The best walks and hikes around Zellweiler

The Heidenmauer (French: Mur Païen) is a monumental, eleven-kilometer-long fortification from the early Middle Ages that encloses the high plateau of the Odilienberg in Alsace. The imposing structure has fascinated archaeologists and visitors alike for centuries with its sheer dimension and construction. Around 300,000 irregularly hewn sandstone blocks were piled up without mortar to form a dry stone wall up to two meters wide. To give the huge blocks stability, the builders connected them with swallowtail-shaped wooden clamps made of oak. This extraordinary technique secured the structure against the shifting of stones in the steep forest terrain. For a long time, the structure was surrounded by a great mystery. Due to the name Pope Leo IX gave the wall in the 11th century, its origin was suspected to be from prehistoric, Celtic, or Roman times. Modern scientific investigations finally brought clarity: With the help of dendrochronology (tree-ring analysis), the wooden connecting wedges could be precisely dated to the late 7th or early 8th century AD. The wall thus originated in the Merovingian era. To this day, research puzzles over the exact purpose of this gigantic structure. The most likely theory is that the wall served as a mighty refuge for the population in times of political unrest. At the same time, the monumental structure demonstrated the claim to power and prestige of the then Dukes of Alsace, to whose family Saint Odilia also belonged. Today, the Heidenmauer is a protected cultural monument and a popular destination for hikers. A well-signposted

The monumental ceramic Way of the Cross on Mont Sainte-Odile (French: Chemin de Croix du Mont Sainte-Odile) was created between 1933 and 1935 by the renowned Alsatian artist and master ceramicist Léon Elchinger (1871–1942). From an art historical perspective, it is considered one of the most significant and ambitious masterpieces of sacred ceramic art in Alsace.

The Heidenmauer (French: Mur Païen) is a monumental, eleven-kilometer-long fortification from the early Middle Ages that encloses the high plateau of Mont Sainte-Odile in Alsace. For centuries, the imposing structure has fascinated archaeologists and visitors alike with its sheer dimension and construction method. Around 300,000 irregularly hewn sandstone blocks were stacked without mortar to form a dry-stone wall up to two meters wide. To give the huge blocks stability, the builders connected them with swallowtail-shaped wooden clamps made of oak. This extraordinary technique secured the structure against the shifting of stones on the steep forest terrain. For a long time, the facility was surrounded by great mystery. Due to the name Pope Leo IX gave the wall in the 11th century, its origin was suspected to be prehistoric, Celtic, or Roman times. Modern scientific investigations finally brought clarity: using dendrochronology (tree-ring analysis), the wooden connecting wedges could be precisely dated to the late 7th or early 8th century AD. The wall thus originated in the Merovingian era. To this day, research puzzles over the exact purpose of this gigantic facility. The most likely theory is that the wall served as a mighty refuge for the population in times of political unrest. At the same time, the monumental structure demonstrated the claim to power and prestige of the then Dukes of Alsace, to whose family Saint Odilia also belonged. Today, the Heidenmauer is a protected cultural monument and a popular destination for hikers. A well-signposted circular trail leads in the shade of the trees directly along the historical remains and connects the ruins with mystical places such as the Druid's Grotto and the monastery on the mountain summit.

The municipality of Mittelbergheim is located on the eastern edge of the Northern Vosges in the Bas Rhin department, belongs to the arrondissement of Sélestat-Erstein and the canton of Obernai. The village, with around 600 inhabitants, is located on the Route des Vins between Andlau and Barr and is about 25 km from Strasbourg, which lies to the northeast. The municipality is counted among the most beautiful villages in France by the association Les plus beaux villages de France.

Nice spot above the village with a cross and benches. Invites you to linger and offers a beautiful view of the village.

A place with a very special atmosphere.

beautiful path below the impressive rocks

In his meditation on the Stations of the Cross with the Holy Father – on Good Friday 2025 in the Roman Colosseum – Pope Francis, who died on Easter Monday of this year, invited us to let Jesus on the cross look at us. A few short sentences from this meditation seem to me to fit well with the small sacred memorial located here: + “We go our usual ways and you come towards us. Your eyes look into our hearts. (…) Jesus is your name, and truly, ‘God saves’ through you. The God of Abraham who calls, the God of Isaac who cares, the God of Jacob who blesses, the God of Israel who delivers: in your gaze, Lord, … lies a whole revelation. In your footsteps leading out of the city, we see our departure into a new land. You came to change the world: for us, this means changing direction, seeing the good you have left behind, and allowing the memory of your gaze to continue to work in our hearts.” (Pope Francis)