Oberhaslach: Waterfall, castle ruins and pilgrimage history

Oberhaslach offers two themes to guide your travel planning: hiking destinations around the waterfall and castle ruins, and pilgrimage and art history. There is also the Sens’Hasel barefoot trail, open seasonally. If you are looking for a hotel in Oberhaslach, you can plan your stay around whether hiking trails, historical landmarks, or a 400 m route through varied landscapes are your main focus.

Waterfall and castle ruins as hiking themes

The Cascade du Nideck waterfall is located in Oberhaslach at an elevation of 534 m. The water plunges over a wall of volcanic rock about 25 m high. The waterfall can be reached via a hiking trail from the D218, opposite the Nideck forest lodge. It is connected to the GR 5, the Chemin des châteaux forts d’Alsace, and the Trans-Vosges mountain bike route (TMV). The routes therefore include both hiking and mountain biking. Check trail conditions locally before setting out.

Access information for the castle ruins is also tied to hiking trails: the ruins of the Nideck castles can only be reached via a hiking trail. The Grand Ringelstein, also known as Ringelsbourg, stands on the heights above Oberhaslach, is classified as a historic monument, and can be reached via a hiking trail. Its summit is at an elevation of 644 m and is crowned by two large sandstone rocks. The ruins of Hohenstein Castle can also be reached via a hiking trail; the castle overlooks the entrance to the Bruche Valley. The landscape features distinguish these destinations: at the Cascade du Nideck, the waterfall and cliff face define the scene; at Ringelstein, the two sandstone rocks; and at Hohenstein, its position at the valley entrance.

Pilgrimage and art in the history of the village

An ex-voto painted by an anonymous artist in 1843 at the Saint-Florent pilgrimage chapel in Oberhaslach documents the parish pilgrimage from Wangenbourg-Engenthal to Oberhaslach. An ex-voto in the chapel in Oberhaslach was donated in 1848 by two farmers from Willgotheim. The Chapelle d’Oberhaslach also houses 18th-century ex-votos listed in the inventory of historic monuments. These objects offer different historical insights: a documented parish pilgrimage, a donation, and votive offerings from an earlier century.

Another cultural landmark is the sculpture symposium, which brought together eight international artists in Oberhaslach in spring 2003. In 2004, the sculptures were installed in the state forest to create the first international contemporary sculpture trail in Alsace. The symposium and the installation thus mark two successive stages in this history.

Sens’Hasel: seasonal barefoot trail

The Sens’Hasel barefoot trail is located in the Engelmatt recreation area, behind the Oberhaslach community hall. The 400 m route passes through a river, a meadow, a wetland, and a forest. These varied landscape features come together along a short stretch of the trail. The attraction is seasonal. This makes it a different focus from the hiking destinations: take the barefoot trail’s season into account when planning, and check current trail conditions before visiting for a hike.

Discover more destinations: Saulxures, Marmoutier, Lingolsheim, Natzwiller, Artolsheim, Wissembourg, Bilwisheim, Roppenheim.

For the broader travel overview: Bas-Rhin.