The Pearls of Vologne

“Les Perles de Vologne” is a wonderful site on the shaded bank of the Vologne.
You will pass on Pont des Fées and the Marie-Louise islands, before climbing along the torrent in the Roitelets Gorge, to reach the Roche des Bruyères from where you can admire the town of Gerardmer and its lake. Then, at the Gilet Fountain, located in the forest, you can refresh your hands.
Take a break at the Belbriette Pond before descending to Longemer Lake and the Saint Florent chapel.

Technical sheet

39253
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 17.91 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 6h 15 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Return to departure point: Yes
  • ↗
    Vertical gain: + 407 m
  • ↘
    Vertical drop: - 404 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 955 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 642 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Start at the Saut des Cuves car park at Xonrupt-Longemer.

Cross the bridge over the Vologne then turn left and go down towards the Pont des Fées following the red circles of the path marked by the Club Vosgien. Continue to the Marie-Louise islands, about 500 m after (1), take a small path to the right, which goes along a stream. This is the Roitelets Gorge.
Then go behind the Vologne Farm and get to the GR533 marked with a green rectangle (2). Leave the little road at a hairpin bend (3), turn left onto the D8, which you follow for 100 m to the left, before turning into a path on the right (4).
Continue straight at each intersection to reach the Roche des Bruyères. Enjoy the view of Gerardmer Lake. The path joins a track (6). Turn right and follow the track to an intersection (7), where you must turn right to reach the Gilet Fountain.

From there, turn right and then immediately left to join the forest road (8) The trail is marked with a green and white rectangle then green crosses. Turn left onto this RF and follow it as far as the D23 (9). Walk along the road for 400 m and at Surceneux Pass (10), turn right. At the T-junction, 200 m further on, turn left onto Chemin Gaspard, follow it up to the Col du Port des Planches (11). Then leave Chemin Gaspard to take a path in front, quickly reaching Chemin de la Casuette (12). Turn right, then left at the next intersection (13) to reach the Belbriette Pond.
Retrace your steps to the WP13 and turn left.
Continue as far as a fork (14). Take the rightmost path to reach the D417 (15).

Cross it, then head to Longemer Lake and the Saint Florent Chapel, taking a small road along the D417. After the chapel, reach the D67A and turn right. Continue towards Xonrupt. At the fork (16), turn left to get to the intersection after the church (17). Turn right, then left at the first street. Go past the sawmill and at the second intersection (18), take the path on the right which takes you back to the Saut des Cuves car park.

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 693 m - Saut des Cuves car park. Cross the - Vologne (rivière)
  2. 1 : km 1.49 - alt. 642 m - Start from the Gorge des Roitelets path.
  3. 2 : km 2.1 - alt. 759 m - Junction with the GR533.
  4. 3 : km 2.38 - alt. 748 m - Hairpin bend. Turn left.
  5. 4 : km 3.01 - alt. 797 m - Continue straight ahead at each intersection
  6. 5 : km 3.88 - alt. 908 m - Roche des Bruyères. View of the - Lac de Gérardmer
  7. 6 : km 4.24 - alt. 927 m - Intersection with the runway.
  8. 7 : km 5.45 - alt. 922 m - Fork towards Fontaine Gilet.
  9. 8 : km 5.77 - alt. 879 m - Intersection with the RF de la Béheuille.
  10. 9 : km 8.02 - alt. 812 m - Junction with the D23.
  11. 10 : km 8.4 - alt. 810 m - Col du Surceneux (810m)
  12. 11 : km 10.11 - alt. 902 m - Col du Port des Planches (901m)
  13. 12 : km 10.5 - alt. 856 m - Intersection with Chemin de la Casuette.
  14. 13 : km 11.02 - alt. 804 m - Intersection of - Étang de Belbriette
  15. 14 : km 13.3 - alt. 812 m - Three-way junction.
  16. 15 : km 14.11 - alt. 747 m - Junction with the D417 - Lac de Longemer
  17. 16 : km 16.09 - alt. 736 m - Fork.
  18. 17 : km 16.61 - alt. 720 m - Crossroads after the church.
  19. 18 : km 17.52 - alt. 712 m - Take the path on the right
  20. S/E : km 17.91 - alt. 693 m - Saut des Cuves car park

Practical information

3618OT IGN map.
Good walking shoes.
Bring rain covers.

