The best mountain hikes in Vosges Du Nord

Beautiful playground with stone figures

A play of colors that is second to none. From strong red, depending on the light, orange, between gray and mossy rocks. And again and again the different shapes, caves and passages.

Gienanth Fountain from 1842 in front of the manor house in Schönau. In 1835, Ludwig von Gienanth acquired the smelting works, which went bankrupt in 1883.

The Bruderfelsen (Brother's Rock) offers a beautiful view of Fleckenstein Castle, located to the southeast. A few steps down to the right (on the south side) of the rock will reveal a former cistern with a connecting passage to a rock chamber. Historians believe this was a former watchtower of Fleckenstein Castle, likely dating back to the 13th century.

The Altschlossfelsen (also known as Eppenbrunn Castle) are a group of red sandstone rocks designated as a natural monument (ND) ND-7340-205 and a cultural monument (KD) in the municipality of Eppenbrunn in the Palatinate Forest on the border with France, and are the largest rock formation in the Palatinate. They are located on the eastern slope of the Brechenberg (406 m) near Eppenbrunn and Roppeviller at an elevation of approximately 365 m above sea level at the northeast end and 380 m above sea level at the southwest end of the rock band. The Altschlossfelsen are a group of red sandstone rocks approximately one and a half kilometers long and up to 30 meters high. The group consists of sandstone towers and walls. The Altschlossfelsen are crisscrossed by cracks and joints, some of which are wide enough to climb through. They are known primarily for their diverse weathering phenomena and rare lichens. The summit plateau can be reached from the north and south on narrow paths. There, you'll find a sparse forest and moss-covered rocks. A special lighting situation created by the sun, the "rock glow," is best seen around 7:00 p.m. in the first half of April, depending on weather conditions, vegetation, and the position of the sun. In the morning hours, the glow occurs around 8:45 a.m. Finds from the Hallstatt and Roman periods attest to earlier settlement of the rock group. In 1964, for example, shards from the La Tène period (c. 450–50 BC) were found. Traces of a medieval castle from the 11th or 12th century are found on the four main rocks. These include the remains of a stepped structure, post holes, remains of masonry, and notches for beams in the rock. A depression with a diameter of four meters is located on a rock, which may have served as a cistern. Additionally, on the southern and northern slopes around the rock formation, humped blocks, which may have originated from the structure of a former castle, as well as shards from the High Middle Ages were found in a wall groove. A more precise dating of the castle complex is difficult, as the castle was not mentioned before 1297 or later in the 1605 border description between Lorraine and the County of Hanau-Lichtenberg. Source: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altschlossfelsen

The Altschlossfelsen (also known as Eppenbrunn Castle) are a group of red sandstone rocks designated as a natural monument (ND) ND-7340-205 and a cultural monument (KD) in the municipality of Eppenbrunn in the Palatinate Forest on the border with France, and are the largest rock formation in the Palatinate. They are located on the eastern slope of the Brechenberg (406 m) near Eppenbrunn and Roppeviller at an elevation of approximately 365 m above sea level at the northeast end and 380 m above sea level at the southwest end of the rock band. The Altschlossfelsen are a group of red sandstone rocks approximately one and a half kilometers long and up to 30 meters high. The group consists of sandstone towers and walls. The Altschlossfelsen are crisscrossed by cracks and joints, some of which are wide enough to climb through. They are known primarily for their diverse weathering phenomena and rare lichens. The summit plateau can be reached from the north and south on narrow paths. There, you'll find a sparse forest and moss-covered rocks. A special lighting situation created by the sun, the "rock glow," is best seen around 7:00 p.m. in the first half of April, depending on weather conditions, vegetation, and the position of the sun. In the morning hours, the glow occurs around 8:45 a.m. Finds from the Hallstatt and Roman periods attest to earlier settlement of the rock group. In 1964, for example, shards from the La Tène period (c. 450–50 BC) were found. Traces of a medieval castle from the 11th or 12th century are found on the four main rocks. These include the remains of a stepped structure, post holes, remains of masonry, and notches for beams in the rock. A depression with a diameter of four meters is located on a rock, which may have served as a cistern. Additionally, on the southern and northern slopes around the rock formation, humped blocks, which may have originated from the structure of a former castle, as well as shards from the High Middle Ages were found in a wall groove. A more precise dating of the castle complex is difficult, as the castle was not mentioned before 1297 or later in the 1605 border description between Lorraine and the County of Hanau-Lichtenberg. Source: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altschlossfelsen

Not far from Hohenbourg Castle, near the German-French border, lies the Maiden's Fountain, which bears witness to a tragic story: For a long time, the lords of Hohenbourg and Wegelnburg were enemies. And as fate would have it, the squire Robert von Wegehiburg fell in love with Edwige, daughter of the lord of Hohenbourg. She often lingered at the abundant spring between the two castles. One day, Robert went hunting. He chased a wild boar that was heading towards the spring where Edwige was. In the heat of the moment, the boar leaped at Edwige, but Robert, a skilled hunter, managed to catch it just in time, and with this act, he won his beloved's heart. The two often spent time secretly at this spring between the feuding castles. But one day, the lord of Hohenbourg surprised his daughter in the arms of his arch-enemy's son. In a blind rage, he stabbed Robert to death before Edwige's eyes. She collapsed with grief and died on the spot, instantly following her lover into the realm of the dead. Since that terrible day, two forget-me-not bushes have grown at this spring, which is now known as the Maiden's Fountain. It is not uncommon to see a white shadow above the Maiden's Fountain at dusk: this is the ghost of Edwige, descending from the cellars of Hohenbourg Castle to visit the place of her love. There she sings mournful words and sheds tears into the stream before being carried away by the wind.

Great viewpoint of the surrounding forest.