Cross-border trail from the Col du Litschhof to Nothweiler

(Start/Finish) From the Col du Litschhof, take the path heading eastwards between the road and the hut (shelter available). The path runs alongside the road, slightly above it, through the woods. Join the road and, shortly afterwards, turn right onto an uphill forest track. At the exit of a right-hand bend, take a path down to the left. Join a road and follow it to the left for a few tens of metres.

(1) At the junction, follow a gently ascending path to the right along the hillside. Ignore a path on the right and continue north. Clearing in the woods offer lovely views of Wegelnburg Castle. The path turns north-east and, further on, reaches a junction.

(2) Turn onto the path on the right and follow it to a mountain spur. When you reach it, take the path to the left, which descends steeply. At the bottom, join a track and follow it to the left to reach a sort of small pass (a hut with picnic tables).

(3) Take the first path on the right, which leads downhill. You’ll join a track; follow it to the right until you reach the Eisenerzgrube Nothweiler iron mine site. Pass through the first metal gate (buildings fitted out for visitors) and continue down a gentle slope to a second gate.

(4) Walk back to the small pass.

(3) Continue straight on (west; south-west) along a forest track. Immediately turn left onto this track and walk slightly downhill, along the mountainside, to a small car park. The track gives way to a small road which leads to Nothweiler after three hairpin bends. Come out onto the main road and follow it to the left for a few metres.

(5) Then turn left at the edge of a small clearing. Continue along a path to the right between two buildings. Join the road again and follow it to the left. Leave the village and continue along the road until you reach a large car park on the left-hand side (Wanderparkplatz; former customs post hut).

(6) The road makes a left turn: carry on straight ahead along a path. At the edge of the woods on your right, follow the valley floor, which is covered in grassland. At a fork in the road, take the left-hand path (the narrower one) and continue along the valley floor. Enter a woodland. At the junction further on, take a path on the left. You’ll come out onto a road; follow it carefully to the right (south).

(7) A little further up, at a bend to the left, take the path on the right running along the edge of the woodland. Walk alongside a meadow and, at the corner of the meadow, take the path on the left which leads away from it. Continue along the path which runs alongside the small road at some distance to your right. This will take you to the Col du Litschhof (S/E).

The car park is situated at the Col du Litschhof.

This hike, which takes place over varied terrain, requires suitable footwear.

This walk, inspired by the “Sentier saute-frontière” walk organised by the Sauer-Pechelbronn Tourist Office, is only partially signposted. Furthermore, given the multitude of signposted paths in the Vosges, it is advisable to follow the instructions in the description and on the map, whilst also paying close attention to the landscape. The waypoints (with their GPS coordinates and the distance from the starting point) serve as aids for hikers exploring the route for the first time.

Hike completed by the author on 29 October 2019

Former customs post hut
This post temporarily monitored this border crossing, which was equipped with a barrier, allowing limited traffic
Nothweiler (D) / Wingen (F)
The course of the border was definitively established in 1826 (report of 2 March 1826, Niedersteinbach).
This border was rendered obsolete from 1871 to 1918 and from 1939 to 1945.
Border controls were abolished on 1 January 1993, following the Schengen Agreements.
The hut was built in 1969.
From 1922 onwards, customs officers and their families lived at No. 5 Rue Principale. From 1937 onwards, they lived at No. 34 on the same street.
Source: information sign next to the hut

Eisenerzgrube Nothweiler iron ore mine
Open from April to October, Wednesday to Sunday, with guided tours every hour from 11.00 to 17.00
Source: leaflet from the Sauer-Pechelbronn Tourist Office, 67510 Lembach.

Wegelnburg Castle in Germany
Wegelnburg Castle, in the Northern Vosges, resembles an ocean liner ‘perched’ on a rock. Situated at an altitude of 572 metres, it is the highest castle in the Palatinate.
Wegelnburg Castle is situated 1 km west of the small German village of Nothweiler, to the north of the magnificent Fleckenstein Castle (in France)
History
At the end of the^12th century, Frederick Barbarossa ordered the construction of a castle on this site. (This theory is disputed by many historians).
In 1247, a document attests that a castle belonging to the Emperor was occupied by the Wegelnburg family.
Around 1270, a ‘robber knight’ named Albert von Géroldseck took refuge in this castle, terrorising the local population and extorting money from travellers.
In 1272, the Strasbourg army attacked the castle and destroyed the ramparts using stone-throwers. Calm returned to the region.
Around 1273, the Fleckenstein family illegally occupied the rebuilt buildings. The estate was no longer part of the Emperor’s territory.
Around 1282, Oton III of Ochsenstein, the Grand Bailiff, demanded the return of the castle. Faced with his authority, the Fleckensteins abandoned the territory, which once again became the Emperor’s land.
Around 1330, Emperor Louis of Bavaria entrusted the management of the lands to his nephews. These Counts Palatine (see title of nobility) appointed bailiffs to administer the estates.
From 1410 onwards, through alliances and inheritances, the castle passed through the hands of numerous successive owners
In 1444, the castle belonged to Louis of the Palatinate. This family founded a line that would hold Wegelnburg Castle for 350 years and become a powerful force in the region: the Dukes of Deux Ponts.
By around 1479, the castle no longer played a significant ‘military’ role, but rather served as the bailiff’s residence from which to administer fishing on the lakes, ore mining, the operation of the forges, and so on.
Around 1575, the Duke died in ruin. His successor appointed a new bailiff whose primary role was to make the estate profitable. This individual neglected the upkeep of the castle and even had some walls demolished to sell the stones.
In 1618, the Thirty Years’ War began.
In 1635, a Croatian army in the service of the Empire ravaged the castle.
On 24 October 1648, the Treaty of Westphalia was signed, bringing the Thirty Years’ War to an end.
In 1677, a document mentions the castle’s state of partial disrepair.
In 1680, King Louis XIV (see list of kings) sent a force commanded by Marshal Monclar to occupy the region. The castle was looted and then blown up.
In 1793, the revolutionaries drove out the bailiff and seized the castle as national property.
In the^20th century, consolidation work was carried out, making the site accessible to visitors.

In the^21st century, the ruins are freely accessible and admission is free. The risk of being hit by a falling stone is low, but you should exercise caution.
Source: website of the Feudal Castle and Medieval Ruins by the Chevalier Dauphinois