Les Hauts du Ban de la Roche

This superb walk in the heart of the Vosges mountains is, in itself, an open-air history book. From Foudray, the route climbs towards Solbach and the legendary Col de la Perheux, reaching the green landscapes around Belmont before descending towards Waldersbach and then Foudray. Its church, with its 13th-century Romanesque bell tower, is now a temple, beside which lies the tomb of Pastor Oberlin.

Details

30152045
Creation:
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 10.79 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 15 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 416 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 414 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 770 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 399 m
  • ⚐ Country: France
  • ⚐
  • ⚐ City: Fouday (67130)
  • ⚑
    Start/End: N 48.42479° / E 7.18749°
  • Accessible from the train station Gare de DEVANT FOUDAY RN 420.
  • ❏
    IGN map(s): Ref. 3616OT, 3716ET, 3716ETR
  • Hour-by-hour weather

Photos

Description of the walk

Park near Fouday station.

(S/E) Join the road, cross it, then take the Yellow Triangle-marked path which climbs the embankment opposite the “La Gare” restaurant, behind the bus stop for line 67 “Fouday Gare”.

(1) Continue left on the Yellow Triangle-marked path towards Solbach and the Col de la Perheux. At the junction, go straight on, past the cemetery, and head towards the village centre.

(2) Turn right onto Rue Principale, walk up through the village ignoring the side paths, then leave the village.

(3) At the junction, continue to the right towards the Col de la Perheux, following the Yellow Triangle markings.

(4) Head towards the bench under the large oak tree. At this crossroads, turn right towards Belmont, continuing to follow the Yellow Triangle markings. After the cemetery, continue left along Rue de la Cruze and head up towards the temple.

(5) Turn right after the temple, following the Red Disc markings towards Waldersbach. At the junction in the left-hand bend, turn right. Walk past Waldersbach Town Hall, veer left past the church, then turn left onto Montée Oberlin.

(6) Turn right, still following the Red Disc markings, and head towards Fouday.

(7) Turn left, then right about 40 metres further on, following the Chemin du Trouchy. At the inverted Y-junction, turn right towards the village centre. You will reach the temple and the cemetery.

(8) Turn right onto Rue Principale, then turn left to reach the station and the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 399 m - Gare de Fouday
  2. 1 : km 0.24 - alt. 426 m - Crossroads
  3. 2 : km 1.56 - alt. 602 m - Solbach
  4. 3 : km 2.09 - alt. 667 m - Crossroads
  5. 4 : km 2.99 - alt. 700 m - Col de la Perheux
  6. 5 : km 5.44 - alt. 770 m - Belmont
  7. 6 : km 7.72 - alt. 504 m - Junction
  8. 7 : km 9.68 - alt. 463 m - Fouday
  9. 8 : km 10.43 - alt. 404 m - Temple
  10. S/E : km 10.79 - alt. 399 m - Gare de Fouday

Notes

Walking shoes, drinks, clothing and appropriate protection depending on the weather.

Restaurants in Foudray. Ferme-auberge de la Perheux, 150 m from the pass towards Wildersbach.

Goat farm and local produce shop in Solbach.

Worth a visit

Find more hiking trails at rando-bruche.fr, the hiking website of the Bruche Valley Tourist Office.

Foudray, a small village dating back to at least the 12th century, is situated at the confluence of the Chirgoutte stream and the Bruche.

The village of Solbach (2), characterised by pastoral activity (farms, pastures), was gradually moved higher and higher up the hillside to protect itself from attackers during past conflicts.

The Col de la Perheux (4) was the crossroads of the former County of Ban de la Roche,
allowing, in the past as today, access to Climont, Salm and the neighbouring villages. Admire the sweeping view towards Belmont and Bellefosse (Chirgoutte valley). There is the option of taking a
detour via the summit of Mont Saint-Jean (360° view).

