Ascent of Hartmannswillerkopf

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

A very beautiful "historical" route, but difficult to follow on the map (far too straight).
The app was a great help in guiding us.

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Date of your route : Jul 29, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Trenches at the top of the circuit.
Difficult crossings, except for dogs

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Date of your route : Jul 18, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Last physical climb, if we have taken the planned route! But a very beautiful walk with many reminders of the First World War

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Date of your route : May 29, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful hike, rich in historical information about the Battle of Hartmannswillerkopf during the First World War. There is a slight problem with the route at point No. 7 in relation to the description. You have to leave the marked path (red-white-red rectangle) to reach the Zeller canteen and take an unmarked path downhill.

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

A beautiful hike with the option to extend it via the split rock and Mégard rock. Be sure to stop at Silberloch to visit the historical museum and national monument. On Sundays, stop off at the ZELLER canteen, where you will receive a warm welcome (and shelter from the cold in winter). On arrival, it is well worth visiting the Basilica of Our Lady of Thierenbach with its rich Baroque décor.
For those who wish to perpetuate the memory of the battles that claimed 30,000 lives in 90 km of trenches (some of which have become hiking trails) and Franco-German friendship, come to the HWK on Saturday 10 June 2023 to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Élysée Treaty between General de Gaulle and Chancellor Adenauer, a cooperation treaty intended to seal the reconciliation between France and the Federal Republic of Germany. Welcome to the battlefield and to a short or long hike (2 or 5 hours)

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Date of your route : Jul 25, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Hello, once we reached the summit, at the 15-2 monument, we had to improvise a little to get back down, as the red/white/red rectangle route is difficult to find and follow. Otherwise, it was a very beautiful hike, which I would classify as "difficult" rather than "moderate" in my opinion.

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Date of your route : Jul 03, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A challenging but very interesting course - Not much of interest between point 8 and the finish line.

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

Hello

4-hour hike without stops
very interesting route with a multitude of trails of different categories
however, I would classify it as difficult, especially on the last climbs
We covered 14 km, which may have been a slight detour on our part, but you need to be very careful at crossroads
and the directions on the map
Otherwise, a very nice outing with a sporty side to it!

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Date of your route : Oct 14, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Hike completed with the arrival of cold weather and wind, especially at the summit of HWK.
A hat is now essential
Tip: make sure you memorise the map stored on your phone, as there is no network coverage on the mountainside and the route is difficult to follow in places.

A few inconsistencies noted along the route:

- at point 5: Presence of old shelters in the direction of Roche Sermet via a steep path (yellow triangle). // Roche Sermet is no longer mentioned on the signs. We therefore found our way by looking at the map. It is best to head towards the summit cross.

- at point 8: At the refuge, take the stairs just behind the fountain (red-white-red rectangle). // The stairs are indeed behind the fountain when arriving at the canteen from the small Great War museum, but are currently inaccessible (closed off with barrier tape). However, the forest path below, which leads to the staircase, is accessible from the canteen by walking down the forest road for about 100 metres.
For your information, due to some customers' failure to comply with health regulations, the Zeller canteen is now closed until further notice. A few tables and benches are still available outside.

Further down, almost opposite the LIR 124 Cemetery, a path is supposed to descend perpendicularly (passing by the Capt spring) from the forest road (marked on the map). This path no longer exists, probably as a result of tree felling work in the area. We therefore continued along the forest path until we reached the forest road further down. The sign for "Wuenheim" is only mentioned further on at the three-way junction.

In the end, the hike covered 15 kilometres.
Thank you for this wonderful discovery

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

A beautiful walk on the HWK site, which allows you to complete a lovely circular path. This walk is really interesting because it allows you to visit the remains and bunkers of the HWK. Don't hesitate to venture into the shelters, caves and bunkers that dot the entire route. Allow 5 hours and be prepared for a steep climb. Ideally, do this walk in good weather to enjoy the view from the top and avoid slippery rocks.

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Date of your route : Jul 09, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful hike, but I couldn't enjoy it fully because things got complicated at point 5, where the trail becomes unpredictable. I couldn't reach point 6 and went straight to point 8, missing some things that interested me, which was a shame, even though the total distance was 13 km.

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Date of your route : Jun 12, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

wednesday, 30 October 2019 at 5:31 p.m

Overall rating: 2.67 / 5
Hello,
I agree with NANKIN's message from 30 October 2019. The signage leaves something to be desired. The hike was supposed to be 10 km, but ended up being 16 km because at one point the signage disappeared and we found ourselves 3 km away from the route.
Otherwise, it was a very nice walk

Best regards

Date of hike: Sunday, 27 October 2019
Reliability of the description: Average
Reliability of the map route: Disappointing
Interest of the hiking route: Average

Please note that the markers on the return leg no longer seem to correspond to the route. The trail has probably been changed!
The climb to Vieil Armand is steep, which was not clear in the description. It would have been better to set the starting point at point 1 in the Gros Chêne car park. It would also have been better to include the necropolis in the hike.

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Hello,

Thank you for your comments.

Following observations made by several hikers, information was sent by private message to the author of the hike.

See you soon!

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Date of your route : Oct 27, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★☆☆☆ Disappointing
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average

Please note that the markers on the return leg no longer seem to correspond to the route. The trail has probably been altered!
The climb to Vieil Armand is steep, which was not clear in the description. It would have been better to set the starting point at point 1 in the Gros Chêne car park. It would also have been better to include the necropolis in the hike.

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Hello,

Thank you for your feedback.

Did you have any problems with the description and layout? If so, how can we fix it? Can you give us some suggestions?

See you soon

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