Tête du Violu

de fr

Ascent to the Tête du Violu from the Col de Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines via the Carrefour des Biches and the Labyrinth.

Details

n°18514969
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 5.35 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 2h 10 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy
  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 232 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 224 m
  • ▲
    Highest point: 994 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 772 m
Downloads
Open in the mobile app
Download GPX GPX
Download PDF PDF

Description of the walk

Park in the car park at the Col de Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines.

(S/E) Look for the signpost marking the start of the walks. Follow the Green Ring and Blue Ring marked route until you reach the Carrefour des Biches.

(1) Turn left and start the climb which leads straight to the summit of the Tête du Violu. Caution: 1 km climb.

(2) You’ll reach the Tête du Violu, the highest point of the walk and a beautiful viewpoint. Head down to the left towards the Labyrinth, following the Blue Ring markings.

(3) Arrive at the Labyrinth, a site of historical interest from the First World War, with information panels.
Follow the Blue Ring, Red Ring and Yellow Ring markings opposite on theGR® 531, which crosses the former Franco-German border: boundary markers are visible throughout the descent as you head back towards the Col de Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines to return to the car (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 772 m - Start - Col de Sainte-Marie (772m)
  2. 1 : km 1.97 - alt. 835 m - Carrefour des Biches
  3. 2 : km 3.05 - alt. 994 m - Tête du Violu
  4. 3 : km 3.93 - alt. 877 m - Le labyrinthe 887m
  5. S/E : km 5.35 - alt. 772 m - Arrival - Col de Sainte-Marie (772m)

Notes

(3) Take care after the Labyrinth: steep descent in places.

Always be cautious and plan ahead when you're outdoors. Visorando and the author of this route cannot be held responsible for any accidents occurring on this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

Downloads
Open in the mobile app
Download GPX GPX
Download PDF PDF

Reviews and comments

4.6 / 5
Based on 5 reviews
Reliability of the description
4.8 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.6 / 5
Route interest
4.4 / 5
marine.m30
marine.m30

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 09, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average
Very busy route : No

A pleasant walk; the climb up to the Col des Biches is easy. After that, the steep climb begins (always stay on the path on the right).
The section explaining the world premiere is very interesting.

I’d rate this walk as somewhere between easy and moderate: because of the steep climb and the descent before and after the maze, which is more technical. Good walking boots are essential; walking poles are a bonus.

Machine-translated

jollaaur
jollaaur

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 22, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very interesting route, particularly for the First World War ruins.

Machine-translated

jacquelineuhl@wanadoo.fr
jacquelineuhl@wanadoo.fr

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 01, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

I did this route with an extension. There are plenty of alternative routes, and the route on the other side of the pass is also very interesting. The Auberge Bellevue is open again.

Machine-translated

JML88
JML88

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 22, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A lovely, easy walk with beautiful scenery. It’s also informative, with numerous information boards along the route providing details about the border from 1870 to 1918 and the battles of the First World War.

Machine-translated

TRUTTMANN
TRUTTMANN

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Jan 26, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : Yes

No issues

Machine-translated

Other walks in the area

Walking The shelter trail via the Côte d'Échery

Visorando Member
Le chemin des abris par la Côte d'Échery
↔9.68 km ↗+300 m ↘-294 m ◔3h 35 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Wisembach (Vosges)
A short circular walk from the Col de Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines, offering the chance to explore the remains of theFirst World War (1914–1918), including the German army’s installations below the Tête du Violu front line.

Walking Col Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines / Paths of Memory

Visorando Member
Col Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines / Les chemins de la mémoire
↔10.81 km ↗+404 m ↘-405 m ◔4h 15 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Wisembach (Vosges)
A beautiful historical hike near the Wisembach National Forest.A reminder of the facts:1871 - Alsace/Moselle are annexed by Germany, which modernises many areas.1914 - The heir to the Austrian throne is assassinated / Germany declares war on Russia, France and Belgium. Soldiers occupy villages and mountains.November 1918: the trenches are filled in, the blockhouses and other structures destroyed, but around a hundred remain visible in the heights of the Val d'Argent.

