Ascent to Molkenrain

Date of your route : Aug 09, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Very busy route : No

hello

sad hike, trails not really maintained... we had to crawl or climb over fallen trees. Especially on the trail called "mines"...

then there was absolutely nothing to sit down on, no benches, no shelters... and we would have really liked some

we didn't see anyone else.

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Date of your route : Mar 10, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

the part on the secondary road, which I diverted because it was dangerous and of no interest.
The first part was a bit long on forest tracks, but I consulted the map,
I consulted the map, but there was no other itinerary, which nevertheless allowed me to climb in complete peace.
The reward comes at the summit, which is clear and offers some great views.

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Date of your route : Aug 25, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Pleasant walk, lots of forest paths in the first part. It took us 5 hours, including a snack break. The only drawback was the long and dangerous section on the main road, so it was better to take the path that rises to the left just before the road to Molkenrain, where it joins the route further on! The descent is more pleasant, more varied and offers some great views.

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Date of your route : May 12, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk, with plenty of shade and some fine viewpoints.
With the sun shining, as it did, it was a very pleasant day.
Too bad the Molkenrain farmhouse inn was closed.

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Date of your route : Oct 17, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Route hindered at point 6 by a barrier + hidden direction sign - Follow the red disc marking "Déviation" which takes you back in 2 via the "Cernay - Le Camp Turenne" path.

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Date of your route : Apr 22, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Very nice walk under the young trees that let the sun shine through.
Thank you very much.

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Date of your route : May 20, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Superb hike with friends and unusual views of the Vosges mountains
Medium difficulty with 6 hours announced, done in 4h30
A few minor orientation problems at the start. We missed the sign in the village but at the car park on the outskirts of Steinbach and thanks to the map, we found a small 10-minute steep incline to catch up with the path.
Magnificent trees on the descent.
The ladders along the waterfall had been washed away by the exceptional winter weather, but the diversion path was well signposted.
Thank you for this lovely walk

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Date of your route : Sep 17, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Round trip in 3h30( maximum 4h) and not 6h!
Ferme auberge fermee à l'arrivéee( 10h!)

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Date of your route : Jul 27, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Lovely hike with beautiful scenery, a little tough on the way up to the farmhouse inn. It would have been wise to place waypoint 3 on the Herrenfluh ruins at 850m for greater clarity, as the description indicates 935m. Then the route doesn't follow the red and white markings as indicated in the description, but the important thing is to get to the summit! I didn't see a chalet (in which direction?) and I misunderstood point 4, which isn't very clear. The streams are dry, which is a pity, and the Vosges club has put in a diversion after the waterfall, which has no effect on the route. The car park at the old mine is also a good shady starting point. It took me 5.5 hours to complete 16km on my own.

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Date of your route : May 07, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

The route is great, but we've made a few changes.
1 - We parked after leaving the village in a shady car park next to an old quarry, which is indicated on the map (300m before point 7 on the route coming from the village). We then headed back towards the village (blue circle) to rejoin the route at about the first bend.
2 - We didn't take the road section, but a small signposted path that avoids the road and leads directly to the Herrenfluh pass. In fine weather and on weekends and public holidays, there are many vehicles (2-wheelers and cars).
3 - At the Molkenrain farmhouse inn, we took the path behind the building, which gave us a beautiful panoramic view of the Hartmannzwillerkopf.

The GPS route is a bit approximate, which is a shame

Otherwise, the rest of the route is nice and pleasant to do. I recommend this walk without hesitation.

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Date of your route : Apr 11, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Lovely walk in the sunshine, packed lunch at the Molkenrain refuge.

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Date of your route : Jul 28, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

From Wattwiller it is quite difficult to climb up to Molkenrain and from Silberloch there is a lack of signs to reach Molkenrain.
signposting to reach the Molkenrain ( Caution li y a des travaux ) warm welcome at the F A and very pretty views.

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Date of your route : Jun 10, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A very pleasant walk on a hot day, but still well shaded, in a beautiful Vosges atmosphere, on superb paths.
It's a pity that the description is a bit "dry", with no reference to the rich mining past, or to the viewpoints, such as the one you come across on the descent a few hundred metres after the Maison des Amis de la Nature, which could have been an excellent spot for a picnic.
Note also that to discover the ruins at the Col de l'Herrenfluh, you have to go back up the main road.

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Date of your route : Mar 26, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

We did this walk at the end of March in very fine weather. We almost missed the Herrenfluh ruins. You have to get to the road before the pass, at the sign for the pass, which is 5 minutes away. When we got to the pass, we realised that we'd missed the ruins, so we turned around and followed the road to get to the ruins - the view is superb!
We climbed to the top of the Molkenrain and then followed the ridge until we reached a path marked red-white-red that leads to the Freundstein farm. Beautiful views as we descended the Molkerain towards Freundstein. We then picked up the route again at Camp Turenne, still following the red-white-red markings.

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Date of your route : Sep 27, 2016
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Nice walk in fine weather - nothing in particular to report

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