Vieux-Ferrette walks

A beautiful hike to discover Ferrette, a beautiful medieval town with its castle and the Grotte des Nains (Dwarves' Cave) with its famous legend known to everyone in Alsace.

Ferrette is a medieval town situated in southern Alsace, in the Sundgau region at the gateway to the Jura. There are many places to see around the town, including the castle, the Loechlenfelsen, the Grotte des Nains, the Rossberg and the ruins on the Kastelberg. This walk forms a double circular route. You can therefore split the route into two sections. There are numerous viewpoints along this circular route, particularly in the first section, but most of the route runs through woodland.

This is an opportunity to visit the ruined castle and the town of the powerful Counts of Ferrette. Narrow, romantic paths lead to stunning limestone promontories and the mysterious Grotte des Nains (Dwarves' Cave), which is the subject of a famous legend.

Koestlach has a rich heritage that we invite you to discover on this circular walk, which will take you up the slopes of the Burgerwald to explore the Celtic oppidum of Kasteberg. You will end your walk through the village by discovering the prestigious furnishings of Saint-Léger Church, as well as the Chapel of Our Lady of Seven Sorrows, the legends of Kugele and the village of Erzach, the presbytery of Nicolas Delfis and the remains of an ancient Gallo-Roman settlement.

In warm weather, this is a pleasant walk from the Ill valley to the old bed of the Rhine at the foot of the Jura mountains. The well-marked path offers plenty of opportunities to rest and leads to a strange crypt, the last vestige of a convent destroyed during the Revolution, where the shadow of an exiled poet still lingers.

According to Marc Glotz, "The Sundgau has only two Romanesque churches, both founded by the dynasties that shared the region in the Middle Ages: the Habsburgs and the Ferrettes. While Ottmarsheim evokes Carolingian grandeur, Feldbach recalls monastic simplicity. You leave it as if returning from a pilgrimage, with a renewed sense of serenity and the impression of having encountered the fleeting shadows of the counts."

This walk can be started from the Col du Neuneich, which is accessible by car from the village of Ligsdorf (please note that this is a forest road). It is also the second part of the circular "Around the Glaserberg". It takes walkers to the heart of the Glaserberg massif, above Kiffis. You will reach a ridge offering superb panoramic views of the Swiss Jura before arriving at the Col du Blochmont and the Hornihof farm, home to hundreds of llamas grazing in the pastures.

This hike allows you to discover parts of the region's history during the Second World War, in the context of the liberation of Alsace, by following part of the Sentier des Marocains (Moroccan Trail). It also allows you to discover magnificent landscapes in the Swiss Jura, the Sundgau and the foothills of the Vosges and the Black Forest, then to follow the source of the Ill on your return to the starting point.

This family hike takes you to the majestic Gros Chêne de Sondersdorf. Entirely in the forest, it passes through the Raedersdorf Discovery Trail, decorated with around fifty (or more) wooden sculptures and dotted with educational panels that are sure to interest children. Best done in dry weather in any season.If you only want to do the discovery trail and see the sculptures, see Practical Information.

The walk leads to the heart of the Glaserberg massif, above Winkel. You will cross the Saint-Pierre State Forest to Neuneich, where you can enjoy sweeping views of the Alsatian Jura.

The hike has been modified and no longer passes by the Ferme de la Vacherie. A lovely little walk, mostly on fairly wide paths, leading to beautiful viewpoints and sites of historical interest such as the Mannlefelsen caves and Morimont Castle. There is a slight incline on the first part of the route to add a little spice to this easy hike.

The landscapes you pass through here are among the most beautiful in the Sundgau region. The rock shelter of Mannlefelsen, a major Mesolithic site in Alsace, precedes the Ebourbettes, which tell the story of General Giraud's escape in 1942. Further on, the ruins of Morimont offer an interesting history lesson on how a medieval castle was adapted to firearms.

Speaking of this part of the Sundgau, André Gide wrote:"One is constantly surprised, as one crosses the forest, to find oneself in the presence of an unsuspected sheet of water, mysteriously asleep in the shelter of the beech forests; rushes adorn narrow sandy beaches at the edge of large fields of water lilies. There are also several reminders of the First World War and the front line that separated Largitzen from Bisel.

Starting from Linsdorf, between forest and fields, the route climbs to the Eichwald plateau, alternating between woods and fields, leading successively to the Abri de la Fuste, on the heights of Bettlach, and the Sentier des Casemates, connecting three imposing forts of the Maginot Line. The Casemates Trail is dotted with information panels explaining the history of the Maginot Line. The route also offers beautiful views of the Ill Valley and the Jura Mountains.

