The best MTB trails around Heidweiler

Albert-Lucie Memorial The memorial near Heidwiller commemorates the French soldier Alfred „Albert“ Lucie, who fell in 1917 during the First World War at the age of just 20 in the Schönholz area. Lucie came from Nancy and belonged to the 60th Battalion of Chasseurs à pied, a French hunter unit. The Schönholz was part of the front in southern Alsace during the First World War. Traces of the fighting at the time are still preserved in the woods today, including former trenches and communication trenches. Relatives of Albert Lucie searched for the place of his death many decades later and, together with local history enthusiasts, were able to locate the spot where he had presumably fallen. The memorial thus stands not only for the fate of an individual soldier but also commemorates the numerous fallen whose deaths are difficult to reconstruct today. It is particularly noteworthy that the memory of Albert Lucie was revived by his family, thereby also bringing the history of the fighting in the Schönholz more into public awareness. Further information: DNA – Sur les traces d’un Poilu lorrain tombé au Schönholz or https://gw.geneanet.org/christianlucie?lang=fr&n=lucie&p=alfred+albert

The cannon must have been huge. It had a range of up to 40 km. It terrorized the inhabitants of Belfort. This was the response to the bombing of Freiburg, among other places. It was then used as a feint to distract from the attack on Verdun.

The German soldiers who died in the Battle of Mühlhausen in August 1914 are buried there, including the first casualty of World War I. It's a bit off the beaten track and very well maintained.

The French and European National Cycleway is a great cycleway winding along side of the Rhine Rhone Canal with very little climbing, for those who do not like to climb. However those who are climbing shy, must be aware of the wind in this area. A lot of the locks still have the former lock man’s house which adds a bit of charm to every lock. One is never alone on this route as there is a constant passing of bicycles, both leisure and racing bikes.

Beneath the forest canopy, you can discover numerous traces of bygone times, still visible or legible; only the "barracks" have disappeared. During a guided tour with one of the site's enthusiastic volunteers, you can explore the underground tunnels and discover the organization of this impressive military infrastructure. Of course, you can also visit the surface infrastructure yourself, following the marked route, where the panels provide detailed explanations. An application, "Site du Grand Canon de Zillisheim," is also available for download.

The Illfurth German War Cemetery was established by the French military authorities in April 1920. As a collective cemetery, it housed some of the fallen soldiers from the battles of August 7 and 17, 1914. The transfer of war dead to Illfurth, who had been provisionally buried in 64 municipalities and districts during the war or who had died in French captivity, ended in 1924. Among those reburied was the first German casualty of the 1914-1918 War on the Western Front, Lieutenant Albert Mayer, who fell on August 2, 1914, while on patrol. The first French soldier also lost his life in this battle. Several memorials erected in field cemeteries during the war were also relocated to Illfurth.

The 38 cm Schnellladekanone L/45 (38 cm S.K. L/45) was a gun used by the Imperial Navy and the German Army during World War I. Originally designed as a naval gun, it was also used on land under the designation 38 cm Geschütz Max or Langer Max. The "38 cm SK L/45" had a barrel with an inner diameter of 38 cm, making it one of the largest calibers used at the time. Its range was up to 48 km. Between 1915 and 1916, the German army installed a naval gun called the "Langer Max" in the Zillisheim Forest. This gun, designed to fire long bursts at Belfort and the Saint Amarin Valley, was actually a diversionary plan....

The Écluse d’Eglingen is a small, active lock on the Canal du Rhône au Rhin, near the village of Eglingen in the Sundgau region. This spot is popular with cyclists due to its quiet location along the 'EuroVelo 6' and regional cycle routes. The lock is surrounded by greenery and offers a bench and shade, but no facilities.