Westhalten Strangenberg Oelberg

Parking is available in the cemetery car park on Rue de l’Église.

(S/E) From the car park, head towards the church; note the adjoining Lourdes Grotto on your right. Head down towards the village, then take the first street on the left, Rue Haute, and follow the purple and white sign for ‘Vignoble et collines sèches’ towards Strangenberg (Red Triangle markings). The climb is steep, but everyone can adjust their pace to ensure it remains enjoyable. Continue straight up, passing a small retention basin, until you reach a crossroads surrounded by vineyards.

(1) Turn left, then right, following the signposting towards Strangenberg. Ignore all paths on the left until you reach a hairpin bend.

(2) The signposts indicate you should continue straight on along a grassy path, but it’s better to follow the bend to the right to avoid a short, stony slope, leading to the summit of the Strangenberg. Take the first path immediately on the left and follow it due north to the end of the hilltop ridge.

(3) Turn right to join the small access road to the summit car park, and follow it to the left. Ignore the access road to the mast on the right, and head down towards the Col du Neuland on the left, passing by the three well-shaded car parks.

(4) Take the path marked with a Red Triangle on the right, towards the Oelberg Chapel. See the ‘Places to see’ section.

(5) Return along the same path, in the opposite direction, to the Col du Neuland.

(4) Walk past the picnic area. Take the tarmac road on the left, which leads back down towards Westhalten. Follow it to the entrance to the village, where you’ll find the car park on the left (S/E).

Picnic table and benches at the Col du Neuland (4). The table and benches are made of solid stone blocks. At midday, they are in the shade. Bring something to sit on as they are cold.

Benches near the Oelberg Chapel (5) and about 200 metres past point (2).

(5) Oelberg Chapel: https://pop.culture.gouv.fr/notice/merimee

Inside the chapel there are three statues depicting the apostles Peter and John (the statue of James has disappeared), who were with Christ during his agony in Gethsemane, as well as Christ himself. Until around the 1970s, these three statues stood on a hillock, the ‘Mount of Olives’, just to the left of the chapel. They were vandalised and decapitated in the 19th or early 20th century.

St Blaise’s Church: https://www.paroisses-valleenoble.org/downloads/plaquettewesthalten.pdf

The pulsatilla, also known as the Easter flower because it blooms at this time of year, is a poisonous plant. It thrives in chalky, poor and dry soil such as that found on the Strangenberg, which is home to an exceptional variety of flora.

Viewpoints: all along the climb up to the Strangenberg, views over Westhalten and the vineyards. At the summit, views over the Rhine plain, the Bollenberg, the Grand and Petit Ballon, and the Black Forest. As you walk along the ridge, there are 360° views towards Colmar and the wine-growing villages...