Pfaffenheim walks

Loop hike around Gueberschwihr via Saint-Marc Convent.

An easy route that will take you through the dry meadows of Bollenberg overlooking the Alsace plain, between vineyards and mountains.

This is a beautiful hike starting from Eguisheim, offering stunning views over the Alsace plain. We pass by Hagueneck Castle and the Three Castles above Husseren. On the way back, a visit to the picturesque village of Eguisheim is a must, with its beautiful circular rampart street.

This hike could also be called 'Les Balcons de Buhl' (the Buhl balconies). It crosses the Buhlois vineyard, offering magnificent views of the Florival and the Grand Ballon. An additional point of interest is that the circuit crosses old abandoned red sandstone quarries in the Vosges.

This hike takes you around the thatched roofs of the Petit Ballon, allowing you to enjoy views of the surrounding peaks and the thatched roofs that are so characteristic of these Vosges peaks.

This is a very pleasant hike that also offers views of the Alsace plain. The different environments you will pass through will delight walkers who take the time to look around.

The Petit Ballon tour starts at the Wasenmatten farmhouse inn. A challenging start (+300 m) precedes a gentle descent with superb views of the surrounding mountains - the Vosges, the Black Forest, the Jura and, for the lucky ones, the Alps.

A loop from Turckheim through the vineyards. Climb up through the forest via the Ehrbergkopf rock to discover the castles of Hohlandsbourg (wide views over the Alsace plain) and Pflixbourg (view of Trois Epis).

The hike starts in Murbach and allows you to discover several attractions in the valley: Murbach Abbey, the Notre Dame de Lorette Chapel and the ruins of an ancient castle, the Hohrupf.

The hike starts in Jungholtz and crosses the communal forest of Guebwiller to take you to the Col de Peternit. Hike between the Guebwiller and Rimbach valleys, among conifers and deciduous trees. The hike can also be done by mountain bike.

Above Lautenbachzell, this day hike will take you through several different landscapes of the Vosges: orchards and villages in the valley, pine forests, beech woods and stumps. You will reach the Grand Ballon, the highest peak in the Vosges, after walking along the Lac du Grand Ballon and passing near waterfalls.

An original route to get to Lac du Grand Ballon avoiding the road. You will discover beautiful trees, a waterfall and views over the Petit Ballon and the Black Forest along the way.

The Linge region was the scene of bloody clashes in 1914 and 1915. You will discover the remains and traces still very much present on the ground as you follow this route. Between 20 July and 16 October 1915, one of the bloodiest battles of the Great War in the Vosges took place on this section of the Linge-Barrenkopf front, barely 2 km long. It cost the lives of more than 17,000 young French and German soldiers.

Tour and climb to the Grand Ballon from the Glashutte farmhouse inn. This hike offers beautiful views from the highest peak in the Vosges mountains, over the Alsace plain, the Black Forest and, depending on weather conditions, perhaps even the Alps.

This is an easy hike with beautiful views of the Keysersberg valley to the east and the ridges to the west. You will always find a sunny spot for a picnic around Lac des Truites. The Auberge du Lac Noir welcomes you for a break and the Ferme Auberge du Forlet is open at the end of April. You can also eat at the Mussmiss farmhouse inn, which is clearly signposted on arrival at the Col du Wettstein.

Explore the forest, lakes and the Hautes Chaumes, the highlights of this hike that follows Vosges Club trails.

This short hike on trails marked by the Club Vosgien has in the first instance views of the valley of Munster, and also a view of the peaks of the Vosges. The many picnic opportunities around the Lac des Truites or Lac Forlet lakes, the trout spotting opportunities, as well the welcoming farmhouse make for an enjoyable outing.

The Hartmannswillerkopf (Viel Armand in French) was the scene of fierce fighting throughout 1915. Losses amounted to 50,000 dead, evenly divided between the two sides. This hike pays tribute to these soldiers by following part of their trenches. It begins with the ascent of the massif, following the German fortified trenches to the summit where the necropolis is located. The return route descends via the French side, the "Chemin des Dames".

I suggest a fairly long hike with a significant elevation gain, classified as very difficult, which will allow you to discover the Orbey Valley with various remarkable viewpoints and several interesting sites: the Tour du Faudé, destroyed in 1915 and 1944 and rebuilt in the 1990s, the Duchesne Cemetery, a national necropolis for French soldiers who fell at Tête des Faux during theFirst World War, and the Gazon du Faing with its panoramic trail, a veritable balcony overlooking Lac Blanc and the Orbey Valley. Caution! This route includes a very technical and difficult section on the descent from the ridges to Lac Blanc, between points (14) and (15). Do not attempt in wet weather. Choose the alternative route described in the practical information.

An uphill section towards Lake Noir on the slope of Orbey.