In Reinhardsmunster, circular trails take you past distinctive rock formations, castle ruins and reminders of local saint veneration. When planning, it is worth noting the different highlights: one trail is described by its length and elevation gain, while others lead to named rock formations or historic sites.
Hiking trails with different destinations
The La porte du Valhalla circular trail starts at the church in Reinhardsmunster. It is 7.5 kilometres long, has an elevation gain of 350 metres and is rated easy. This means specific details are available for this circular trail regarding distance, elevation change and difficulty. The Traversée du Tannenwald circular trail starts at the church car park. The Wuestemberg-Ochsenstein circular trail also begins in Reinhardsmunster and reaches the ruins of the Ochsenstein castles via the Krappenfels Pass.
Other circular trails focus on different destinations: the Tour du Geissfels passes the Spill rock spire, continues to the summit of Geissfels and reaches the Geissfelswasen shelter. Lieux légendaires leads to the Spill rock spire, the Geisfels rock, the Table des Géants and the Sattelfels menhir. These named stops give a concrete impression of the rock formations and cultural monuments included on each route. For a longer hike, the long-distance GR®53 trail, which crosses the Vosges massif, also passes through the municipality. Check trail conditions in advance when planning this route. The Boucle des châteaux de Saverne route also passes through Reinhardsmunster.
Castle ruins and local history
Château d'Ochsenstein is a castle ruin and was the fief of the medieval House of Ochsenstein, an influential family in Alsace. The castle was probably built towards the end of the 12th century. The Wuestemberg-Ochsenstein circular trail links its route to the ruins of the Ochsenstein castles; Grand Ochsenstein is the largest and the only accessible one of the three Ochsenstein castles.
The Saint-LĂ©ger Chapel stands outside the village of Reinhardsmunster, within the walled grounds of the cemetery. It occupies the site of the former church of Dillersmunster. Its moulded entrance portal may date from the early 17th century; a Romanesque relief was also transferred from the former sanctuary. Veneration of Saint LĂ©ger developed here into a particularly strong local tradition, gave rise to a pilgrimage and continues to this day.
The Sattelfels menhir also combines a distinctive shape with a historical function: the 2.5-metre-high stone is saddle-shaped at the top and has served as a boundary marker since at least 1747. Alongside the pilgrimage and the castles, those interested in different forms of local tradition will find another concrete example here.
Rocks and landscape
The Table des GĂ©ants is a dolmen of natural origin. Its dimensions give the name a vivid, tangible reference: it is 3.5 metres long, 2.5 metres wide and 1.8 metres high. Geisfels, meanwhile, is a rocky peak with a steep drop of about 40 metres. A few metres below its summit is a small, hard-to-reach cave. Cup marks in front of the entrance have been linked to a former place of worship; this remains a possible interpretation.
Other distinctive landmarks add to the picture of the surrounding area. Rocher des Pandours offers views over the Marmoutier plain. Rocher de la Spille is nine metres high and lies near a paragliding launch site. Rocher du Hibou got its name because its shape resembles a nocturnal bird of prey. Reinhardsmunster also lies within the type II ZNIEFF natural area Collines du Piémont vosgien avec grands ensembles de vergers, de Saverne à Mutzig.
Discover more destinations: Mittelbergheim, Wingen, GĹ“rsdorf, Rosheim, Krautergersheim, Balbronn, Boofzheim, Windstein.
For the regional travel overview: Bas-Rhin.
