Niederbruck via the Bruckenwald farmhouse inn

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From Niederbruck to Bruckenwald: go via the trail and return via the path.

Details

n°194401
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 4.85 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 10 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 272 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 272 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 756 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 483 m
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Photos

Auberge du Bruckenwald farmhouse (panoramic photo)
Small wooden bridge over the Bruckenwald

Description of the walk

Departure from Niederbruck at the end of Rue du Bruckenwald: there is space to park along the road.

(S/E) Start climbing up the road. Pass in front of the reservoir.

(1) At the intersection, continue straight ahead towards the Oratory of Saint Thérèse, about 300 metres away. The path begins to climb steeply.

(2) Just behind the oratory, take the small path that zigzags up between the fir trees towards Bruckenwald for about 400m (marked with a yellow circle by the Club Vosgien). When you reach an intersection with a forest path, continue straight ahead on the path, which is still marked in yellow.

(3) About 200 metres further on, cross the small wooden bridge over the Bruckenwald and continue straight ahead on the path for 700 metres, climbing quite steeply.
At the end of the path, you will reach the Bruckenwald farmhouse inn on your left.

(4) To return, leave the path you took on the way there and take the path heading north. The descent is much gentler than the ascent.

(5) 800 metres further on, at the intersection of two forest paths, take the path that descends eastwards and follow it to the Niederbruck reservoir.

(1) From there, return to the starting point via the same path you took on the way there (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 484 m - At the end of Rue du Bruckenwald
  2. 1 : km 0.15 - alt. 495 m - Reservoir
  3. 2 : km 0.38 - alt. 531 m - Oratory of Saint Thérèse
  4. 3 : km 0.92 - alt. 629 m - Small wooden bridge over the Bruckenwald
  5. 4 : km 1.43 - alt. 755 m - Ferme Auberge du Bruckenwald
  6. 5 : km 2.11 - alt. 717 m - Crossroads - Triebelskopf (725 m)
  7. S/E : km 4.85 - alt. 484 m - At the end of Rue du Bruckenwald

Notes

For less experienced walkers, do the route in the opposite direction, as the climb up the path is steep. There is a 260m elevation gain over 1.3km, whereas the path has the same elevation gain over 2.7km! It's up to you...

Reviews and comments

4.6 / 5
Based on 13 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.8 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.8 / 5
Route interest
4.2 / 5
jeanmenesylvie
jeanmenesylvie

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 11, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

great walk

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chouettelesrandos
chouettelesrandos

I will be going in October, but I find that the landmarks on your maps are too large and obscure the map underneath.

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odnar6
odnar6

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 30, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

After a beautiful climb up to the farm, the return journey is through the relatively monotonous forest.

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Phi!ippe
Phi!ippe

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 11, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant little hike to keep fit:
. not too long (in terms of distance and duration)
. no significant technical difficulty, apart from the elevation gain
. with a reasonable total elevation gain
. in pleasant surroundings: mostly under the cover of trees, with the sound of the stream between 1 and 4

We followed the advice to do the loop in reverse, to avoid a steep slope that would 'cut our legs' at the start of the hike:
. very good for the 1-5-4 climb
. and also very good for the descent 4-3-2-1: the steepness does not translate into difficulty on the descent

The description could mention one detail: there are no markings at junction 1 or from 1 to 5 when doing the loop in reverse; this is so unusual that we often wondered if we had made a mistake at the first fork.

In terms of views: the view at no. 5 is nice and is a pleasant way to end the walk.
Of course, there are no panoramic views, as the hike does not pass through any peaks and only climbs 260m (which was not a surprise),
and we didn't see any of the lakes mentioned in some of the comments (?).

Thanks to the author Titou68

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Thanaloth
Thanaloth

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 20, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk in the magnificent Ballons d'Alsace forest, which is particularly enjoyable in hot weather.
Very beautiful trees.
The farmhouse inn in Niederbruck is a real treat in every sense of the word. As an added bonus, there is a beautiful view from the terrace. The welcome is very friendly.
The menu (very or overly generous) is excellent.

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Gg Of Seychelles
Gg Of Seychelles

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 28, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

Very pleasant hike with beautiful views of the lakes

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sbe68
sbe68

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 23, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

We set off from the car park in the centre of Niederbruck, just before the bridge over the Doller. There is a picnic area and toilets (on the other side of the bridge)! A very nice sheltered area with benches and tables... We followed the forest path on the way there and back... assuming that a steep path on the way up would be just as steep on the way down... of course, this considerably lengthened our route (8.5 km and 337 m elevation gain). You can also leave your car in the small car park after the reservoir at the end of Rue de Bruckenwald (traffic is prohibited beyond this point). This will shorten the route by 2 km.
The destination of the hike is, of course, the Bruckenwald farmhouse inn, which offers a beautiful view of the plain, a warm welcome and a delicious (and original) menu.

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emma7900
emma7900

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 22, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A pleasant walk. We start by climbing, climbing and climbing through the forest. Pretty streams accompany us along the way. Then we arrive at the farmhouse inn. Phew! It's time for a nice snack after all that effort. I recommend the raspberry tart with a scoop of ice cream on top. Then we have a long descent—a gentle slope—along a road that's passable by car, but not too monotonous, as could be the case. And there you have it, we've had a very nice afternoon.

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roro68
roro68

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 26, 2018
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A wonderful little hike!
The climb at the beginning is quite steep, but not very long. We had an IGN map with us, which showed an extension of the route to a lake. That could be nice for next time! The return trip is very peaceful, and you quickly forget the effort you put in at the beginning.

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vessedeloup68
vessedeloup68

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

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

Great trail, the famous climb at the beginning and, of course, a well-deserved break at the top in the pleasant Bruckenwald farmhouse inn with its beautiful panoramic view!

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Christophe 68260
Christophe 68260

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 17, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

The path is well marked and you won't get lost. The direction of the walk is sensible: it's better to climb at the beginning when you have the strength (using walking sticks can be helpful) and finish on the forest path. For those who wish to stop at the farmhouse inn for a bite to eat, don't do this walk on a Monday. It is closed on that day. A humorous phrase is written on a bench on the way back at the spot with the clear view: "At the birch trees, it's time for a break". Almost the entire walk is under the cover of trees and therefore possible when it is hot... but be careful not to walk during a thunderstorm!

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Marc5644
Marc5644

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 15, 2017
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

This route was very helpful in planning a short half-day outing while we were in the Masevaux Valley. The information provided was useful in choosing the distance and difficulty level based on our availability.

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kty 90
kty 90

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 26, 2016
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

I'm doubly happy because it's a hike I did 18 years ago and so I didn't remember it. It's quite a steep climb if you go left, but personally I like it. It's not very long but it's intense
Lovely views of "our" Vosges mountains.
Nice stop at the refuge, very good homemade pies at very affordable prices. The descent is gentle along a wide forest path.

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thermid
thermid

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Mar 13, 2016
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

A lovely walk that isn't too long. It's true that the climb is quite tough, but fortunately it isn't too long.
there was still snow at the farmhouse inn.

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