Picturesque Villages in and around Wissembourg
41 KM I 250 HÖHENMETER I 4:00 STD. DAUER I MITTEL
SHORT DESCRIPTION:
You will have plenty of chances to explore Wissembourg and the surrounding area on this delightful loop, which takes you across hilly stretches, through picturesque villages, up to the fortifications on the Maginot Line and the impressive Fort de Schoenenbourg (Schoenenbourg Fort), and through the forest and vineyards in Cleebourg.
STARTING POINT AND HOW TO GET THERE
| THINGS TO SEE
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TOURDESCRIPTION :
This route starts at the train station in Wissembourg (Weißenburg). Setting off from the train station, take a left turn towards the roundabout. Take the first exit on the roundabout and head towards the town centre (follow signs for “Zentrum” or “centre-ville”). After the bridge, follow the road called rue du Tribunal to the right and then cycle down rue des Écoles until you reach the stop sign at a T junction. If you would like to explore the historical town centre at this point, you will need to turn left here. If you would rather carry on with the cycle route, turn right and go straight ahead to a set of traffic lights. Cross at the intersection, cycling straight ahead and past the supermarket. Follow the signs for the Vallée de la Lauter Cycle Path, passing the high school, until you reach Altenstadt. When the cycle path comes to an end, follow the road called rue du Général de Gaulle until you reach the “Vorfahrt beachten” (“Give Way”) sign. If you would like to visit the romanische Kirche St. Ulrich (St. Ulrich Romanesque Church), you will need to turn right here. To carry on with the cycle route instead, turn onto the road called rue du sable more or less opposite the “Vorfahrt beachten” (“Give Way”) sign. The cycle path will take you behind some tennis courts and continue on the German side of the border up to the Flugplatz/aérodrome Wissembourg-Schweighofen (Wissembourg-Schweighofen Airfield). Cycle alongside the airfield until you come to the tracks, where you should turn right. Turn right again and then cross the Lauter River along the border. Cross over Brücke St. Rémy (St. Rémy Bridge), which is named after the former fort that provided protection for Wissembourger Kloster (Wissembourg Abbey). Keep following the cycle path through the industrial estate up to the D3 intersection. Cross the road next to the football field carefully. The cycle path will now take you around Pferderennbahn Hardt (Hardt Race Track). When the forest comes to an end, you will come to a road with a cycle path running alongside it. Take a left turn and follow the cycle path to Schleithal. Turn right at the first intersection in the village and then cycle to Hauptstraße. Cross this main road and take the D249 in the direction of Seebach, where you will pass a hamlet called Frohnackerhof. At the intersection with the D34, turn right and then immediately left so that you stay on the D249. Once you reach the village, turn left at the first intersection (D245). Take the first exit to the right on the roundabout and then turn left at the next junction. After 400 metres, turn right onto the path called chemin des Prés (here you will see a sign that says “Durchfahrtsverkehr verboten, frei für Anlieger und landwirtschaftliche Fahrzeuge” which means that the route ahead is only open for access and farm vehicles). Cycle out of the village and keep going until you come to the intersection with the D249, where you will need to turn left. Stay on the same road until you arrive at the train station in Hunspach. Cross the road (paying careful attention to the traffic) and cycle uphill in the direction of Hunspach on the other side of the road. As you enter the town of Hunspach, turn left so that you are heading towards Schönenburg and the Ligne Maginot (Maginot Line). Stay on the main road (Hauptstraße) through the town. Cycle on the D249 as you leave the town and head towards the roundabout. If you would like to visit Fort von Schoenenbourg (Schönenburg Fort), take the second exit and follow the narrow tarmac road to the fort, which is located in the middle of the forest. We recommend that you allow around two hours for your visit. If you would rather just continue on the cycle route, leave the roundabout at the exit for Wissembourg. When you come to the next roundabout, take the last exit and head towards Bremmelbach and Cleebourg. The next sight you will pass on the route will be the remains of bunkers on the Maginot Linie (Maginot Line). It is on to Bremmelbach from there. Stay on the main road (Hauptstraße) when you are in the town and even after you have left – until you reach the intersection with the D77. At this point, take a right and head downhill to Cleebourg. Follow the left-hand bend next to the church and cycle along the main road (Hauptstraße/Rue principale). Keep left on the main road on the small square opposite the restaurant called Au Tilleul. As you are leaving the village, turn right and follow the signs for the Weinweg/sentier viticole (Wine Path), which you will see along a narrow road. Carry on straight ahead at the T junction on the hill (the Wine Path carries on to the right) and keep going until you reach the next T junction. If you would like to visit the Weinkellerei von Cleebourg/Cave vinicole de Cléebourg (Cleebourg Winery), bear left until you reach the D77 and then turn right towards the hotel. Cycle for another 50 m to get to the winery. Turn right to carry on with the cycle route instead. Follow the signs for the Obstbauweg/sentier arboricole (Orchard Path) all the way to Steinseltz. You will come to two intersections: Carry on straight ahead at the first one and then turn left at the second one. Cycle downhill towards the church until you reach the main road in Steinseltz (called rue du Maire Rupp). Follow the main road round to the right. Before you leave the village, take a left turn and cycle on the road called route de Wissembourg up to the D264. Cross the D264 and join the D186 so that you are heading towards Geisberg. If you turn left at the next intersection, you will come to a memorial and a stunning view. If you would rather just continue with the cycle route, go straight ahead at the intersection until you get to the Wissembourg–Hagenau Highway. Turn left at the end of the road and follow the path that runs alongside the road until you are cycling into the industrial estate on the road called rue Marie Curie. You will come to an intersection just before the Crédit Mutuel bank. Cross the road and cycle down the road called rue Alfred Nobel alongside the Autowerkstatt (Car Repair Workshop). Turn right at the end of the road via the railway bridge. Take a left turn into the “zone artisanale”. Cars are not allowed on the route ahead, but it is accessible to cyclists. Turn right off the first roundabout and cross over the second roundabout (second exit). Continue along the cycle path on the right-hand side of the road called Allée des peupliers and you will end up back at the train station where the route started.
CONTACT
Office de Tourisme de Wissembourg
11, place de la république, B.P. 80120,
F-67163 Wissembourg
Tel.: +33 03 88 94 10 11, info (at) ot-wissembourg.fr
www.ot-wissembourg.fr
Office de Tourisme de Hunspach
Maison Ungerer; 3, route de Hoffen
F-67520 Hunspach
Tel.: +33 88 80 59 39, maison-ungerer (at) wanadoo.fr
www.maison-ungerer.com
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