien made changes to the markings instead of the yellow triangles. What did they put in their place?

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Fouderando
Fouderando
• Edited:

Overall rating : 3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 20, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

Please note that the route should be updated due to a change made by the Vosges club at the end of the route (yellow triangle). Vigilance is required on the route despite the beauty of the walk.

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Charry
Charry

Thank you, Pierrot
I have added the hut to the description for those who want to eat their packed lunch.
Clt
Charry

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bourdenetpierrot
bourdenetpierrot

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 11, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

Beautiful walk
There is a lovely spot for a picnic with shelter at the intersection between points 5 and 6 (altitude 693 m) on the left (1 km detour).

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estelle.kieffer@free.fr
estelle.kieffer@free.fr

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 14, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

We did this hike today with our 9-year-old son. No particular difficulties, very beautiful scenery to see. A very nice hike! Thank you!
After the glassworks farm, turn right, cross the road and take the (newly tarmacked) road towards Le Petit Colbert (we took a wrong turn and went left...).
Then, before you reach the Petit Colbert restaurant, leave the road and walk along the field opposite until you reach the forest. The yellow triangle is marked. The path no longer crosses the restaurant garden. It took us 4 hours with a child and short breaks (half an hour in total, I think).

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