In the nearby area

Gerardmer Lake.
Tendon waterfall.
Summer tobogganing in La Bresse.
Fitness trail in Gerardmer.

 Always stay careful and alert while following a route. Visorando and the author of this walk cannot be held responsible in the event of an accident during this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

Reviews and comments

3.9 / 5
Based on 35 reviews

Reliability of the description
3.9 / 5
Clarity of route map
4 / 5
Route interest
3.8 / 5
roger daniel
roger daniel

your predecessor was enchnted, as I have already said this route was made long before the gps it is possible that the tras mission is not consistent with the original . cordialement

Automatically translated

Albertmuda
Albertmuda

Overall rating : 2 / 5

Date of walk : Sep 13, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Clarity of route map : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Busy trail : No

I hiked in the opposite direction, the GPS route was sometimes approximate, there was far too much tarmac and above all too many passages on the roads. It's rare to be so disappointed by a Visorando tour.
I'd advise against it

Automatically translated

nathalie francois
nathalie francois

Thank you for this wonderful journey, have a wonderful day 😁

Automatically translated

roger daniel
roger daniel

Hello, I'm very pleased to have pleased you, and I wish you all the best for the future. daniel ROGER

Automatically translated

nathalie francois
nathalie francois

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Aug 16, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

A superb walk, very well explained and very easy to follow, with some magnificent spots and sublime views.
Only one technical section at the beginning.
Thank you!!!

Automatically translated

roger daniel
roger daniel

Hello,
you are the first not to have found the starting point, which is a shame as it is the prettiest part of the route.this circuit was made many years ago, there was no GPS, it is possible that some signs are no longer visible.other hikers are luckier than you and have found it very correct.cordialement daniel ROGER__

Automatically translated

Guedat Camille
Guedat Camille

Overall rating : 2.3 / 5

Date of walk : May 05, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Clarity of route map : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Busy trail : No

The start of the route wasn't quite right, so we had to find our own way around.
Only one of the 3 viewpoints was there, and the others were dead ends.
Just under half the walk was on concrete, which was very unpleasant.

Automatically translated

roger daniel
roger daniel

:merci pour ce comte rendu elogieux, ce circuit a été mis sur visorando bien avant l'arrivée du gps normalement il est prévu de terminer le circuit de retour depuis xonrupt par le bord de la vologne jusqu'au saut des cuves sentier pas évident à trouver. peutt être que maintenant il n'existe plus??

Automatically translated

charles-sadoul
charles-sadoul

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of walk : Jul 31, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

Difficult to follow the first 3 km, especially between km2 and km3

Automatically translated

billbock
billbock

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Sep 03, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

super bien au début mais apres la ferme c'est du chemin forestier ennuyant , le retour par xonrupt serait plu symp par le saut des cuves

Automatically translated

roger daniel
roger daniel

Hello

the crossing of the village of xonrupt is intentional to let you discover the houses and the chalets decorated with flowers,and from the exit of the village there is a path along the vologne to join the saut des cuves as indicated in my description at the time.i hope that you have appreciated the corcedes roitelets,the isles Marie-Louise,as well as the pont des fées because it is by there that you must begin the hike at the time when this hike was conceived the lake of Belbriette still existed.

greetings

Automatically translated

17decembre
17decembre

Overall rating : 2.7 / 5

Date of walk : Jul 05, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Clarity of route map : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Busy trail : No

We started this walk from Lac de Longemer to avoid the monotonous crossing of Xonrupt at the end. The review is easy, but the only point of interest is the view from the Bruyères rock where we had our snack break. Far too much road.

Automatically translated

tredan14
tredan14
• Last modified:

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : May 01, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

The path that leads off to the right towards the Gorge des Roitelets after the Marquesas Islands is currently closed due to various trees that have fallen along the stream!
So continue straight on until you reach kichompré and then turn right to reach Gerpépal!

Automatically translated

castel martine
castel martine

Overall rating : 3.3 / 5

Date of walk : Aug 26, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Clarity of route map : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

The Gorge des Roitelets path is closed, so we followed the GR a little further on. The description of the route is approximate. Too many roads. Nice walk though.

Automatically translated

WILY68
WILY68

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Jun 27, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : No

Lovely walk, a shame the Gorge des Roitelets was closed for safety reasons.

Automatically translated

Other walks in the area

For more walks, use our search engine .

The GPS track and description are the property of the author. Do not copy them without permission.