Col du Donon Ridge Walk

The Col du Donon ridge walk takes hikers to the summit of the Donon at 1,009 m — the highest peak in the Bas-Rhin department and a site of Celtic and Gallo-Roman sacred significance in the northern Vosges of the Grand Est region of France. The mountain has been a place of worship since at least the 2nd century AD; a replica Greco-Roman temple now crowns the summit platform, housing plaster casts of votive reliefs and sculptures found during 19th-century excavations. The originals are displayed in the Musée Archéologique de Strasbourg. The trail departs from the Col du Donon car park on the D392 road between Schirmeck and Grandfontaine (free parking with toilet facilities). No public transport serves the col, which lies in a remote section of the northern Vosges between the two villages. The 8 km round trip ascends approximately 300 m through mature fir and beech forest on Club Vosgien-waymarked paths — the principal markings are the red rectangle and red cross. The surface is largely packed earth with exposed sandstone steps on the final approach to the summit platform. The summit ridge is open and clear of significant obstacles; a windproof layer is advisable as the col funnels cool westerly air year-round. From the top, views sweep west across the rolling hills of the Lorraine Natural Park (Parc naturel régional de Lorraine) and east toward the Rhine plain and the Vosges de la Meurthe valleys. The replica temple building and interpretive panels explaining the cult of Vosegus — the protective forest deity worshipped here in the Gallo-Roman period — are worth a brief stop at the summit. A north-running ridgeline path extends from the summit for a further 1–2 km, allowing an optional loop extension for walkers seeking more distance. Carry all water from the car park; a fountain in Grandfontaine village (2 km south on D392) is the closest reliable source. IGN map 3715OT covers the area. No permit is required.