Discover Niedersteinbach

There are several themes to explore during a stay in Niedersteinbach: nature, architecture and outdoor activities. Friche du Heidenhuebel is a publicly accessible natural area, while the parish church of Saint-Gall is a Neo-Gothic building. There is also a circular route and a circular hiking trail, each with its own distance and estimated duration. The hiking trail takes in rocks and the ruins of Wasigenstein.

Nature and navigation in Niedersteinbach

Friche du Heidenhuebel covers 0.32 hectares and is a grassy fallow area. The site is open to the public and can also be visited as part of a guided tour. If you are planning a tour, check the current dates in advance. At the site, the municipality and the Northern Vosges Regional Nature Park organize educational activities for school pupils and residents.

You can reach the site via rue de l’École; near the chapel, the entrance is along an uphill sunken lane lined with trees. The street, chapel and route are therefore useful landmarks for your visit. The path climbs uphill and is lined with trees—a detail to bear in mind when finding your way around.

The parish church of Saint-Gall is Neo-Gothic and entirely clad in sandstone. The sandstone comes from a quarry in the municipality. Its architectural style, material and the origin of that material are defining features of the building.

Circular routes and hiking destinations

The “Tour des contrebandiers” is a 16.5-kilometre circular route. It is listed as taking three hours and being very easy. The route reaches Niedersteinbach via the cycle path through the Steinbach Valley. By contrast, the “Circuit de randonnée au détour des rochers du Steinbach” circular hiking trail starts in Niedersteinbach. It is 7.5 kilometres long, takes an average of 2 hours and 30 minutes, and is rated moderate.

The two estimated durations differ by half an hour, while the route lengths are markedly different. The difficulty ratings also differ: the longer “Tour des contrebandiers” is listed as very easy, while the shorter circular hiking trail is rated moderate. When planning, it is therefore worth considering duration, length and difficulty separately rather than using distance alone as your measure.

The hiking trail leads to rocher de l’Almenfels, rocher des Bohémiens, Klingelfels and the ruins of Wasigenstein. To reach these ruins from Niedersteinbach, take the D 3 towards Obersteinbach, then the D 190 towards the hamlet of Wengelsbach as far as the Klingelfels car park. From there, it is a 15-minute walk to the ruins along a GR-53 trail marked with a red rectangle. Trail conditions, road conditions and markings can change; check current information before setting out.

The “Boucle des châteaux forts et des forêts” route offers another way to get your bearings: it reaches Niedersteinbach, a village on the banks of the Steinbach River. The Steinbach is therefore not only part of the hiking trail’s name, but also the river on whose banks the village lies.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Griesheim-Près-Molsheim, Reichshoffen, Erstein, Krautergersheim, Sundhouse, Entzheim, Dettwiller, Bœrsch.

Back to the regional travel overview: Bas-Rhin.