Another beautiful stage through the Vosges Mountains. After the first kilometer, this trail leaves the GR5 due to construction works and returns to the GR5 after a kilometer of 4. In the beginning the route climbs quickly and then stays fairly flat for many kilometers, before descending to the picturesque Barr at the end of the stage. Along the trail there are many shelters and it passes by the beautiful abbey du Mont Sainte Odile.
After a good night’s sleep and a luxurious hotel breakfast (with delicious coffee….) we are ready for the stage to Barr.
After this stage, we have traversed the Vosges Mountains from east to west and emerge into the wide Rhine valley, Alsace, between the Vosges Mountains and the Black Forest.
We walk out of the village and see that after a few hundred meters the path is blocked off due to forest work. We see on the map that a somewhat larger path runs parallel to the GR5 for a bit and then we can pick up the original route again. After today we will walk 2 more stages while we stay at the edge of the Vosges Mountains. After that there will be a stretch of about 100km straight through the mountains where we will hardly encounter any villages, campsites or hotels. This requires good preparation and while planning and chatting, we follow the path quite a bit too far, leading us to veer off the GR5 altogether. Oops… Walking back is always the last option for us so we find a route through the forest on narrow paths that brings us back on the right path a lot further on. It adds a few extra miles, but it was fun and we made a good planning!
We continue the route on beautiful forest trails, putting on our ponchos against the rain along the way. After about 12 kilometers, we arrive at an abbey, Mont Sainte Odile. It’s dry again and here we take our first break of the day, with a view of Alsace.
The descent of the hike goes past some beautiful shelters, where we would pitch our tent without a doubt. So far, these appear to be good and safe places to spend the night. Good to know for the more remote parts.
A little later, the woods full of acacia trees make way to grape fields, giving us a nice view of the village of Barr, which lies below us. After the final stretch of descent, we arrive in Barr and walk through one picturesque street after another. Half-timbered houses in countless pastel colors are a feast for the eyes and seem to come straight out of Grimm’s time.
We look for the campsite, a small Municipal with barely 20 places in the garden of an old school building. To shower, we must cross a school yard to get to the sanitary.
After pitching our tent and catching our breath, we walk back into the village to do some shopping. On the way back we pass a pizzeria, so a little later we are enjoying fresh pizza in front of our tent. Delicious!
While doing the dishes at the schoolyard in the evening, we’re entertained by a local cheerleading club, rehearsing dances with gold-colored pompoms. A bit surreal, but very entertaining.
