Lake Alfeld – Valley view loop from Col du Ballon d'Alsace

Hiking trails & Routes

France

Great East

Épinal

Saint-Maurice-Sur-Moselle

Lake Alfeld – Valley view loop from Col du Ballon d'Alsace

Moderate

4.8

(68)

284

hikers

Lake Alfeld – Valley view loop from Col du Ballon d'Alsace

04:05

11.7km

620m

Hiking

Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels. The starting point of the route is accessible with public transport.

Last updated: July 17, 2026

Tips

Your route passes through a protected area

Please check local regulations for:

Parc naturel régional des Ballons des Vosges

Waypoints

Start point

Bus stop

Get Directions

80 m

Deminers' Memorial

Highlight • Monument

This monument called the Projected Man pays tribute to all the deminers who died for France during the Second World War. More than 600 men sacrificed themselves to detect and disarm the mines laid by the Germans.

This sculpture, awarded at the Brussels Biennial, is the work of the architect Deschler and the sculptor Rivière.

Translated by Google •

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6.20 km

Lake Alfeld

Highlight • Lake

Beautiful dam lake. Although swimming is prohibited in the summer, in good weather the riparian area is very crowded and many people bathe in the lake or jump into the lake from the dam.

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6.72 km

Viewpoint

7.04 km

Schahling Chalet

Highlight • Mountain Hut

A very beautiful cabin with character and a splendid view. Inside, two wood saws are available at the time of writing. There is also a brush and pan.
The stove works well. A little smoke when lighting, but its insulation seems effective. The wooden entrance door can be closed with a small latch. There are two windows.
There are 3 tables and benches fixed to the ground.
Next to the entrance and under the porch, there is a table with benches.
There is also an area in front of the cabin for making a fire, with some benches. Barbecue grills are available in the cabin.
Not easy to sleep when there are several of you, as the tables and benches cannot be moved. You can try sleeping on or under a table. It's doable, we've done it!
If you use wood to make a fire, remember to cut some for the next visitors. Please do not cut living trees, there is always dead wood around. It's quick and always appreciated!

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8.13 km

View of the Valley and Lakes in Parc Naturel Régional des Ballons des Vosges

Highlight • Viewpoint

Super difficult hike but the nature is amazing.

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8.13 km

View of Lac d'Alfred

Highlight • Viewpoint

8.13 km

Valley view

Highlight • Forest

A stunning view down the valley, here you can sit quietly on the rocks and let the view to work

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9.09 km

Tête Ronde (Rundkopf)

Highlight • Summit

The round head, whose panel still indicates the old German name Rundkopf, culminates at 1,117 meters above sea level. On the small lawn at the top you find the possibility of resting with a table and two benches. From there, the view of the Ballon d'Alsace is splendid.

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9.70 km

Col de Ronde Tête

Mountain Pass

11.7 km

End point

Bus stop

Way Types & Surfaces

Way Types

7.93 km

1.79 km

1.78 km

174 m

< 100 m

Surfaces

6.39 km

2.46 km

1.62 km

913 m

198 m

158 m

Elevation

Nothing selected – click and drag below to see the stats for a specific part of the route.

Highest point (1,220 m)

Lowest point (620 m)

Weather

Thursday 8 October

8°C

3°C

7 %

Additional weather tips

Max wind speed: 14.0 km/h

to get more detailed weather forecasts along your route

Comments

May 31, 2023,Ballon d' Alsace und Lac du Alfeld

A nice tour in a beautiful area. From Ballon d' Alsace down to Lac d' Alfeld there is a beautiful path through the forest. The lake invites you to swim in the right weather. But, you have to go back up to the starting point. And the climb is actually tough, see elevation profile. Although you are not exposed to …

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June 25, 2025,"Ballon d´Alsace" über den "Rundkopf" ab "Lac d´Alfeld" (FR)

The "Ballon d'Alsace" is our destination. We wanted to hike it on the way there about five weeks ago, but visibility was almost nonexistent and rain was even forecast. Today, visibility is good, but it's also forecast for a "threatening 34 degrees."
We set off at 8:15 a.m. 🥵

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June 17, 2025,Lac d'Alfeld – Ballon d'Alsace Runde von Oberbruck

Beautiful tour.
Good fitness and surefootedness required.

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April 16, 2022,In den Hoch-Vogesen: Lac d'Alfeld - Ronde Tête - Ballon d'Alsace - Lac d'Alfeld

Strenuous, but very beautiful and varied hike from Lac d'Alfeld via the Ronde Tête and Ballon d'Alsace back to Lac d'Alfeld. In the end, unfortunately, we deviated a bit from the planned route, but still ended up back at the parking lot. Unfortunately, the battery gave up just before the finish! But of course we also ended the hike at …

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