The three lakes - loop from Orbey

Somehow I seem to have a knack for planning tours that are not quite as feasible. If there are no film recordings, then the paths are blocked by falcons, mountain bike races or, like today, trail runs. As it turned out on the way. Not only planning but also informing would be helpful 🧐. Started at Lac Noir (the boggy subsoil gave the cirque lake its name) it took me until the first crowd ran up from behind to realize the meaning of the pink flags along the way 🙈. It went up over beautiful, narrow, alpine climbs. However, rapid progress is out of the question. Always looking back and always ready to get back into the bushes to give the runners a clear run, the good kilometer to Lac du Forlet (the highest mountain lake in the Vosges) dragged a bit. Here it was then possible to take a different route up to the Soultzeren Eck junction. Through beautiful heath and moorland we continued to Lac Blanc - the goal of the runners 🏃 ♀️🏃🏃 ♀️🏃 And there was the next division of the route with the athletes 🤷🏼 ♀️ The light quartz sand on the bottom of which is said to be the largest cirque lake in the gave its name to the east flank of the Vosges. But before that, the view sweeps over this great landscape up here. Not too far away, mountain follows mountain, valley after valley until the last row fades in the haze. A great panorama. Except for a short stretch of developed forest path back towards Lac Noir, it is all over stone, rock, roots, heath,... along beautiful paths and climbs. And if there is no trail run, then....🙂

Ideal walk to visit the three lakes. You walk up through the forest, in the shade. Above you can see a beautiful 'lawn' with colorful vegetation. Descend on the sunny side to lac vert. From there to Lac Noir it is a bit boring compared to the previous part, but not difficult and there is little difference in height. You have very beautiful views along the way.

Group of 7, ages 14 to 55. Lots of rocks and roots. Great views of the lakes and Vosges. Picnic at Lac Blanc.

Today we climbed a little higher and reached "real" rocks. The goal was to circumnavigate three mountain lakes: Lac Noir, Lac Blanc, and Lac du Forlet. For us Tyroleans from the lowlands, the challenge was less the altitude than the condition of the often steep paths. Roots and large stones were the lesser of the problems; the scree and flooded and slippery paths became exciting. So much water flows down the mountains that the easiest way to get there is often existing hiking trails. Unfortunately, the pictures don't capture this at all. We were rewarded with wonderful views of lakes, steep cliffs/rock faces, and, of course, the Vosges Mountains. A raised bog even awaited us on the highest mountain. It only became truly unpleasant at the end when our route was closed due to forestry work, and the noise of the monster harvesters interrupted the tranquility of the forest. All in all, a beautiful tour, highly recommended 👍🏻 especially for chamois! 😉

Very nice circuit. A bit steep at start. Then very accessible, with beautiful spaces for picnicking. Route made with the family in 5 hours, picnic included.

A beautiful walk over a granite mountain range. This means that there are many loose blocks of stone on the paths. A lot of getting on and off on this uneven surface makes it physically heavier than average. The forests are beautiful at this time of year. Large clouds of pollen rise from the flowering yellow spruce tops. The views above over the three lakes are really beautiful, but also the views around. The climbs and descents are mostly steep. A good challenge for everyone's condition.

Here we hiked the beautiful 3 lakes tour in the Vosges. An absolutely beautiful round, which can also be extended to a 4 lakes tour at any time. We found the signage for orientation exceptionally good. This tour has often been described on Komoot and approached in different ways. You can also shorten them, just as it suits you. Good shoes are important and you should be sure-footed and hiker.

Partly a very rocky and root-rich path