Belmont (5) is a former site of pagan pilgrimage. It is said that a bird of supernatural beauty
perched on the largest oak tree in the village, on the site of the current Protestant church (Protestantism took root in Ban de la Roche from the late 16th century). From then on, Belmont took on a sacred character, drawing believers to come and worship there.

Don’t miss a visit to the J-F. Oberlin Museum (03 88 97 30 27), dedicated to the pastor of many talents and a leading figure in 18th-century Alsace. Also visit his church, whose interior seems to have been frozen in time.

You will pass near the hamlet of Le Trouchy. Here, from the 16th to the 19th century, stood the Trouchy mill
, which produced rye and oat flour, powered by the waters of the Chirgoutte stream. No trace of it remains today apart from the names of a path called ‘du moulin’ and a cadastral plot known as ‘devant le moulin’.

The church at Fouday was a stopping point for pilgrims from Lorraine on their way to Mont Sainte-Odile. All that remains of the former 13th-century Saint-Jean-Baptiste church is the Romanesque tower. Note the restored 15th-century interior murals

Reviews and comments

5 / 5
Based on 3 reviews

Reliability of the description
5 / 5
Ease of following the route
5 / 5
Route interest
5 / 5
Helmbacher Michel
Helmbacher Michel

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 24, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No


Hello, everyone!
What more can I say?
Last Sunday, with all the snow that had fallen two days earlier, we had planned a ski or snowshoe hike. But with temperatures jumping +15° in just 24 hours, the plan quickly fell through...
So we returned to Ranrupt to explore other paths and trails that had been on our minds for several weeks.
And we were spoiled from start to finish, even if, once again, with the end of autumn and the arrival of winter, the short days forced us to time our outing more carefully so as not to be caught out by the shortening daylight hours. We ended up in the last glows of a magical sunset.
The atmosphere along the route was superb, the physical sensations excellent, and we were all (because my friend Gérard Muller, who is blind, and his partner Nadia were with us) happy to have been in this place at the right time, as they say...
And the return home...
Well, I'll let you discover it for yourselves via the slideshow link below.
Take care!
Michel Helmbacher
2024.11.24 Hike Ranrupt/Fonrupt/Château La Roche/FA Promont/Hauts-Bois/Haut-Ranrupt "Google photos"
https://photos.app.goo.gl/zEsAT1rEKdA48f...

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RANDOJDSC
RANDOJDSC

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 26, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk. Half of the route is uphill, sometimes quite steep, and the other half is downhill. With its forests, meadows and stubble fields, all the charm of the upper Bruche Valley unfolds here.

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virgule
virgule

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 18, 2023
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely route, thanks to its magnificent scenery, but above all because of the history of this little region and the great men who lived there.

I set off from Waldersbach so that I could visit the Oberlin Museum on arrival, which is quite remarkable.

You pass through lovely woodland, and in every village there are several fountains. There are plenty of benches along the paths, perfect for a quick break.

I’ve marked it as ‘quiet’ because I think that’s generally the case. Today, a sunny bank holiday, there were people in some places, but not many compared to certain parts of the Vosges. I’m also basing this on the cleanliness of the paths: when you can walk 12 km without seeing any litter, it means it’s quiet.

It’s easy to find your way by following the signposts. Well done to the CV who look after this area for the simplicity of their signposting: very often, you only have to follow a single colour. This makes the route much clearer.

Thanks to the tourist office for suggesting it.

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virgule
virgule
• Edited:

I'm going there

The Oberlin Museum is in Waldersbach. Unless I'm mistaken, this isn't mentioned, even though it's one of the highlights of this route.

http://musee-oberlin.org/fr/accueil/

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virgule
virgule

Hello,

thank you for this route, which allows us to delve into the somewhat forgotten history of the Protestant Revival that left its mark on the Ban de la Roche. Those interested in this topic may wish to do some research before visiting the site.

https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Fr%C3...

Otherwise, referring to the church as a ‘temple’ suggests that this is a recent development, whereas Protestantism has been established in the region since the Reformation.

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