Overview
A seven day, self-guided tour walking in Alsace, France’s exquisite region of castles, vineyards, forests and medieval architecture. You are immersed into Alsace’s medieval marvels from day one, with the tour starting in Saverne, in the foothills of the Vosges Mountains. Your journey continues south, with highlights including ascents to Château du Haut-Barr and Schneeberg (961m), as well as Nideck Waterfall and Vallée de la Bruche on the GR5 trail. This is a region of fine food and wine, and so you won’t be short of places to fill your boots on this delightful tour.
- Saverne
- Château du Haut-Barr
- Schneeberg (961m)
- Sanctuaire du Mont Sainte-Odile
- Zotzenberg Grand Cru vineyard
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Saverne
Arrive in Saverne, a medieval town located on the Marne-Rhine Canal, at the base of Col de Saverne, a pass in the Vosges Mountains. It has been an important stopover town since Roman times and boasts a well-preserved historic centre, featuring traditional half-timbered houses, including Maison Katz, which dates back to 1605, and also18th-century Château des Rohan.
- Accommodation: Chez Jean or similar in Saverne
Day 2: Saverne – Wangenbourg | 20km
Today’s route begins with an ascent to Château du Haut-Barr, a 12th-century castle located at 470m, from which you can catch a glimpse of the spire of Cathédrale Notre-Dame-de-Strasbourg in the distance. Continue following the route, passing through the landscape of the Rhine Valley, before arriving in Wangenbourg.
- Walking for the day: 20km, 6h, ↑942m ↓673m
- Accommodation: Parc Hôtel or similar in Wangenbourg
Day 3: Wangenbourg – Oberhaslach | 16km
From Wangenbourg, begin your climb up to the top of Schneeberg (961m). The trail then leads past the ruins of the medieval Château du Nideck, as well as Cascade du Nideck (Nideck Waterfall), where water flows from a height of 25m. Descend through the valley, before arriving in Oberhaslach.
- Walking for the day: 16km, 5h, ↑629m ↓806m
- Accommodation: Relais des Marches de l’Est or similar in Oberhaslach
Day 4: Oberhaslach – Ottrott | 23km
Today’s route heads through rural mountainous villages of Urmatt and Grendelbruch. Follow the Grande Randonnée GR5 trail to cross Vallée de la Bruche, passing the summits of Purpurkopf (570m). Arrive in Klingenthal, home to the former royal sword factory, which opened under the reign of Louis XV in 1730 and remained active until 1962.
- Walking for the day: 23km, 7h, ↑880m ↓877m
- Accommodation: Aux Chants des Oiseaux or similar in Ottrott
Day 5: Ottrott – Le Hohwald | 15km
Begin the day with an ascent up Mont Sainte-Odile and explore Sanctuaire du Mont Sainte-Odile, a monastery located at 753m and a major spiritual site of the region. Along the way, experience the fairy-like atmosphere that emanates from the Pagan Wall, as well as the ruins of the Dreistein and Birkenfels castles. Continue along the GR5 as far as Le Hohwald, a hillside village nestled among forests.
- Walking for the day: 15km, 4h, ↑729m ↓502m
- Accommodation: La Petite Auberge or similar in Le Hohwald
Day 6: Le Hohwald – Barr | 17km
Walk to Andlau, with the opportunity to explore the 13th-century Château de Haut-Andlau. Continue on to Mittelbergheim, a well-preserved 17th and 18th-century wine village, before beginning your descent. Walk on to Zotzenberg Grand Cru vineyard along the way, renowned for its Sylvaner white wine grape variety. Arrive in Barr, the final destination of your walking holiday, and relax with a glass of local wine, such as Kirchberg-de-Barr.
- Walking for the day: 17km, 4.5h, ↑492m ↓849m
- Accommodation: Maison Rouge or similar in Barr
Day 7: Departure
Departure after breakfast, or extend your stay with an extra night in Barr.
What to expect
Accommodation
Accommodation on this tour includes a mix of small, locally-owned hotels, B&Bs and traditional guesthouses. They have been carefully selected based on a variety of criteria including their location, warm hospitality, fine local food or commitment to responsible tourism. All rooms have en-suite or private bathrooms.
Click to view default hotels
- Chez Jean (Saverne)
- Parc Hôtel (Wangenbourg)
- Relais des Marches de l’Est (Oberhaslach)
- Aux Chants des Oiseaux (Ottrott)
- La Petite Auberge (Le Hohwald)
- Maison Rouge (Barr)
Hotels are subject to availability. In the event of a particular hotel or guesthouse being fully booked for your chosen dates, we will replace it with a hotel of equal value and quality level. We will provide exact accommodation details to you upon booking confirmation.
Meals
Breakfast is included on all days. When no restaurant location is available en route, lunches and snacks can either be bought from local shops or packed lunches can be pre-ordered from your accommodation the night before. Dinner is available either at the accommodation or from restaurants in the local area.
Difficulty and terrain
This tour is rated moderate and is suitable for regular walkers with daily walking distances ranging between 14-23km and a total walking distance of 90km. A good level of fitness is required to get the most out of this tour. The routes mainly follow marked paths and woodland trails (read more about difficulty grades).
We strongly advise you to only follow marked trails and never try to shorten the path through unknown and unmarked terrain. We will provide you with detailed route notes and maps and you can call our 24/7 local assistance phone number anytime. More detailed information on route navigation will be included in your holiday information pack.
When to go
This trip is available from the end of March until the beginning of October. The flexibility of self-guided holidays means that there are no fixed dates, meaning you can start your trip on any date during the season.
From March to October, in this region of France you can generally expect a transition from cool temperatures in the spring, to warm temperatures in the summer, ranging between 18-25C. The summer months are hot, dry and sunny, whereas the late spring and early autumn months are less hot but typically warm enough to spend evenings eating outside. For more information, see our blog on the Best time to go to France.
Getting there
Click to view travel options
By plane
Our recommended airport for this tour is Strasbourg Airport (SXB).
By train or bus
- If you are able to travel to France without flying, this holiday is reachable by rail, with railway stations in Saverne and Barr. For more details, see the national rail operator SNCF-Connect or use the Omio planner above
- From Strasbourg Airport, take the train from the airport to Saverne, with one change at Strasbourg (50mins). For more information, see SNCF Connect or use the Omio planner above
- For your departure from Barr, take a direct train from Barr to Strasbourg Airport (35mins)
Inclusions
Included
- 6 nights accommodation
- 6 breakfasts
- Luggage transfers on all walking days (one piece, up to 20kg per person)
- Detailed travel documents, including hotel list, route book and detailed maps (one set per room)
- 24/7 phone assistance by our local office/representative
Excluded
- Flights and connecting land transfers
- Lunches, dinners, snacks and drinks
- Travel insurance (required – get a quote online)
- Personal expenses
- Tourist tax and entrance fees (payable locally)
- Any items not specifically listed as included
- eSIM data for international travel (get an eSIM)
Options, extras and supplements
- If you’re travelling in a group, a supplement applies to group members who would like to have a room of their own
- This holiday is available for solo travellers. However, a supplement will be charged as the cost of rooms and also luggage or private transfers (when applicable) is not shared. Please note that solo travellers are always accommodated in their own room. For logistical reasons, we don’t offer an option for solo travellers to share rooms with other solo travellers.
- Extra nights
