Hiking in the North Vosges Park
The forest of the Vosges du Nord Regional Nature Park is the birthplace of many legends.
When it is not raising mysterious castles, it hides charming stone and half-timbered villages. Farmers, lumberjacks, carpenters and master glassmakers have left their mark on the landscape, but nature still reigns over this preserved land, a world biosphere reserve.
The most beautiful landscapes and castles of the Northern Vosges
A real paradise for hikers and nature lovers, the Northern Vosges offer gentle and accessible landscapes.
About thirty castles crown the craggy peaks and rocks of the Northern Vosges. They are part of a group of some 500 castles covering Alsace and the Palatinate which were built between the beginning of the 12th century and the middle of the 14th century.
Discover the most beautiful natural and historical wonders of these places through the HexaTrek.
Fleckenstein Castle
In the North-South direction on the HexaTrek, this is the first castle you will come across.
Travel back in time and discover a castle that has witnessed nine centuries of European history, embedded in a spectacularly large rocky bar.
New Windstein
Adjacent to the ruins of the Old Windsor, on top of a sandstone plateau at an altitude of 367 m, the castle stands proudly on the heights of the small village of Windstein in the Northern Vosges.
Wachtfels Rock
A real postcard, you can take out your cameras to immortalise this place at sunset on the charming village of Obersteinbach.
Impressive in its shape, the Wachtfels arch is the place not to be missed on the HexaTrek
Lichtenberg Castle
Stroll through the centuries in this fortress combining ancient and modern style. Admire the 360° panorama of the northern Vosges.
A medieval fortress that has crossed the centuries to be in turn a place of residence, a place of garrison, and today a place affirming its cultural and tourist vocation
Where to sleep in the Northern Vosges, unguarded refuges
There are a large number of unguarded refuges in the Vosges massif. Most of them are maintained by the Vosges Club, which also takes care of the maintenance of the hiking trails.
Refuge du Schneeberg
Small refuge with a superb view of Wangenbourg-Engenthal. Inside there is a fireplace where you can barbecue with a table and benches.
Cabane des 5 Routes
Superb hut with a wood-burning cooker.
An ideal place in the middle for bivouac practice, in the heart of the Vosges forest.
Shelter of the Schleif
A shelter with table and bench inside. Fire pit in front of the shelter, several tables and benches scattered around and a large open shelter with 4 fireplaces
OUR LATEST ARTICLES
Club Vosgien is partner of the HexaTrek
Whether it's a simple bench, a picnic table, a shelter or even a refuge shawl, you will come across many facilities maintained by the Club Vosgien and their volunteers. Through their trails and their markings of a unique quality in France, you will discover the Vosges mountains and their historical and cultural wealth as well as their remarkable biodiversity.
HexaTrek
Hexatrek - The French thru hiking trail
United States has the Pacific Crest Trail, New Zealand has the Te Araroa, it was time to give France a trail that would hike all the beauty and diversity of its landscapes! A team of true enthusiasts are launching the HexaTrek in 2022: 3,000 km of trails through the mountains!
Breaking News
Top 10 Thru-Hike in the world
Long-distance trails inspire conflicting tales of solitude and camaraderie, of deserted riverbeds and mountain plateaus, of pleasure and pain.
The idea of walking thousands of miles is itself hardly believable. Perhaps that is what makes these adventures so memorable.
HexaTrek
Thru Hike and long distance hiking
"Nobo", "thru-hiker", a "zero", but what are all these anglicisms? In the world of long-distance hiking, many terms appear on the forums. The French academy is slowly dying in the face of this plethora of terminology, but you, humble hikers, would like to know what all these terms mean?
Advice
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Gas re-supply strategy on the hexatrek
Even if there are petrol or wood burning systems, the majority of hikers use gas stoves for their multi-day hikes. Estimating the amount of fuel needed for a long hike is not always easy and finding the right cartridge for your burner in France can sometimes be murderous!