Walking From the Col de Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines to the Chaume de Lusse

Visorando Member
↔13.69 km ↗+465 m ↘-465 m ◔5h 15 ▲Difficult
⚑Departure from Wisembach (Vosges)
This circular hike links the Col de Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines to Chaume de Lusse, through typical Vosges forests of beech, fir, blueberry and high-altitude meadows. The forest paths and roads offer beautiful panoramic views of the Val d'Argent and Meurthe valleys. This is a fairly dynamic route that leads to Chaume de Lusse via a varied course, including sustained climbs (which is why we rate it as difficult), forest passages and open ridges. Part of the route runs between Alsace and Lorraine on paths and trails marked by the GR®531, the former border from 1871 to 1918, with boundary stones marked D (Deutschland), often hammered, and F, marking the historic border and named "Chemins de la Grande Guerre" (Paths of the Great War).

Walking Échery, Le Petit Brézouard, Col des Bagenelles

Visorando Member
↔22.62 km ↗+1,112 m ↘-1,113 m ◔9h 35 ▲Difficult
⚑Departure from Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines (Haut-Rhin)
Exploring the old mines of the village of Échery and its Clock Tower. Climb to the summit of the Grand Brézouard and enjoy its 360° panorama of the Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines valley and the Vosges ridges.

Walking La Chaume du Haïcot and Les Deux Brézouard from Échery

Visorando Member
La Chaume du Haïcot et les Deux Brézouard au départ d'Échery
↔16.42 km ↗+885 m ↘-883 m ◔7h 15 ▲Difficult
⚑Departure from Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines (Haut-Rhin)
One of the most beautiful slopes in the Vosges to climb one of the highest peaks in the Vosges, with, as a reward on a clear day, a view of the Bernese Jura and its trilogy of legendary peaks: the Eiger, the Mönch and the Jungfrau, i.e. the Ogre, the Monk and the Virgin. In autumn, when the mist sets in and the days grow shorter, early morning hikers will be impressed by the bellowing of the stags. This route is far from any noise pollution.

Walking From Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines to the top of Violu

Visorando Member
De Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines à la tête du Violu
↔14.77 km ↗+662 m ↘-661 m ◔6h 05 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines (Haut-Rhin)
This is a beautiful hike through lovely forests and magnificent meadows, offering superb views of the valley and the surrounding mountains. You will also discover a whole chapter of the history of Alsace-Moselle: the German occupation from 1870 to 1918, as well as the battles of theFirst World War that took place in the Vosges. The hike presents no difficulty other than a few hundred metres with a 15% gradient after the Col de Sainte-Marie.

Walking Les Brézouard

Visorando Member
Les Brézouard
↔12.17 km ↗+364 m ↘-363 m ◔4h 30 ▲Moderate
⚑Departure from Le Bonhomme (Haut-Rhin)
If you want to go on a beautiful hike starting from the Col des Bagenelles, between the valleys of Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines and Kaysersberg, the Petit and Grand Brezouard tour is for you. Here is the Tour des Petit and Grand Brezouard, which offers views of these two valleys, the Alsace plain and, in the distance, the Black Forest. Very well marked by the Club Vosgien, it is suitable for all types of hikers, including children. 20/08/2024: Hike modified to avoid the Grand Brézouard, which has been unmarked to reinforce the quiet zone.

Walking From the Col des Bagenelles to the Mines d'Échery

Visorando Member
Du Col des Bagenelles aux Mines d' Échery
↔19.03 km ↗+958 m ↘-956 m ◔8h 10 ▲Difficult
⚑Departure from Le Bonhomme (Haut-Rhin)
Beautiful hike in the Val d'Argent, via the Tree of Liberty, to discover the old mines of the village of Échery and its clock tower. Climb to the summit of Grand Brézouard and enjoy a 360° panorama of the Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines valley and the Vosges mountain ranges.

For more walks, use our search engine .

The GPS track and description are the property of this route's author. Please do not copy them without permission.