Walk to the Grotte des Nains in Ferrette

The cave of the Dwarfs is, with the castle of Ferrette, one of the inescapable of a discovery of Sundgau and the Alsatian Jura. It’s easy to get there but the place is spectacular and really worth a visit! I’ve already been there several times and it’s a place I adore and highly recommend.

Legend of the Dwarves of Ferrette

The Dwarves’ cave is not called that because garden gnomes are now enthroned there! His name is linked to a legend of the Sundgau, of which here is a version taken from the Revue d’Alsace published in 1851:

“There was a time when the Wolfshöhle (Wolf Cave), situated at some distance from Ferrette and embedded in the rocks of the Heidenflüe, was inhabited by a tribe of dwarfs.

They had rooms cut out of rock crystal and all the furniture was silver. Each of these rooms was occupied by a couple of dwarfs, male and female. All those who saw them were amazed by the beauty of their features and especially by the particular brilliance of their eyes which shone like stars. They had no children and enjoyed eternal youth. They often took pleasure in descending into the valley and entering the dwellings scattered here and there on the slopes of the mountain, and their sweet and melodious voices tried to imitate the language of the shepherds and ploughmen they came to visit.

It was especially at harvest time that they were seen coming out in droves from their rich underground dwellings. Armed with their sickles, they came to stand among the peasants, whose presence filled them with joy and hope. The dwarves were also very grateful to them, and they did not fail to invite them to their rustic feasts and to serve them all the excellent food that the kitchen and the cellar could provide.

One thing that seemed strange to the men, however, was the long robes that the dwarves wore, which prevented the curious from seeing their feet. Some young girls of the valley could not repress any longer the desire to know what form these feet had, resolved one day to surprise the mystery of the dwarfs.

So at sunrise they went to the Cave of the Wolves, and after covering the stone plateau at its entrance with sand, they hid in the undergrowth, thinking that when the dwarves took their morning walk in the forest to drink the drops of the fresh dew and suck the sweet honey from the chalice of the flowers, their feet would not fail to leave tracks in the sand.

As soon as the sun shone on the rocks of the Heidenflüe, the dwarves appeared at the entrance of the cave, and not suspecting the malice of the peasant women, whom curiosity had made so ungrateful, they crossed the plateau to descend into the forest.
But as soon as the girls saw that the dwarves were leaving goat’s feet marks in the sand, they started to laugh a lot.

The dwarves turned around in astonishment, and seeing themselves betrayed, they withdrew into their cave never to leave again.”

The limestone rocks of the Grotte des Nains

When you arrive on the spot, you can be surprised by the small size of the cave of the Dwarfs, which has nothing spectacular: a crack opening in the rock wall, in which we find garden gnomes (!) .

But one comes to the dwarfs’ cave for the cave, but also (and especially I would say!) for the spectacular landscapes that surround it. Huge limestone rocks, typical of the Alsatian Jura and totally different from the Vosges sandstone that we know well in Alsace, form a gorge of about 35 meters high called Erdwibalaschlucht (the parade of the little women of the earth). It was formed by the work of water in the karstic limestone.

Above the gorge, you can reach the Plateau des Nains, also called Erdwibalafelsen (Fairy Rock), which offers a beautiful panorama on the Ill valley and the villages of Bouxwiller and Werentzhouse.

For climbing enthusiasts, it is also a favorite spot!

Family walks or hiking, your choice!

To discover the Grotte des Nains, you can choose between different walks of varying lengths:

• the shortest (suitable for all-terrain strollers): park on the parking lot of the Keucht located in the forest. Take the direction of Sondersdorf and, a little before the exit of the village, take on your left the forest path indicated by a wooden sign “Sentier des Nains”. Continue to the parking lot located a few hundred meters away. From the parking lot, it’s a 15-20 minute walk.
• the little walk: park on the parking lot of the Community of Communes in Ferrette (3A route de Lucelle) and take the red diamond trail along the road towards Sondersdorf. Count 30 to 35 min to reach the cave (1,8km).
• hiking: you can make a very nice loop from the village of Ferrette to discover the Grotte des Nains, the castle of Ferrette but also beautiful viewpoints like the Heindenfluh (my favorite!). Find the infos here.

My photos of the cave of the Dwarfs in Ferrette