The Castle of Guirbaden is not the best known of the Alsatian castles. The Haut-Koenigsbourg, the Haut-Barr or the Hohlandsbourg and the castle of Lichtenberg are better known.
However, the castle of Guirbaden is the largest castle in Alsace (2 hectares)! Of course, it is in ruins but it is a beautiful discovery and a perfect goal for hiking.
It is located on the heights of the village of Mollkirch, in the Bruche Valley .
Easy hike from Grendelbruch
The castle of Guirbaden is accessible from several hiking trails marked out by the Club Vosgien. I left from Grendelbruch, where my gîte Mon Escapade is located. The hike is not difficult: a little more than 7km and 150m of ascent await you.
One can easily extend the walk a little bit by making a detour to go and see the chapel and the rock of Marguerite as well as the rock of Grendelbruch.
A hike in the forest
The hike is pleasant: we pass through the forest which is sublime, and we see at times the panorama on the hills and the valley by some holes between the trees. There was a beautiful sea of clouds the day I did this hike, it was really pretty!
Then you have to make a short round trip to the castle, retrace your steps and then leave by another path for the way back.
Visit of the Castle of Guirbaden
I was impressed when I arrived at Guirbaden Castle: it is really big! Even if it is in ruins, we have an idea of what it could be in the Middle Ages. It was built between the 10th and 13th centuries.
The panels installed by the association“Save the Guirbaden” help to project. The volunteers of this association work on its restoration, you should not hesitate to go to see them on the days of construction to ask them questions… And why not become a volunteer in your turn!
Some parts of the castle can be entered while others are closed to the public. Please respect these prohibitions, there is a risk of falling rocks and it is important to pay attention to the work done by the volunteers anyway.
Apicnic table is set up in the castle grounds, which allows you to take a pleasant break halfway through the tour.
I liked
- Discover the imposing castle of Guirbaden
- Beauty of the forest
- Holes in the trees to see the panorama
- Ease of hiking
I liked a little less
- Nothing!
My photos of the hike to Guirbaden Castle
Practical information
Itinerary
Find all the details of the itinerary (map, GPX track, etc) on the Visorando website:
Departure and arrival
- The start and finish are at the parking lot next to the cemetery of Grendelbruch (the civilian cemetery, not the military one).
Features
- Distance: 7,5km
- Elevation gain: 150m
- Duration: about 2 hours
Access
By car
The starting point is in Grendelbruch. It is necessary to count approximately:
- 20 minutes from Obernai (about 20 minutes)
- 35 minutes from Strasbourg (about 42km)
- 1h from Colmar (about 65km)
By public transport
The best thing to do in this case is to opt for the hike to the castle from the train station in Mollkirch.