The best running trails around Bisel

Observation post No. 2 in Largin was a Swiss wooden blockhouse during the First World War. From here, Swiss soldiers observed the French and German positions just a few hundred meters away and monitored Swiss neutrality. The post was thus located immediately at the southern end of the Western Front. The original blockhouse was reconstructed in 2012 based on historical models and can be visited today.

Kilometer 0 – Border stone of the Western Front The border stone No. 111 at Largin near Pfetterhouse marks the so-called “Kilomètre Zéro”, the southern starting point of the Western Front in World War I. From autumn 1914, the front ran here between France and Germany; on the Swiss side, the neutral Swiss army observed the events. From this point, the front line stretched for around 750 km to the North Sea. Today, the border stone, the reconstructed Swiss observation post, and numerous trenches and bunkers commemorate this special section of the Western Front.

The chapel Notre-Dame du Grunenwald probably dates back to the 15th century and has been an important place of pilgrimage for centuries. According to legend, children found a statue of Mary in the forest, whereupon a first chapel was built at this spot. In the 16th century, it was expanded by the Order of Saint John/Knights of Malta and later rebuilt, including in 1705. During the First World War, the chapel was severely destroyed by artillery fire. The current chapel was built between 1930 and 1933. The historical statue of Mary and some stones from the previous building have been preserved to this day.

The Ferme du Largin is located in the Swiss "corner" near Bonfol, directly at Kilomètre Zéro of the Western Front section. In the First World War, it was an important observation post for the Swiss army, which monitored the opposing French and German positions from here. The area became a meeting point for three armies in 1914–1918 – France, Germany, and Switzerland. Today, the Ferme is a working farm and the starting point of the 7.5 km long Kilomètre-Zéro circular trail, where numerous traces and fortifications of the former front can still be seen.

The Largtalbahn: Dannemarie–Pfetterhouse–Bonfol The line was called Largtalbahn in German, or the Dannemarie–Pfetterhouse railway line. It ran from Dannemarie (Dammerkirch) through the Largtal via Dannemarie → Altenach → Mertzen → Friesen → Seppois-le-Bas → Pfetterhouse → Swiss border → Bonfol → Porrentruy. The French section was about 20 km long. The line opened in 1910 and was initially a connection within the then German Empire, or between the German Empire and Switzerland. When the line was built, Alsace still belonged to the German Empire. The state treaty for the railway connection between Pfetterhausen and Bonfol was concluded in 1906 between the German Empire and Switzerland. With the start of the First World War, cross-border traffic was stopped. The border between Pfetterhouse and Bonfol was closed. At the same time, Pfetterhouse was located directly at the southern end of the Western Front. The railway could no longer be used simply as a normal international connection. The military significance of the area was considerable: military operations took place in the forests on both sides of the border, partly to prevent Alsatians from fleeing to Switzerland. Even today, traces of shell impacts are still present there.

At border post 111, on the French-Swiss border near Pfetterhouse, the Western Front of the First World War officially began in the autumn of 1914. This spot, where the borders of France, Germany and Switzerland had previously met, became the symbolic Kilometre Zero of a front line that stretched over 750 kilometres to the North Sea. Today it is a peaceful spot along a hiking and cycling trail, where you literally stand at the start of one of the most defining fronts in modern history.

Near the border stone 111, the official Kilometre Zero of the Western Front, there was a wooden observation post of the Swiss army during the First World War. This Poste d'observation N°2 offered a view of the French and German lines, while Switzerland maintained its neutrality 1. The post was a symbol of the tense calm at this unique border location, where three armies followed each other closely. Today, the site has been partly reconstructed and forms a special historical point along the hiking and cycling path in the far south of Alsace.

Ferme du Largin – border farm between war and neutrality: The Ferme du Largin is located on a Swiss border spur near Pfetterhouse, at a symbolic place where France, Germany and Switzerland met. During the First World War, it was an important observation point on the edge of the front, guarded by neutral Switzerland. The farm was shelled in October 1914, which led to a diplomatic incident between Germany and Switzerland. During the Second World War, it became a refuge for resistance fighters and refugees. Today, the farm has been partly restored and is a silent witness to border history, war and human resilience.