On the heights of Riquewihr and Hunawihr

The car park is located above Riquewihr. On arriving in the village, go round it to the right, following the ramparts. Once on the other side, walk up the hill until you reach a bridge over the stream, to the left of the road. There is a car park just before the bridge and another just after.

(S/E) Start the walk by heading back up the road you arrived on. You’ll pass the fishing association’s chalet and reach the hairpin bend a little further up. From there, continuing in the same direction and heading up the valley to the left of the stream, take a path marked with red-white-red Red Rectangles towards Reichenstein Castle.

(1) At the castle, you can take the time to walk around it, then continue along the path up the valley. You will come out onto a forest track.

(2) Follow it for about 1 km until you reach a crossroads and then a hairpin bend.

(3) Ignore the crossroads; at the hairpin bend, take the path that leads out above the bend and climbs up the slope to the left. It is signposted with a red-white-red Red Rectangle, heading north-east towards Bilstein Castle. Cross the first forest track diagonally and continue along the path to the next crossroads.

(4) Turn left onto the path towards Aubure and climb up to a large junction of forest tracks. Take the track straight ahead for a few dozen metres to the cross commemorating Johan Floderer (who was struck by lightning at this spot in 1887 at the age of 26).

(5) Just before the cross, take a path leading down to the right; this is the GR®5 marked with a Red Rectangle. It leads very quickly to the Sapin des Français junction.

(6) Continue to the right along the wide, mostly flat forest track heading east. At the first crossroads, turn left and at the second, turn right to cross some old meadows. At the end of the track is the old Baerenhutte forest house.

(7) Go round it on the right, passing between the house itself and the barn/stable. The path, marked with the Blue Disc, continues across the old meadow and climbs through the forest. At the end, it takes you to the pass and joins the GR®5, then on to Bilstein Castle.

(8) After your visit, retrace your steps back to the pass and take the path that descends to the left towards the south, in the direction of Hunawir/Ribeauvillé. It goes round the Schlosberg and arrives at a junction of forest tracks (elevation 723).

(9) Continue straight ahead on the Blue Disc-marked path heading south. After about 400 m, keep left; the path turns east and reaches another junction of forest tracks. Stay on the one marked with the Blue Disc straight ahead and you will reach the Col du Seelacker.

(10) From here, follow the Blue Cross markings, heading east then north-east towards the ruins of Sylo. The path initially follows the contour lines before gradually veering to the right and beginning to descend. Further on, it crosses another path at a right angle.

(11) Continue down the slope until you reach the ruins of the Dominican convent of Saint-Nicolas-de-Sylo, built in the early^13th century.

(12) After your visit,retrace your steps back up to the path you crossed a little earlier.

(11) Turn left onto it, heading south. It is marked with the Yellow Triangle; it crosses the Blue Disc path and then joins the Yellow Cross path coming from the right, leading after a 3 km steady descent back to your starting point after crossing the bridge over the stream (S/E).

Club Vosgien trail markers

There are no water points along the route.

The old Baerenhutte forest house can be used as shelter in case of rain or for a picnic. Other picnic spots include: Bilstein Castle at the foot of the tower or the Sylo ruins.

The medieval village of Riquewihr and all the other neighbouring villages on the Alsace Wine Route.

The three castles of Ribeauvillé.