Hiking in Alsace

The Alsatian part of the Vosges offers a multitude of hikes to explore its lakes surrounded by rocks and forests. Most of them are thousands of years old and are nestled in a mountainous landscape with rounded shapes that have been levelled by time. This particular relief makes it possible to multiply the number of walks through the Regional Natural Park of the Ballons des Vosges at medium altitude and by the water.

Hardened walkers or not, in family stroll mode or in itinerant hike on the Traversée du Massif des Vosges (GR®53 - GR5®), each lake will tell you its story. There is of course the Ballon lake situated between the Petit Ballon (1272 mètres altitude) and the Grand Ballon (1424 mètres altitude). But if you like colours, try the white and black (Orbey) and green (Soultzeren) lakes. If you are looking for views, try the Lac des Perches (Rimbach-pr's-Masevaux) or the Lac des Truites, also called Lac du Forlet (Soultzeren). If you are looking for a family holiday, try the Kruth-Wildenstein lake.

Indissociable from lakes in Alsace, waterfalls like the Nideck waterfall in Oberhaslach are a must-see.

From its geographical position, Alsace has always been in the spotlight of history. Numerous more or less well-preserved vestiges are still there to testify to a sometimes tumultuous past.

Some of these vestiges are still there.

Strong castles, such as the Haut Koenigsbourg castle (757 metres above sea level), Orschwiller or the Fleckenstein castle (338 metres above sea level), are still there;Lembach, ruins, churches, abbeys and museums can be seen on the many hiking trails in Alsace. Not far from Obernai, Mont Saint-Odile, a high spiritual place in the department, is particularly well known to walkers.

Colmar, Eguisheim, Ribeauvill, Riquewihr, Kaysersberg, etc. The walks in the heart of Alsace's towns and villages are also a reminder of the past, with their famous half-timbered houses. And great architects have left their mark with the Vauban dam in Strasbourg and the fortifications in Neuf Brisach.

The reputation of Alsatian wines is well established. They have long since earned their letters of nobility. They invite you to travel by their gustatory value, and the hiker can soak up their ancestral culture along the paths and tracks. Numerous hiking trails criss-cross the vineyards of Alsace to discover the passion of those who work the land to obtain the divine nectar.

Whether they are gourmet, unusual or even delightful, these hiking itineraries will create rich and varied emotions in those who venture out. To go further into the wine tradition in Alsace, don't forget to visit the Alsace Wine Museum in Kientzheim in the Haut-Rhin.