This second stage begins in France and rejoins the Jura trail at the Ébourbettes farm. You will walk along a border path and, at Roc au Corbeau, enjoy a view of Alsace. Until Vendlincourt, you will walk through alternating pastures and wooded areas. Before arriving in Porrentruy, you will enjoy an open-air exhibition of wooden animal sculptures. Don't miss a visit to the historic town of Porrentruy and its castle.

Kilometre Zero is the starting point of the front line established during theFirst World War. It is located on the current French-Swiss border, at a place called Le Largin. The Kilometre Zero trail explores three sections of the front line, the first kilometres of the French and German fronts, and the Swiss front at Le Largin, established along the border opposite the no man's land where boundary marker No. 111, considered the zero point of the Great War front line, is located.

This hike takes place in the Swiss Jura mountains, both in the canton of Basel-Landschaft and especially in the canton of Jura, right on the border with France near Kiffis. Magnificent, varied landscapes of hills, pastures, forests and small villages clinging to the hillsides or nestled in the valleys. These are picture-postcard landscapes, which walkers can explore via paths and trails that wind their way up and down hills in beautiful, well-maintained natural surroundings.

Short, easy walk, mainly on local paths.

The village of Levoncourt is located on the D411, 12 km from Ferrette. Mont Perrou is a 767-metre-high peak in the Ajoie region of Switzerland, near the French-Swiss border.

Climb up to Roc au Corbeau, which straddles the French-Swiss border.

The Raemel massif forms the northernmost foothills of the Jura. The highest point is the eponymous summit, also known as Raemelspitz, which rises to 831 metres. From the viewing platform, there is a breathtaking view of the surrounding area. Almost the entire route runs through woodland. Only the last 5 kilometres pass through orchards. Apart from the panoramic views, there are several points of interest along the route, including the Biederthal Gorges and the Lutter Spring.

The Raemel mountain range, two kilometres long, blocks the horizon and rises to an altitude of 832 metres. It is the highest point in the Alsatian Jura, accessible via a picturesque limestone ridge, the Sentier des douaniers or smugglers' path, which follows the French-Swiss border. This is a fairly challenging walk, but it offers magnificent views of the Swiss Jura.

Hike through forests, meadows and pastures in a region of the Swiss Jura near the French border.

This is a pleasant hike where you will come across old farms and large boundary markers marking the Swiss border through a beautiful pine forest and, above all, the Abbaye de Lucelle, better known today as the "Centre Européen de Rencontres" (European Meeting Centre).

The walk begins at the site of Lucelle Abbey, isolated from the hustle and bustle of the world. The monastery was once a shining beacon and its history can still be seen in the few remaining buildings. From here, a Swiss getaway allows you to discover a curious rock shelter suspended above the river's source. You then climb back up to the plateau overlooking a valley enclosed between two wooded ridges and crossed by the winding waters of the Lucelle.

This hike takes place in the Swiss Jura mountains, in the canton of Solothurn, right on the border with France near Kiffis. Varied landscapes in beautiful, well-maintained natural surroundings. The path first runs along La Lucelle, then winds its way up and down hills, passing isolated farms at high altitude, pastures that tumble down to the valley floor and passes that offer breathtaking views of this part of the Jura. A very beautiful route, not to be missed.

The peaceful village of Pleigne is located on a Jura plateau at an altitude of around 800 metres. It is the centre of a commune that stretches north to the French-Swiss border marked by the Lucelle, the river that gave its name to the lake and the small town famous for its Cistercian abbey.The route begins with the Pleigne panoramic trail and observation tower, then leaves the plateau, its pastures and farms, to descend around Lake Lucelle. Return along the river, passing close to the caves, to climb back up to the plateau through the Côte de May forest and its legendary Rocher de la Fille de Mai (Rock of the May Girl).

A long hike with superb views of the Vosges, the Black Forest and the Jura. There are numerous points of interest with information boards, benches and water points along the route.

A hike through the beautiful Sundgau forests dotted with ponds, with no major difficulties except for the walking time. There are many places to stop for a snack along the route.

A hike starting from Hirtzbach that passes through Largitzen and Heimersdorf. There are many remnants of theFirst World War along the route.

Hirtzbach is well worth a visit. The castle, English park and opulent residences of Unterdorf are neatly lined up on either side of the stream, whose banks are beautifully flowered in summer. Along the way, a rural and wooded detour leads to the site of the vanished village of Sankt-Glückern and the Landfürstenweyer, the Princes' Pond, with its still waters.