Notre-Dame de l'Unterholz by Bernwiller

You can park your car in front of Saint-Jean Church. The starting point is located at the intersection of Rue des Fleurs and Rue François Joseph Deyber, very close to the church and a bridge over the Spechbach stream.

(S/E) Take Rue François Joseph Deyber, passing the church and its small cemetery on your right. When the main road turns right, continue straight ahead, following the Anneau Bleu trail on the Unterholz route. Walk along the stream and take the first marked path on the left. When you reach the main road, cross it carefully at the pedestrian crossing, then stop following the Anneau Bleu markings and continue straight ahead along a small tarmac path with barriers. Walk past a large building, then the village school.

(1) At the end of the road, turn left into the street to pass in front of the school entrance and its car park. At the end of the street, at the crossroads of four streets with a calvary, cross the road carefully and continue straight on into Rue des Seigneurs. Continue until you leave the village, heading towards the Vosges.

(2) At a crossroads of four roads, where there is a bench and a calvary, turn right and follow the Anneau Bleu markings again. Pass a farm and continue straight ahead on the tarmac road at the crossroads of four roads just after the farm. Ignore the last few small unmarked paths and continue towards the forest. Just before you reach the forest, turn left towards the chapel. After the chapel, ignore the Blue Ring markings turning right and continue straight ahead to leave the forest.

(3) At the next four-way crossroads, turn left. Continue along this road, ignoring the paths leading off to the right and left, until you reach the district road. Turn left and walk carefully along it for about a hundred metres. Then turn left at a war memorial.

(2) Back at the crossroads you passed on the way there, with a calvary and a bench, turn right towards the village via Rue des Bois. At the crossroads with traffic lights, cross the road carefully at the pedestrian crossing and continue straight ahead along Rue des Noisetiers, following the Anneau Bleu (Blue Ring) signs for the Unterholz route. Walk alongside the buildings, then take a dirt track. At the end of the track, turn left at the T-junction. Return to the village via Rue des Fleurs. You will find your starting point (S/E) at the end of this street.

On the route, before (3), you will find the Notre-Dame de l'Unterholz chapel. This small, well-maintained oratory is ideal for a break. A small poster on site tells you a little more about its history.