GR® 53 : stage 2

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Second stage of the Crossing of the Massif des Vosges, this hike connects Obersteinbach to Niederbronn-les-Bains.

The Grande Randonnée® 53 trail is a variant of the GR® 5 that links Wissembourg to Masevaux, that is to say the north and south of Alsace, via the Vosges ridges. This hike roaming through part of the Regional Natural Park of Vosges du Nord, you can pass near castles in ruins from which you can admire beautiful views!

Description

Along the way, follow the red rectangle markup.

Departure : Hiker's House, Main Street, Obersteinbach
Arrival : 7, Rue de la République, Niederbronn-les-Bains
Towns crossed : Obersteinbach, Dambach, Windstein, and Niederbronn-les-Bains

5 points of interest

Château-fort du Vieux Windstein - M. SCHAMPION
Castle-church-abbey
Vieux Windstein fortified Chateau
Existing since 1147, it was besieged by the city of Haguenau, the bishop of Strasbourg and Hannemann of Lichtenberg to dislodge knight-brigands by digging a gallery on the west side of the site. It was then partially dismantled. At the beginning of the 16th century, the Duke of Lorraine seized it twice. The castle was burned down before being abandoned in 1664. You can still see a section of the stone wall with bosses, a vestige of the keep. More information here.
SYCOPARC
Geology
Rocher du Vieux Windstein
Jaegerthal - JP Jenny
Monuments and architecture
Jaegerthal Forge
A first forge was built in 1602 on behalf of the Hanau Lichtenberg. Ruined during the Thirty Years War, it was replaced by another in 1684, consisting of a blast furnace, two forges and a martinet. The blast furnace stopped in 1885 then the activity in 1890. One can see there the stone coal hall, the iron shop, the employee's lodging on the floor, the hydraulic installation on the Schwartzbach. The blast furnace was in the lower part of the hamlet. (Sources: Mérimée)
SYCOPARC
Geology
Rocher du Heidenkopf
Abri du Heidenkopf - http://www.refuges.info
Refuge-shelters
Heidenkopf refuge