Hiking circuit in Dabo – A 360° sporty hike

I discovered this area the first time quite quickly and was already seduced. I went back there during a new stay during which I was able to run and do this beautiful hike that I propose here and that I really loved. It gives a superb overview of the region, it is ideal to discover the area.

A sports trail around Dabo

It is a circuit of hike in 360° because we make really a turn around Dabo, with in the passage a rise in the rock. You will be able to go there at the same time, it is really worth it.

The hike is about 20km with 700m of positive elevation gain according to my plot (but Visorando indicates less, so the truth is probably a bit in between :-P), which makes it a hike quite sporty but which remains accessible if you are used to walking (and climbing a little!), especially since there is no no technical difficulty.

Plan to take the GPX route, there are paths everywhere and it is not necessarily easy to follow otherwise in my opinion. This is also the interest of this region, the Club Vosgien has marked out a lot of paths … but it is sometimes easy to make mistakes if you want to follow an itinerary (well, I’m distracted by nature too, eh!).

Paths between forest and pink sandstone rocks

The paths wind through the forest on very soft ground and pass by numerous rocks of pink Vosges sandstone, typical of northern Alsace and this part of Lorraine.

If you do not know pink sandstone, it is for example the material that was used for the Cathedral of Strasbourg, or the Castle of Haut-Koenigsbourg, for example. These rocks are magnificent to admire, as much for their color as for their size: we feel very small when we pass near these beautiful sandstone cliffs, it is impressive!

Paths with panoramic views of Dabo

I also particularly liked this hiking circuit for the panoramas that it allows to have and which are varied. Regularly, holes in the forest allow to admire viewpoints which are all more beautiful than the others: we dominate the forest and we can observe the villages below as well as the Rock of Dabo under many different angles, it is superb.

These viewpoints can also be perfect picnic spots: a picnic with a view is always great, don’t you think?

What to do around Dabo?

Want more ideas in the area? Find here my ideas of activities around Dabo and Phalsbourg!

My photos of the 360° hike in the Dabo area