Solbach: Hiking Trails, Farmhouses and Village History

Solbach combines hiking trails, cycling routes and historic village architecture with a rich local history. When choosing where to stay, you can take into account specific routes as well as buildings and traces of earlier ways of life. The route information ranges from a 2-kilometre round trip to Mont Saint-Jean to longer hikes; there is also a cycling route that reaches Solbach.

Hiking and Cycling in Solbach

The CIRCUIT RANDO C19: Autour du Haut des Monts is designated as a walking route and is 13 kilometres long. It starts at 3 Chemin du Chenot in Solbach. This route therefore has both a specific total distance and an exact starting address.

Two details should be distinguished for the Tour du mont Saint-Jean. A 2-kilometre round trip leads to the summit; it takes 40 minutes to walk and offers panoramic views of the surrounding area. Another route description goes around Mont Saint-Jean; after about 2.5 kilometres, the trail reaches the village of Solbach. The 2 kilometres refer to the round trip to the summit, while the approximately 2.5 kilometres refer to the route into the village.

The CIRCUIT RANDO C03 hiking trail runs from Fouday via Solbach and the legendary Col de la Perheux into the green landscapes around Belmont, then on to Waldersbach and back to Fouday. The description thus lists a sequence of places and the return to Fouday. Solbach is part of this longer route and can be linked with the other named stops.

By bike, the CIRCUIT VÉLO C25 reaches Solbach from the Col de la Perheux via the Maison des Amis de la Nature. Both the starting point and a named stop along the way are specified for this approach. Before setting out, check local trail conditions for the Tour du mont Saint-Jean and the CIRCUIT RANDO C03, as well as conditions on the CIRCUIT VÉLO C25 cycling route.

Village History and Buildings

According to local tradition, the original village of Solbach was farther down the valley. After repeated attacks during the Thirty Years’ War (1618–1648), the survivors resettled farther up the valley to hide from the enemy armies passing below along the Bruche. The account links the village’s former location to the events of that wartime period.

The single-storey farmhouses dating from the 18th and 19th centuries are scattered across Solbach. They bear witness to a significant subsistence economy and give the village landscape a historic connection to agricultural life.

The Lutheran church of Solbach is located on Rue Principale. It was built to plans by district architect Antoine Ringeisen and blessed on 8 January 1860 by Pastor Charles Emmanuel Witz. The cemetery was also laid out according to Ringeisen’s plans. The church and cemetery link two places in Solbach to the architect, while the recorded details relate to different building projects.

Art and Regional Produce

The Jardin de Martine Cassar displays sculptures outdoors; more of the artist’s works can be seen in an exhibition space. If you are planning a visit, check the opening hours in advance.

The Chèvrerie du Solbet at 1 Chemin de la Croisette makes goat’s milk cheese and sells its products in the morning. If you are planning to buy some, confirm availability locally beforehand.

Discover more destinations: Scharrachbergheim-Irmstett, Vendenheim, Witternheim, Westhouse, Dossenheim-Sur-Zinsel, Hessenheim, Neuwiller-Lès-Saverne, Soultz-sous-Forêts.

For the regional travel overview: Bas-Rhin.