Discover Ranspach: Church and walking routes

Ranspach combines a Neo-Gothic parish church, local history and trails of varying lengths. When choosing a destination, you can weigh up whether church architecture, botanical discoveries or a longer hike should shape your trip. If you are looking for a hotel in Ranspach, these themes offer specific ideas for planning your trip. Ranspach station is an SNCF stop served by TER trains; please check the current timetable for your specific journey.

Church and local history

The parish church of Saint-Antoine-de-Padoue in Ranspach is Neo-Gothic and was built between 1854 and 1856. It was designed by Joseph Langenstein, an architect born in Ranspach. Ranspach was first mentioned in the archives in 1133 under the name Ramispach; the name means “Rami’s stream.” The town’s history and the building history of the parish church thus reach back to two different periods: its first recorded mention in the 12th century and the church’s construction in the mid-19th century.

Trails through the landscape and town

The Dengelberg circular trail is 6.5 km long and starts either at the town hall square or at the car park by Étang de la Miss. On the return leg, it follows the Sentier botanique, where 90 signs provide information about trees and shrubs. From the trail’s picnic area, you can look out over the upper valley and the massif on the left bank of the Thur. The loop therefore combines a specified distance with botanical information and a named viewpoint.

The Sentier botanique runs above the houses of Ranspach, along the left-hand slope of the valley; its plant diversity developed in the 1950s. A municipal description from 2008 listed the trail as a 2.5 km route beginning in the upper part of the village, in front of the former industrial buildings. The hillside location and the documented development of its plant diversity give the path two distinct points of reference: its position in the valley and its botanical history.

The municipal trail guide also lists several routes with their own starting points. The 6.4 km Circuit du Herrenwald starts at the town hall square. The Circuit Chaillot is 10 km long, the Le Treh route is 13 km, and the route to Markstein via the Sentier Joachim is 14 km; for each of these three, the town hall square or the car park by Étang de la Miss is listed as the starting point. By comparison, the Herrenwald and Dengelberg circular trails, at 6.4 and 6.5 km, are almost the same length, while the other three routes listed range from 10 to 14 km. This lets you first compare the routes by length and then by starting point.

A walk of about 1.5 hours starts at the church square in Ranspach and leads to the Bruscher waterfall, which gushes out between old fir trees. The approximate walking time offers a different way to plan than the distances given for the routes. Check the current condition of the described trails before setting out.

Discover more destinations: Niedermorschwihr, Soultzmatt, Rodern, Soppe-le-Bas, Wettolsheim, Wittenheim, Moosch, Thann.

See the broader travel guide: Haut-Rhin.