Sporty bike loop around Saverne (40km)

Updated on 2024-11-10

This cycling loop around Saverne, which is the BL 370 "Rohan châteaux et abbayes", is for those who like a bit of sport: it's an itinerary with two nice climbs! In total, it's about 40km long, with between 600 and 700m of ascent.

Laurène

Laurène is the blog's creator. Originally from Brittany but now living in Alsace, she has fallen in love with her adopted region and loves exploring its every nook and cranny to unearth great ideas to share with you!

Type

Bike

Distance

40km

Elevation gain

650m

My summary

I liked

Magnificent loop allowing to discover several emblematic places
Panoramas from the Mont Saint-Michel and the Haut-Barr
Sporting loop

I liked a little less

Nothing!

A beautiful, sporty course

This loop, starting from Saverne, is truly magnificent and allows you to discover several of the region’s most emblematic sites, including Mont Saint-Michel, the Château du Haut-Barr and theMarmoutier abbey church. We mix sport and beautiful discoveries, I loved it!

If this seems too much, you should know that it is also possible to split the course in two, since it is actually composed of two loops forming a figure eight. You can choose to do only a 10km loop or a 30km loop, each one having its own beautiful climb. This way you will only have one instead of two 😉

From Saverne to Mont Saint-Michel

I chose to do the itinerary in the opposite direction from the “official” Alsace by bike itinerary: I preferred to do the two good climbs in the first part (which also allowed me to stop for lunch in Marmoutier with only an easy portion left after the meal! So, let’s go to the Mont Saint-Michel for the first part. We begin by skirting the marina of Saverne, with in bottom the splendid Castle of Rohan, before leaving the city in direction of Saint-Jean-Saverne.

I’ve already written about our Alsatian Mont Saint Michel, a place I love and visit regularly, but I’d never been up there on a bike before. It goes up well but the slope is not too steep, the climb is not so long and as a bonus it is shaded. On arrival at the parking lot, we have to climb a little further to reach the church and admire the view.

This last little section is a forest path, so I put my foot down because it wasn’t suitable for my road bike, but it’s the only part of the whole route that isn’t suitable for road bikes. Overall, I recommend this type of bike for this loop. A VCT can also be adapted if you have good calves… Or an electric bike if you don’t trust them 😛

In any case, you really must take the time to visit the church, admire the magnificent panorama from the Rond des Sorcières, and perhaps have a drink at the Club Vosgien chalet if it’s open at that time 😉 And don’t hesitate to put down your bike and walk down to the Grotte aux Fées.

We go down again by the same road in the forest then we return towards Saverne by passing by another way. This is the end of the first loop, the smallest of 10km.

Ascent to the Château du Haut-Barr

Next stop: Haut-Barr Castle! Another local landmark, and another place I hadn’t cycled to before. It’s not a steep climb, but it’s a long one, and you’re likely to make an effort even if you’ve got an electric assistance 😉 The good news is that it’s also in the forest, so you’ll have plenty of shade too.

The castle is a nice reward at the end of the trail, it is an exceptional place: imagine a castle built on huge rocks in pink sandstone of the Vosges! It is possible to enter the castle and climb on these big rocks to admire the view, which I strongly recommend. You can even pass by the Devil’s Bridge, a footbridge installed between two rocks 😉

Between forests, villages and fields

The path then descends through the forest before reaching Reinhardsmunster, then Hengwiller, Birkenwald, Salenthal and Marmoutier.

The route alternates between fields, forest and pretty villages. Even though there are almost no bike lanes on this bike loop, traffic is limited so this is not a concern. We can enjoy the landscape quietly!

Break in Marmoutier

Marmoutier is very well known for its abbey church, undoubtedly one of the most beautiful in Alsace! TheSaint-Etienne de Marmoutier Abbey is worth a visit: enter to admire the interior and its impressive organ. If you are feeling peckish, don’t hesitate to take a lunch break at the restaurant L’Aura, it’s an excellent address!

At this stage of the loop, there are only 7km to go back to Saverne and this portion does not present any difficulty. On arrival, I invite you to visit Saverne, which is a very pretty city.