A circular loop around the village of Fréland

This route will take you from an ancient Roman road to the heights of Fréland. Done in good weather at the end of winter, it offers a varied and peaceful hike. Along the way, you will see the first primroses, streams and a view of the Lapoutroie valley. On the way back, it is always a pleasure to cross Fréland. A short visit to the Welche country museum and its adjoining inn will be a pleasant way to round off the walk.

Details

1905969
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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 7.32 mi
  • ◔
    Average duration: 4h 40 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 1,499 ft
  • ↘
    Descent: - 1,499 ft

  • ▲
    Highest point: 2,762 ft
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 1,263 ft

Photos

Description of the walk

The starting point is on the road from Kaysersberg. Before reaching the village, look for a chapel on the right-hand side of the D11 road. Park opposite on a large space after crossing a bridge.

(S/E) Take the small road leading to Préchamps in the south for 100 metres. The road goes around the back of a building and immediately after, on the right, take a steep path marked with a sign saying "Ancienne voie romaine" (Old Roman road). The steep path turns into a gentle climb to reach the first carriage road.

(1) Turn left and then immediately right onto an old path that climbs gently towards the houses above, where you will reach a small road. Follow it to the left and, at the electricity pole, turn right. The path climbs and goes around the back of a property on the left. Continue climbing to reach a new road.

(2) Continue climbing, following the road for about 100 metres. Take a path that climbs to the left at the first bend just above the houses. Continue until you reach an antenna and then a forest path.

(3) Turn right towards Ribeaugoutte until you reach a bend in a small road.

(4) At the bend, follow the road to the right to climb up to the Col de Chamont.

(5) Pass to the left of two ceramic creations and take the road towards Bambois, which you will leave at the first crossroads to follow the road to the right towards Le Barlin.

(6) Stay on this road, which becomes a carriageway, and continue towards Le Barlin until you reach the intersection of two main roads.

(7) Take the road on the right, still signposted "Le Barlin".

(8) At Le Barlin, continue along the main road, which descends steadily, ignoring any turnings. The descent continues and ends at an old fish farm.

(9) Take the road that descends to the right and soon joins the main road leading to the village of Fréland.

(10) Follow the main street and continue downhill until you reach a bus shelter on the right.

(11) Cross the stream via the bridge to reach Rue des Primevères and immediately turn left to return to your starting point below (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : mi 0 - alt. 1,263 ft - Rest area opposite the Saint-Gérard Chapel
  2. 1 : mi 0.43 - alt. 1,594 ft - Towards the hamlet of Chêne
  3. 2 : mi 0.72 - alt. 1,827 ft - Viewpoint over Fréland
  4. 3 : mi 1.12 - alt. 2,123 ft - Antenna
  5. 4 : mi 1.49 - alt. 2,093 ft - Ascent to the Chamont Pass
  6. 5 : mi 1.83 - alt. 2,234 ft - Col de Chamont (681m)
  7. 6 : mi 2.33 - alt. 2,507 ft - Grand Brézouard crossroads
  8. 7 : mi 3.2 - alt. 2,740 ft - Crossroads on the way back
  9. 8 : mi 3.87 - alt. 2,487 ft - The Barlin
  10. 9 : mi 5.1 - alt. 1,936 ft - Former fish farm
  11. 10 : mi 5.83 - alt. 1,621 ft - Main road
  12. 11 : mi 6.9 - alt. 1,329 ft - Bus shelter
  13. S/E : mi 7.32 - alt. 1,263 ft - Rest area opposite the Saint-Gérard Chapel

Notes

Good walking shoes are recommended for this easy hike. For purists, I should point out that there are long stretches on asphalt, but these are deserted roads leading to high-altitude farms.

Worth a visit

The route offers views of the Fréland valley and the Lapoutroie valley, as well as the Grand Faudé tower.

At the Chamont Pass, beautiful statues created by a collective under the direction of two local artists are well worth seeing.

The walk between the old mountain dwellings is very pleasant. Stroll along the main road in Fréland, look at the picturesque street names, the houses with their small details, some with original shapes and engraved door pediments.

If the Pays Welche museum is open, you can discover the local history and enjoy a meal in the museum restaurant or at the Kablin hotel restaurant.

