Saverne, Stambach and the three castles

Free car park at the Haut-Barr secondary school on the edge of the D102.

(S/E) Head towards the D102 and turn right, then immediately left onto the path climbing through the woods, marked with a Red Rectangle with a white cross and a Green Ring. Cross a road and continue straight ahead.

(1) Just before the next road, continue left (marked with a Red Rectangle for^{the GR®®53}). Walk for about 300 m along the path that climbs and reach a fork.

(2) Leave the^GR®® and take the path on the right leading downhill, marked with a Red Ring and Blue Cross, towards Stambach. Cross the road (take care) and follow it to the right for about 200 m, then take the track on the left at the three-way junction, keep left at the next junction and reach the following one. Continue to the right along the Chemin Forestier du Président and, at the next three-way junction, keep left. After the right-hand bend, join the left-hand bend and, within this bend, find the start of a path on the right.

(3) Follow this path downhill, marked with a Red Triangle. Cross a track and, in the valley, take a sharp right-hand bend. Continue for about 400 m and take the path on the left. Join a track at the bottom of the slope and follow it to the left until you reach the Baerenbach waterworks building.

(4) Turn left, following the path to the left of the road. It follows the valley uphill, marked with a Red Saltire, a Yellow Saltire and a Blue Rectangle of^{the GR®®531}, and reaches a fork with a path that branches off to the left in a hairpin bend.

(5) Follow this path, marked with a Blue Rectangle crossed with a White Rectangle, straight up the hill until you reach a bend in the Chemin Forestier du Président track.

(6) Continue right along this track, marked with a Blue Cross, to the Schaeferplatz Forest House.

(7) Turn right and, a few metres further on, turn right again onto the Hirschberg Forest Track, marked with a Red Ring, and head for the Billebaum junction by continuing straight ahead on the main track.

(8) Continue left, following the same markings, to the pass at elevation 459, a few metres past the car park, then turn left (marked with a Red Rectangle crossed out in a White Rectangle) and climb to the summit of the Hirschberg.

(9) Turn back and, a few metres further on, turn left and continue (same markings) downhill. Cross a track and continue along the path that follows the top of the ridge to return to the Schaeferplatz Forest House.

(7) Continue to the right for a few metres and take the path on the left, marked with a Red Rectangle for^{the GR®®53}, which runs above the track. Reach the start of a hairpin bend on the left.

(10) Follow this path, passing the Cuve de Pierre, then follow the ridge uphill. At the Grotte du Brotsch, continue to the plateau and turn right to reach the Tour du Brotsch.

(11) Turn right, following the same markings, and descend to the road at the Table des Sorcières.

(12) Cross the road and take the path that veers left, marked with the Red Saltire, to climb up to Petit Geroldseck.

(13) Continue along the summit ridge to reach the ruins of Grand Geroldseck Castle.

(14) Go round it on the left.

(15) Walk past the Télégraphe tower and continue to the ruins of Haut-Barr Castle.

(16) Continue, still following, more or less, the ridge line, on the^GR®®53marked with a Red Rectangle, downhill to the junction encountered on the way up.

(2) Continue straight downhill in the opposite direction to the outward journey.

(1) At the bottom of the slope, turn right, following the Green Ring and White Rectangle markings, and head to the car park of the Haut-Barr secondary school (S/E).

Refreshments at Château du Haut-Barr.

Names and meanings of Club Vosgien signposts.