Day 1: Arrival

Make your own way by train or car to the hotel in Wissembourg (German: Weißenburg); extra nights available.

After arriving in Wissembourg on the Franco-German border in Alsace, take time to explore this small town at leisure. As a gateway to the region and to the Northern Vosges Regional Nature Park, Wissembourg surprises with its historical and architectural wealth, bearing witness to a flourishing past. The Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul Abbey Church is the second most important Gothic building in Alsace after Strasbourg Cathedral.

Day 2: Wissembourg - Lembach

Head towards the Col du Pigeonnier and Pfaffenschlick; climb the Soultzerkopf before reaching Lembach, a small village with a big history. The “Four à chaux”, a key work of the Maginot Line, cut into a limestone hill, can be visited. Its galleries, plunging thirty metres underground, housed up to 600 men and 24 officers in 1939. (approx. 23 km
750 m ascent
715 m descent)

Day 3: Lembach - Obersteinbach

On today’s programme are Löwenstein, Hohenburg, Fleckenstein and Frönsburg. Four imposing castles that have occupied the strategically advantageous Schlossberg since the 12th and 13th centuries. Fleckenstein is undoubtedly the most impressive: this fortress, largely hewn into the rock, is embedded in stone of spectacular proportions. From the top of this mighty witness to the history of the Holy Roman Empire in Lower Alsace, you enjoy exceptional views over the Northern Vosges and the Palatinate. Overnight in Obersteinbach, a small rural village deep in the forest. (approx. 18 km
620 m ascent
570 m descent)

Day 4: Obersteinbach – Niederbronn-les-Bains

Climb up through the Steinbach valley, pass Schloss Schöneck and ascend to the Großen Wintersberg, at 581 m the highest point of the Northern Vosges. The tower built on the summit offers a panoramic view of the Northern Vosges massif, the Black Forest and the Palatinate. On clear days you can even see the spire of Strasbourg Cathedral. Via the Dittenthal and the Camp Celtique you reach the spa town of Niederbronn-les-Bains. (approx. 16 km
600 m ascent
660 m descent)

Day 5: Niederbronn-les-Bains - Ingwiller area

After the ascent to the Château de la Wasenbourg, which overlooks Niederbronn-les-Bains, you cross the pretty villages of Oberbronn, Offwiller and Rothbach to Ingwiller. (approx. 21 km
730 m ascent
730 m descent).

Day 6: Ingwiller area - La Petite Pierre

Walk through beautiful forests and the Meisenbach valley to the summit of the Englischberg, the “mountain of the English”. A glorious panorama opens out over the Northern Vosges. It was here that in 1365, during the Hundred Years’ War, the English mercenaries took refuge. From this summit, strewn with impressive sandstone rocks in astonishing forms, you pick up the GR-Route to La Petite-Pierre. (approx. 19 km
590 m ascent
420 m descent)

Day 7: La Petite Pierre - Saverne

You soon reach the “Rocher du Corbeau”. Then descend to the village of Graufthal, known for its unique cave dwellings hewn from the rock. It offers authentic charm and a rich medieval history. Finally, you reach Saverne, the pretty capital of the Northern Vosges. (approx. 21 km
550 m ascent
680 m descent)

Day 8: Departure

Extra nights in Saverne are possible,

Journey home or return to Wissembourg by train.

Arrival:

Daily from 28 March to 10 October

Make your own way to Wissembourg by car, train or bus

Free parking at the hotel

If arriving by train, to Wissembourg station

From Wissembourg to Saverne you follow the GR53 through the Northern Vosges Regional Nature Park, part of the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Shaded paths lead through fir and beech forests to castles such as Löwenstein, Fleckenstein and Schöneck, to red sandstone outcrops and remnants of the Maginot Line. Highlights include the Große Wintersberg and the cave dwellings of Graufthal. Stages 16–23 km, a total of approx. 118 km. Charming villages line the route. Extra nights in Wissembourg and Saverne available.

Any public transport fares are extra.