On foot or by bike along the Climontaine ecotourism trail

My summary

A lovely route for the whole family to discover on foot or by bike

A pleasant route

The Climontaine ecotourism trail is named after the stream that flows through the valley. Departing from Saint-Blaise-la-Roche, it climbs 7km to the Col de Steige, where you’ll find the Etang de Steige.

In Saint-Blaise-la-Roche, just before the official start of the course, don’t miss Pascal Seven‘s beautiful street art frescoes.

The route winds through the trees along the stream, passing through the pretty villages of Colroy-la-Roche and Ranrupt and enjoying superb panoramic views along the way.

The route is really pleasant and invites you to take the time to discover, enjoy and relax…

A path for pedestrians and cyclists

This route has been designed specifically for soft mobility: it is reserved for cyclists and pedestrians, which makes it particularly pleasant and safe , since it is safe from cars, except on very short stretches when crossing villages.

The surface is stabilized (not asphalt, but stabilized), making it accessible to pedestrians, mountain bikes and gravel (not ideal for road bikes, however).

Along the way, you’ll also find benches (very pretty indeed, but I’ll let you be surprised!) for a quiet rest, as well as picnic tables and play panels for children… It’s the perfect place for a family nature walk.

Course difficulty

The positive vertical drop is 184m, which is not bad considering the 7km distance, but the route remains easy overall as the slope is generally gentle, with small climbs that pass by themselves as they follow descents.

There’s just one very steep but very short climb up to Ranrupt, but in the worst case you get off your bike and push, as it’s only a few metres…. And the view up there is superb, offering a panorama worthy of a postcard, so it’s impossible to regret!

Connection to the Vélo Bruche

Admittedly, this route isn’t very long if you’re on a bike, but you can easily extend the ride as it connects at Saint-Blaise la Roche to the Vélo-Bruche, the cycle route that crosses the Bruche Valley between Urmatt and Sâales… which in turn connects to other Alsatian routes!

In other words, there’s plenty of scope for great cycling tours, and even tours combining bike and train thanks to the TER line serving the whole Bruche Valley.