Reviews and comments

4.5 / 5
Based on 16 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.5 / 5
Ease of following the route
4.6 / 5
Route interest
4.4 / 5
litzler maurice
litzler maurice

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : May 27, 2026
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

I took a different route / I really wanted to walk through the woods because of the intense heat / I went via the Green Circle instead of taking the Yellow Circle at Knolpré / packed lunch at Barlin / please note: Barlin is a private chalet

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glbrtg5@aol.com
glbrtg5@aol.com

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 25, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Very beautiful region, similar to the Black Forest.

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Schmitt christiane
Schmitt christiane

Overall rating : 4 / 5

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

Please note that there is a picnic table after point number 7.

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CHRISTIANRANDO2017
CHRISTIANRANDO2017

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : May 20, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful, authentic hike with an interesting elevation gain that requires some effort. It's good for the heart.
Halfway there, you arrive at the ST ALEXIS inn and its chapel. It's best to book in advance, but we were lucky enough to be able to eat the typical Alsatian dish and were welcomed by friendly, helpful and pleasant people despite the crowds.
A map and/or GPS can sometimes be useful for finding your way and reassuring yourself.
I recommend this hike.

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philunger
philunger
• Edited:

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 18, 2023
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Beautiful views, a bit of a challenging start with a steep climb, but you're rewarded at the top. Hike with varied trails. One small downside is that crossing Freland is unpleasant, as there is a lot of traffic and the pavements are very narrow in some places, which is a bit dangerous ⚠️.

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Panthère4
Panthère4

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 13, 2022
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful walk, but the first few kilometres are quite steep!
In some places, I was glad to see the route on my GPS!

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alsaco2
alsaco2

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 04, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Beautiful hike, stunning views, pleasant walk through the village, easy parking, perfect in every way.
Thanks to the organiser.

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idbernard68
idbernard68

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 25, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A lovely walk offering beautiful panoramic views during the first half of the route.
After that, it becomes more shaded with sections through the forest. Contrary to other reviews, we enjoyed crossing the village of Fréland at the end.
The description is well done, but you always need to have it in front of you so you don't miss anything, especially at the beginning of the walk.
This route is very quiet; on a Saturday in good weather, we didn't meet a single other hiker.
I recommend this route

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Denis_68
Denis_68

I'm really sorry you didn't see the start. You're the first ones. It must have been a magnetic effect caused by the storm . The start is towards the south, on the small road that goes down to Prechamps. The trail starts very quickly behind the building on the other side of the road. So it's on the right when you're on the road. I don't understand what you mean when you say that the directions for the start are reversed. I hope your next walks with Visorando will be more enjoyable.
Kind regards
Denis

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Bruno Gaugler
Bruno Gaugler

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 24, 2021
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Following a storm, we only managed to complete the first 4 km, but at the start of the unmaintained path, the directions were reversed, and after 1 km we had to make a detour to avoid walking among the cows. After the first 2 km, the path was well signposted.

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weissguyot
weissguyot

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 20, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Very beautiful passages through mountain farmland, with the added bonus of the smells of manure spreading! It's that time of year. Beautiful Vosges cows.
On the other hand, crossing Fréland is really tedious and much too long in proportion to the total route.
Is there an alternative route?

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les bubus
les bubus

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Jul 04, 2020
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

hike as described. We printed this route from Visorando. We enjoyed this hike, even crossing the village of Fréland was interesting, despite having to walk on a narrow pavement. But as we had been warned, there were no disappointments
a walk to recommend

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CarCornil
CarCornil

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Jun 10, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good

70% wood
Our visit to the village of Fréland was disappointing... based on our visits to other villages in the same region.
The rest of the

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Roesch Astrid
Roesch Astrid

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : May 13, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good

A very beautiful hike with open landscapes overlooking the valleys and plains.

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Papinouxe
Papinouxe

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 20, 2019
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average

Moderate hike but with a nice climb to point 7, which is indeed a nice climb, but not difficult. Beautiful views of Fréland and Ribeaugoutte. At point 8, the signage changes to red/white/red rectangles, running alongside a beautiful little stream that is currently well supplied. It's a shame that this stream ends on the Fréland road from point 10 to the finish, which is much less interesting, especially as the pavements are not very wide... So for us, there was a bit too much tarmac, but hey, we were warned!

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