SENTIER D'EXCELLENCE 3 - AUTOUR DES CHÂTEAUX DE WALDECK ET DE FALKENSTEIN

A beautiful forest trail to discover the natural and historical riches at the Hanau and Lieschbach ponds and the charming old village of Waldeck.

- A wooden pontoon allows access to the Lieschbach pond, which is classified as a nature reserve.

- Falkenstein was built in the 12th century on a 117-metre rocky ridge and is the most important castle complex in Bitcherland. In 1564, only a few weeks after its sale to Philipp IV of Hanau-Lichtenberg, the castle was destroyed by a fierce fire after being struck by lightning. Some steps cut into the rock and an access ramp allow you to climb to the top of the ruin, where there are still some interesting remains.

Along the way there are the following to discover :

- The historical boundary stones from the 17th century marked the border between the former territories (County of Hanau and Duchy of Lorraine) at the time.

- The pea rock with its round arch, where the rare peregrine falcon and the raven nest.

- Waldeck Castle from the 13th century

- The path to the peat pit of the Hanau pond

You can download the GPX trail here :